Neil Nathan said scientists at UC Santa Barbara’s Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory are field-testing SharkEye this year to spot a great white shark in southern California before beachgoers reach the water. The AI system scans drone video off Padaro, California, then sends real-time warnings when sharks are detected.
He said the team is now in the final stages of testing the app, which is intended to be free and open-source. Nathan said the program has been running since 2019, and the drone videos identify how many great white sharks are seen and their estimated size.
SharkEye at Padaro, California
When SharkEye finds sharks, it shares the alert with local beaches and officials. Nearby communities also receive notice of how many sharks were seen and where, and surf shops and surf camp owners are contacted after detections.
The app’s detection model matters because it is built to turn video into a beach warning, not just a research record. Nathan said the system could help lifeguards and public safety officials monitor shark activity at their local beaches.
Neil Nathan and the field test
Nathan said the team has been field testing this year during unusually warm waters from a recent marine heatwave and a developing El Niño. He said there have been higher than average shark numbers at Padaro and other spots in Southern California, making this summer a strong test for the system.
He also said scientists noticed that white shark populations in Southern California appeared to be increasing after the project started seven years ago. The team primarily studies juvenile or young sharks, which Nathan said cluster close to the coast because they are less able to regulate their body temperature and their food sources are there.
UC Santa Barbara testing
Nathan said young sharks focus on the sea floor, where they hunt for stingrays, leopard sharks or halibut. He said where they gather is called aggregation sites, and that food source, temperature and even social elements affect where those sites are.
For beachgoers near Padaro, the practical change is simple: warnings can arrive after an AI drone scan and before people enter the water. The open question is how SharkEye performs against other shark-monitoring methods as the testing moves toward wider use.
