(bright music) - [Narrator] Rhode Island, known by many as the Ocean State, may be the smallest state in the US, but its waters tell stories deeper than most.

Along its coastline, the state contains bountiful shoreline and marine ecosystems that are integral to the New England region.

From the rich salt marshes that harbor hunting ground for wading birds and other animals, to seagrass meadows, which provide important nursery habitat for many different species of fish and invertebrates that inhabit North Atlantic Waters.

Rhode Island and its surrounding coastline provide habitat for a vast array of marine life, mammals, fish, and countless other creatures that call the ocean home.

Within these waters, a story unfolds, one of speed, stealth, and misunderstood beauty.

Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of our ocean ecosystems.

And there's a select few who follow their path, who monitor their presence, species by species.

- Nice job!

Nice Job!

- [Narrator] Scientists who dedicate their lives to chasing fins.

(bright music continues) (waves crashing) Offshore, beyond the gaze of beachgoers, an ocean predator glide silently through the currents.

Sharks.

Ancient, vital, and far more present in these waters than most would ever imagine.

(shark thudding) - I think when a lot of people think about New England, they don't think about sharks, right?

You tend to favor warm tropical areas, but the fact of the matter is, historically, we have had at least a dozen species of sharks that visit the northeastern waters of the US, you know?

And some of those sharks go as far north as Canada.

So we've got a dozen species now, and I think that's going to increase, particularly with the changing climate.

- [Narrator] Sharks have quite the reputation.

Much of that fame could be attributed to shark-related media.

When most think of shark hotspots, many will think of areas like Guadalupe Island.