Atlantic Shark Institute tags its first-ever hammerhead shark off coast of Rhode Island

A hammerhead shark was tagged near Block Island, Rhode Island, recently by the Atlantic Shark Institute (ASI), marking the nonprofit's first-ever successful hammerhead shark tagging.

While on a mission to tag sandbar sharks in Southern New England on Friday, the ASI happened to see a massive endangered scalloped hammerhead shark, of which they got video.

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Footage of the massive hammerhead was captured by Tomas Koeck of Silent Flight Studios, showing the giant beast as it swam through the turquoise waters of the Atlantic.

"Hammerhead sharks are among the ocean's most iconic predators, and documenting this first-ever tagging event by the ASI is an exciting opportunity to showcase the groundbreaking research taking place right here in Rhode Island," Koeck said.

Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, said the crew attempted to bait and tag the scalloped hammerhead, but it wouldn't take.

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Later on in their expedition, they came across another species of hammerhead shark, a 6-foot-long female, and were able to tag her successfully.

"With our warming waters, many of the shark species that New England residents associate with Florida and southern states are finding our water temperatures much more attractive than they would have just 25 years ago," Dodd said. "The arrival of these sharks, and the tagging of our first hammerhead shark in our waters, raises a lot of questions, and we look forward to answering them with our partners and collaborators."

The institute said the hammerhead's tagging is a significant addition to their research program, which helps scientists better understand shark populations in waters off southern New England.

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Dodd said they're hoping to return to the area where they saw the hammerhead sharks to tag more of the shark species.

Scallop hammerheads are more rare than smooth hammerheads, Dodd said, because they do not have as wide of a temperature range as smooth hammerheads.

The ASI puts satellite and acoustic tags on sharks across New England in order to collect data such as migration patterns, habitat use, nursery grounds, shifting residency and seasonal movements.

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This tag will allow ASI to follow the hammerhead shark up and down the East Coast for a decade or longer.

The ASI studies multiple species of shark found in Rhode Island's waters and the eastern coast.

Dodd said they've tagged between 10 and 15 different species of sharks for various research projects.

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This week alone, the institute has tagged about a dozen sharks for their research.

It's important that each tag the institute deploys helps benefit one of their projects, as they are a nonprofit organization.

He said putting multiple tags on multiple species of shark won't benefit their research as much, because only one tag would be in each species. He said focusing on one species and tagging multiple of that species helps their research even more.

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To learn more about the Atlantic Shark Institute and keep up with their projects and work, visit their website and check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

To see more of Tomas Koeck's footage, check out "Ocean State: Rhode Island's Wild Coast," an Ocean State Media docuseries featured on PBS Passport.