FAU Study Finds Beach Nourishment Murk May Overlap With Blacktip Shark Migration

Research highlights potential conflicts between coastal engineering and marine ecology in Palm Beach County

Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:41pm

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An abstract painting in muted earth tones depicting overlapping geometric shapes and waveforms, representing the complex interplay between coastal engineering, water turbidity, and the migration patterns of marine life.A new FAU study explores how beach nourishment projects may disrupt the annual migration of blacktip sharks along the Palm Beach County coast.Boca Raton Today

A new Florida Atlantic University study is examining how beach nourishment projects that stir up prolonged turbidity in nearshore waters may overlap with the annual migration of thousands of blacktip sharks along the Palm Beach County coast. Researchers found that the cloudy water can interfere with the sharks' feeding behavior and shift how they use the habitat, raising concerns about the tradeoffs between shoreline protection and marine ecology.

Why it matters

Beach nourishment is a critical tool for protecting coastal infrastructure and maintaining recreational shorelines in Palm Beach County, but the study suggests the process can also disrupt the natural patterns of marine life like the blacktip shark migration. Understanding this overlap is important for managing the balance between human needs and environmental impacts along the busy South Florida coastline.

The details

The FAU study tracked turbidity events and shark presence over two migration seasons, using aerial surveys and underwater cameras. Researchers found that sediment plumes from beach nourishment projects sometimes stretched miles along the shore and hundreds of meters offshore, reducing visibility in the same shallow areas where blacktip sharks concentrate to hunt. This overlap may interfere with the sharks' feeding behaviors and shift how they use the nearshore habitat.

  • The blacktip shark migration typically peaks in Palm Beach County from February to March each year.
  • The FAU study collected data during the 2020 and 2021 migration seasons.

The players

Florida Atlantic University

A public research university located in Boca Raton, Florida.

Stephen Kajiura

A professor of biological sciences in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and a co-author of the study.

Tiffany Roberts Briggs

The chair and associate professor of geosciences in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and a co-author of the study.

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What they’re saying

“The distribution of blacktip sharks closely overlapped with areas affected by turbidity. Sustained reductions in visibility can change where the sharks go, how successfully they feed, and how they interact with the environment, with implications for people because the animals are present in large numbers close to shore.”

— Stephen Kajiura, Professor of biological sciences

“Beach nourishment remains an important tool in the fight against erosion and the protection of coastal infrastructure. At the same time, the scale of turbidity observed during the project exceeded what is typically described in previous literature.”

— Tiffany Roberts Briggs, Chair and associate professor of geosciences

What’s next

Researchers are calling for better monitoring, improved sediment management, and closer review of how nourishment projects affect both marine habitat and coastal communities.

The takeaway

This study highlights the complex tradeoffs between coastal engineering projects like beach nourishment and the preservation of marine ecosystems. As South Florida communities balance shoreline protection with environmental concerns, understanding the impacts on migratory species like blacktip sharks will be crucial.