Shark species common in Florida are now biting in Rhode Island waters

A pair of shark species responsible for at least 24% of shark bites in Florida have been spotted off Rhode Island in recent summers, apparently attracted by warming waters, according to a local shark researcher.

Blacktip and spinner sharks are common in the warm waters off Florida, but researcher Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute in Wakefield, was surprised to see the two shark species similar in appearance to the off Rhode Island in the summer of 2020.