A great white shark was caught on camera attacking an underwater robot, and now the newly released footage is helping scientists closely study the underwater predators' hunting patterns.
Scientists with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute created a torpedo-shaped drone outfitted with tiny cameras to stalk and capture sharks' behavior in
Guadalupe, Mexico, according to The Huffington Post. The SharkCam footage, originally recorded last year but just released two weeks ago, is scheduled to air during Discovery Channel's "Shark Week," which kicks off Sunday.
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In the video clip, one shark is seen repeatedly attacking the drone, biting the robot with all of its sharp teeth exposed. After a few futile attempts, the shark then swims away.
Researchers said the footage has helped them learn more about a shark's aggressive behavior, including certain hunting tactics. For example, the shark in the video appeared to take advantage of the clear water by hiding in the shadows and then rising quickly to attack what would be its prey's tail or midsection.
The Woods Hole Institute, founded in 1930, is a nonprofit organization located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, that researches and educates people about oceanic ecosystems and
environments, according to its website.
The institute's Center for Marine Robotics has helped improve the efficiency of its research on animals and mapping of underwater area such as Antarctica, while lowering costs and reducing the risks to humans involved in the marine operations.
Humans have long been fascinated and scared of the large ocean predators, which at one time were nearly extinct but have since bounced back in record numbers.
The increasing shark population has also upped the number of shark-human encounters, according to George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research.
Burgess told Discovery News in June that experts predicted a jump in North American shark attacks in 2014.
"Each year, more people are going into the water," Burgess said. "We're also seeing a rise in numbers of sharks on both coasts."
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