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Georgia Aquarium Sends Researchers To Study Whale Sharks

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ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Aquarium is sending a team of researchers to a remote island in the south Atlantic Ocean for a whale shark research and conservation mission.

The aquarium says the team left Monday and will spend a week traveling to St. Helena, a remote island halfway between Angola and Brazil.

The aquarium began studying whale sharks, which are the world's largest fish, before opening in 2005. Most research efforts have focused on Mexico, where there is a large aggregation of the sharks.

This will be the second trip to St. Helena. The team plans to deploy 57 satellite tags and teach local students about their research. The crew will also work with local government officials to study the sharks and to work on an ecotourism plan meant to protect them.

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12/29/2015 4:01:24 AM (GMT -5:00)