2,000-pound great white shark tagged and tracked

A 2,000-pound (907 kilogram) great white shark nicknamed "Lydia" is doing deep dives after being hauled aboard a research vessel and tagged by scientists hoping to learn more about the behavior of these massive toothy fish in the wild.Lydia is the first great white tagged and released in Florida waters, according to OCEARCH, a nonprofit that worked with Mote Marine Laboratory scientists and other researchers to corral and trap the 14-foot (4.3 meter) beast on March 3.

The tagging is part of a project aimed at better understanding the life cycles of great whites, including reproductive behavior. Little is known about how the fish mate, breed and mature, Chemical Hose-SG and SS,making conservation decisions difficult. Meanwhile, shark populations are declining worldwide. About 100 million sharks are killed per year due to both legal and illegal fishing, according to a recent study.

OCEARCH scientists tag sharks aboard the M/V OCEARCH, Accessories,a research vessel equipped with a hydraulic lift capable of bringing sharks out of the water. Lydia and other sharks tagged in the project are kept oxygenated with a hose running seawater through their mouths and gills as scientists take blood and other samples and fit tracking devices to their fins.