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When I visited Saildrone’s workshop in a hanger on Alameda’s old Naval base, Jenkins showed off the shark sensors, which attach to the craft’s keel. Getting sensors under ocean surface is key. The idea is that as the saildrone passes within range of the shark, the sensor picks up on-animal acoustic tags and beams the data back to mission control. To date, researchers have to wait until the tag pops off (usually about a year) and then retrieve it via ship, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per day. Then researchers must assemble the animal’s activities retroactively.