Shark attacks set record in 2015 with 98 worldwide

In the territorial dispute between sharks and humans, the toothy beasts bit off a record in 2015.

Sharks, unprovoked, chomped on humans 98 times worldwide last year, the most since records began 57 years ago, according to data from the International Shark Attack File. The number of attacks broke the previous record of 88 set in 2000.

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Most folks in 2015 escaped with injuries, but the vicious fish killed six people worldwide, on par with previous years, said George Burgess, curator of the file housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.

The majority of the attacks occurred in the U.S., which logged a record 59 incidents. Australia recorded 18 attacks and South Africa followed with 8. The previous U.S. record of 53 was set in 2000 and matched in 2012.

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The uptick in attacks may be linked to more people spending more time in the sea, giving sharks increasing opportunities to encounter people, Burgess said in a statement. Shark populations — like human ones —​ are also growing.

Most of the U.S. attacks — 30 — occurred in Florida, where long coastlines and inviting beaches attract both humans and sharks. The Carolinas each logged eight, followed by Hawaii with seven, and California and Texas with two apiece.

“Sharks plus humans equals attacks. As our population continues to rapidly grow and shark populations slowly recover, we’re going to see more interactions," he said.

One attack occurred in New York, which points to warming oceans as another factor in the increase in incidents, Burgess said. Water temperatures spiked earlier in the season, which drew more sharks to the shallow water they prefer for feeding and where people also tend to play.

A team of federal researchers captured and tagged 2,800 sharks along the East Coast before summer began, recording the highest number in its 29-year history of monitoring the population.

“We can and should expect the number of attacks to be higher each year,” Burgess said. “When we visit the sea, we’re on their turf.”

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The 2015 attack tally doesn't include incidents in which a person initiates contact, such as a diver bitten after grabbing a shark.

The chances of dying from a shark attack are much lower than deaths by snake bites, lightning strikes, drowning or heart attack.