University of Delaware researches, NOAA use sharks as newest hurricane trackers

NEWARK, Del. (WPVI) -- NOAA's newest hurricane hunters have teeth.

The federal agency is teaming up with the University of Delaware to tag sharks in order to collect ocean data, such as water temperature.

It's all in an effort to better track these inclement storms that often devastate communities.

They're doing it by putting tags on the sharks' fins.

"So every time the sharks are out swimming around doing their sharky thing, they collect data from what's going on underneath the ocean," said Professor Aaron Carlisle.

Carlisle says the sensors collect the temperature at the depths of the ocean. Science shows warm ocean waters supply heat and moisture, which is ripe for a hurricane.

So far, his team has tagged six blue sharks and short-finned Makos for their ability to get into spaces