Tiger Shark Aggregation Study: Okaloosa Island Pier

2021 to Present

Partners: Louisiana State University (LSU), Mississippi State University (MSU), United States Geological Survey (USGS), Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources Team

Since 2021, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources has led a collaborative study of a large, recurring summer tiger shark aggregation beneath the Okaloosa Island Pier, now believed to be one of the largest known tiger shark aggregations in the world. What began as a team observation of unusually large numbers of tiger sharks near the pier has grown into a multi-institution research program involving LSU, Mississippi State University, and USGS, aimed at determining where the sharks come from, how long they remain in the area, and why they return to this specific location year after year.

As of the 2026 season, researchers had tagged over 40 tiger sharks with a combination of satellite and acoustic tags. Tagging operations are conducted from the water using local charter support. Preliminary results show tagged sharks traveling as far as the Florida Keys and possibly the Caribbean before returning to the pier, and annual lack of recaptures among tagged individuals over several seasons suggests the true size of the aggregation, estimated to exceed 100 sharks in peak summer, may be larger than originally believed. The research has drawn national media attention as a rare example of a major apex-predator aggregation directly accessible from a public pier, and it complements a broader acoustic monitoring station at the pier that also tracks tarpon, redfish, sea turtles, and other shark species.