Contender Visiting the Jersey Shore

Contender being tagged and weighed

Contender, the largest male white shark ever tagged by OCEARCH in the Western North Atlantic, is heading south after spending the past four months in Atlantic Canada. His latest ping on November 6 placed him approximately 9 miles south of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Contender is a white Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) who is 13 ft. 9 inches and weighing in at 1653 pounds.

Interestingly, Contender was detected in this same general area around this time last year, and comparing his movements from one season to the next gives scientists another opportunity to learn more about his migration patterns and behavior.

While the seasonal migration is underway, not all white sharks follow the same schedule or take the same route. Environmental factors like day length and sea surface temperature can influence when sharks begin moving south. Previous migration experience, site fidelity, and individual behavior may also help explain why some sharks migrate earlier or later than others.

Follow Contender and track his latest movements on the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker

ocearch.org/tracker/detail/contender 

Another Tick to Avoid - Alpha-gal Syndrome

Lone Star tick - CDC

Going for a hike, a walk in the woods, or just into your backyard this week? Be aware of yet another tick that might ruin your wandering. 

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction triggered by a tick bite that makes people allergic to red meat and other mammalian products. Unlike most food allergies that manifest immediately, AGS is uniquely dangerous because its symptoms typically show up 3 to 8 hours after eating.

The Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is the primary culprit in the United States. Ticks carry a sugar molecule called alpha-gal (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) in their saliva. When the tick bites a human, it transfers this sugar into the bloodstream. The immune system flags it as a foreign threat and creates specific IgE antibodies to fight it. Later, when the person consumes mammalian products containing alpha-gal, the body triggers an allergic attack.

Yes, the Lone Star tick exists in New Jersey, and its population is actively expanding across the state. [It was historically confined to the southern regions and coastal plains of New Jersey—such as Monmouth, Ocean, and Cape May counties—but warmer winters and an increasing deer population have pushed their range much further north. They are now regularly detected in northern and central counties, including Hunterdon, Somerset, Bergen, and Passaic.

The presence of this tick in New Jersey is getting serious public health focus. In late 2025, researchers from the University of Virginia documented that a 47-year-old New Jersey man became the first recorded fatality in the United States from alpha-gal syndrome after suffering severe anaphylaxis from eating red meat following a camping trip. 

In the central and southern parts of the state, lone star ticks have become so prevalent that they actually outnumber local blacklegged (deer) ticks. Unlike regular ticks that wait passively for a host to pass by, lone star ticks actively pursue hosts by sensing vibrations and carbon dioxide. 

They are highly active in New Jersey from March through October, thriving in forests, tall grass, brush piles, and suburban backyards.

The New Jersey Department of Health and municipal health departments actively issue warnings urging residents to take heavy precautions in wooded or high-grass areas. To protect yourself, use EPA-registered repellents, wear long clothing pre-treated with permethrin, and perform thorough tick checks immediately after coming indoors.

Symptoms range from mild discomfort to medical emergencies. They include: [1] Skin Reactions: Hives, severe itching, swelling, or flushing. Digestive Issues: Severe stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and heartburn. Respiratory Issues: Coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Anaphylaxis: A severe drop in blood pressure and closed airways requiring emergency medical care. 

Those diagnosed with AGS must strictly avoid food derived from mammals: Beef, pork, lamb, venison, rabbit, and goat. Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), gelatin, lard, and sometimes medications or capsules made with mammalian ingredients. 

Safe Alternatives: Poultry (chicken, turkey), fish, and shellfish do not contain alpha-gal and are completely safe to eat. 

Doctors diagnose AGS by taking a detailed history of your symptoms and performing a blood test to check for alpha-gal-specific IgE antibodies. There is no cure. Treatment centers entirely on lifestyle management, avoiding trigger foods, and carrying an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) for accidental exposures. 

The allergy can sometimes decline or disappear over several years, provided you do not get bitten by any more ticks. 

AGS should be managed under the care of an allergist or other healthcare provider. 

King Tides Along the Jersey Shore

Flooding in Ocean City via njconservation.org/help-document-sunny-day-flooding

You may be hearing the term "king tides" recently on the news, connected to weather conditions. What are "king tides?" A king tide is a non-scientific term for the highest predicted high tide of the year at a coastal location. 

New Jersey is experiencing a major king tide window right now, and more are expected in the near future. New Jersey is currently in the middle of a predicted king tide window spanning October 27 to 28, 2026. Triggered by yesterday’s full moon converging with the Moon's closest approach to Earth, 8 out of 9 NOAA monitoring stations across the state are seeing their highest astronomically predicted tides.

What Causes King Tides?
Celestial alignment plays a role. These tides happen when the orbits and alignments of the Earth, Moon, and Sun combine to create maximum gravitational pull. They occur when the Moon is closest to Earth (called perigee) during a New or Full Moon.

Depending on the region, they often happen a few times a year during specific seasons, such as fall and winter. 

One common effect is called "sunny day flooding." The weather is fine, but these tides can push seawater over seawalls and up through storm drains onto streets even on clear, cloudless days with no storms. They also cause very low tides at alternate times of the day, which can expose marine life, sandbars, or shallow channels.

The absolute highest tide of this specific New Jersey window is occurring at Wildwood Crest, reaching an estimated 6.0 feet—which sits a notable 1.1 feet above normal high water levels (MHHW).

While high pressure is keeping skies mostly dry, the sheer gravitational force of this alignment is causing "sunny day" minor coastal flooding. Tidal waters are spilling onto the most vulnerable low-lying roads and bayside communities along the Jersey Shore during morning high tide cycles

King tides are called "king" because they represent the highest, most dominant natural high tides of the year. Just as a king sits at the top of a hierarchy, these tides tower above normal daily and monthly high tides, creating the largest tidal range (highest highs and lowest lows). 

NOAA's National Ocean Service would refer to them as perigean spring tides. Besides when the Moon is at perigee, they often occur during specific times of the year when the Earth is also closest to the Sun (perihelion) or when weather and warm water expansion add extra height.

What El Niño Could Mean for New Jersey This Winter

If you've been following weather news, you've probably heard about El Niño. But what exactly is it, and why does something happening thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean matter to people in New Jersey?

In simple terms, El Niño is a natural climate pattern that occurs when surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm. That extra warmth releases heat and moisture into the atmosphere, which can alter weather patterns across much of the globe. One of the main ways it does this is by shifting the jet stream, the fast-moving river of air high in the atmosphere that helps steer storms across North America. Because the jet stream influences where storms develop and travel, El Niño can have noticeable effects on winter weather in the eastern United States, including New Jersey.

While no two El Niño events are exactly alike, the pattern often increases the chances of a more active storm track along parts of the East Coast during the cooler months. For a state like New Jersey, that matters. With more than 130 miles of Atlantic coastline, extensive bays and estuaries, and densely populated coastal communities, New Jersey is especially vulnerable to flooding. 

Many residents - especially those away from the coast - think of flooding as something that happens only during hurricanes or major nor'easters, but increasingly, that's not the case. Even routine high tides can flood roads, neighborhoods, and businesses. As sea levels continue to rise, water needs less help from storms to reach places that once remained dry. A strong onshore wind, an unusually high tide, or a modest coastal storm can now produce impacts that would have been less likely decades ago.

El Niño itself is a natural phenomenon. However, it is occurring against the backdrop of a warming climate and rising sea levels. That means that El Niño may enhance the likelihood of stormy periods and persistent onshore winds, while higher sea levels mean that even minor coastal flooding events can become more disruptive. Communities along the Jersey Shore, as well as areas bordering tidal rivers and bays, are already experiencing more frequent nuisance flooding. When higher tides coincide with storms or strong winds, the impacts can be amplified.

Some of New Jersey's best flood protection already exists in nature in the form of wetlands, marshes, forests, and other undeveloped landscapes that help absorb and slow floodwaters. Wetlands act like giant natural sponges, temporarily storing water during heavy rainfall and coastal flooding before gradually releasing it back into the environment.

Protecting upland forests and open spaces is equally important. When land is covered by pavement, rooftops, and parking lots, rainfall cannot soak into the ground. Instead, it runs quickly into streams, rivers, and storm drains, increasing flood risks downstream. Investments in land conservation, wetland restoration, green infrastructure, and strategic flood-resilience programs can help communities adapt to both today's flood risks and tomorrow's changing climate.

So, what can New Jersey expect in the coming months? A seasonal forecast can't predict exactly what will happen on a particular day or month or whether any specific storm will strike New Jersey, but El Niño is expected to remain a significant influence through the winter months. That means greater potential for an active storm pattern during the cool season. There will also be an elevated risk of coastal flooding, particularly during periods of strong onshore winds and high tides. There will be increased vulnerability in low-lying coastal and tidal communities and the possibility that even moderate storms could produce outsized flooding impacts.