Last year’s 98 shark attacks break all-time world record

Shark attacks hit an all-time worldwide record in 2015, with Florida — as always — leading the globe in the number of times sharks bit surfers, swimmers and beachfront splashers, according to researchers at the University of Florida.

The Sunshine State recorded 30 bites, including eight in Brevard — the Florida county with the most bites — followed by Volusia with seven.

That was higher than the 2014 total of 23 attacks, but missed beating Florida’s all-time record of 37 in 2000.

Worldwide, the number of attacks hit 98, according to the International Shark Attack File, a research clearinghouse established by the University of Florida in 1958.

The previous record of 88 was set in 2000.

The increase in attacks did not surprise George Burgess, the biologist who heads up the International Shark Attack File.

More unprovoked bites are inevitable, he said, because shark populations around the U.S. coast have been rebounding due to measures put in place a decade ago.

Meanwhile, thanks to a growing U.S. population, more and more people are floundering around in the ocean.

“Sharks plus humans equals attacks,” Burgess said. “As our population continues to rapidly grow and shark populations slowly recover, we’re going to see more interactions.”

But most of the injuries tend to be minor, noted Neil Hammerschlag, who leads the shark research program at the University of Miami. He pointed out that most of the bites were from small species of sharks and the victims didn’t need treatment at a hospital.

Many of those attacks occurred in two neighboring Florida counties: Brevard and Volusia, both on the state’s Atlantic coast and both popular with surfers, who are bitten more than anyone else, according to Burgess.

Shark attacks on the Gulf of Mexico side of the state are rare because there is so little surfing.