Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach receives last-minute financial lifeline to remain operational

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- The Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach has received a last-minute financial lifeline that will allow the facility to continue its research.

For the last 10 years, the world-renowned Shark Lab has been studying and tagging white sharks along the coast of Southern California. So far, they've tagged 400.

Due to cuts in state funding last year, the lab was at risk of closing its doors for good - until it received an $824,000 grant from the Paul M. Angell family foundation.

"It's completely kept us alive, so it is a huge deal," said Dr. Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab.

"More importantly, this is going to help us help the lifeguards for another year. Keep them updated on the sharks hanging out off their beaches, helping them keep people safe and sharks safe," said Lowe.

The lab's early warning system alerts lifeguards when a tagged shark is close to certain beaches. It was in jeopardy of going silent if the lab closed.

Thanks to the grant, the lab can keep the early warning system up and expand its research with new high-tech creations.

"We want to have autonomous vehicles that swim along the coast, listening for tagged sharks, but also sampling the water for their DNA," said Lowe. "These tools are going to change the game in terms of who's out there, who are people sharing the water with and should anyone be worried."

This information is more vital now more than ever as the number of juvenile white sharks off the Southern California coast has been increasing significantly. The increase in population is thanks to conservation and an abundance of stingrays, the white sharks' favorite food.

Lowe says the lab's research is vital to both the sharks' safety and ours.

"If you've spent a lot of time in the water off of California, a white shark swam by you and you didn't even know it," said Lowe.

If you want the chance to see inside the Shark Lab and get a look at some of their research, the lab is hosting "Sharks @ the Beach" at Cal State Long Beach on Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The event will showcase research conducted by graduate and undergraduate students and give community members an opportunity to tour the lab and meet the team.