Florida and Alabama are moving toward new shark safety measures after a surge in shark encounters — and changing coastal environments may be part of the story.
🦈 The Incident That Sparked Change
In June 2024, the calm beaches of the Florida Panhandle were shaken by an unprecedented event: three shark attacks occurred within just 90 minutes near Seacrest Beach.
One of the victims, 15-year-old Lulu Gribbin, suffered traumatic injuries, losing her left hand and part of her right leg.
Gribbin later testified before Alabama lawmakers, stating that had there been warnings about the earlier attacks, she would have stayed out of the water.
Her story galvanized lawmakers to act, leading to the proposal of “Lulu’s Law” — and now Florida is considering a similar system. @followers
📜 What Is Lulu’s Law?
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Proposed by Rep. David Faulkner in Alabama, Lulu’s Law would create a real-time shark alert system similar to an Amber Alert.
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The system would send immediate notifications to mobile devices when a confirmed unprovoked shark attack occurs near public beaches.
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The Alabama House passed the bill unanimously; it now awaits Senate review.
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Florida lawmakers, particularly along the Gulf Coast, are showing strong interest in adopting similar measures to protect beachgoers.
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U.S. Senator Katie Britt has even proposed exploring a nationwide shark alert framework.
🪸 Artificial Reefs and Underwater Art: A New Marine Landscape
Over the past decade, areas like South Walton, Destin, and Grayton Beach State Park have undertaken ambitious efforts to enhance marine life by installing artificial reefs and even creating the world’s first permanent underwater sculpture park — the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) near Grayton Beach.
Key Points:
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These projects began around 2018–2019, making them relatively recent in terms of ecological development.
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Structures like limestone pyramids, concrete domes, and art sculptures provide surfaces for algae, corals, and sponges to colonize.
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The colonization process attracts small fish and crustaceans, which in turn draw larger predatory fish.
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This creates a thriving food web that did not previously exist in the mostly barren quartz-sand environment.
🦈 Are Attracted to Artificial Reefs ?
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Abundant food attracts apex predators: where there are baitfish and reef fish, sharks will follow.
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Common shark species near artificial reef zones include:
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Blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus)
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Spinner sharks (Carcharhinus brevipinna)
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Sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
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Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas)
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Artificial reefs located close to shore — such as Grayton Beach’s Sea Turtle Reef, only ~783 feet offshore — bring the natural shark-prey dynamic much closer to recreational swim zones than traditional offshore reefs several miles out.
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Sharks patrol these structures for easy ambush opportunities, particularly at dawn, dusk, and after storms.
📈 Shark Attacks: Rare Before, Now a Growing Concern
Historically, shark attacks along South Walton and Destin beaches were extremely rare, often zero or one incident in an entire decade. Since 1959, there have been 26 documented shark-related injuries in the Emerald Coast counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay. Of these, three were fatal, with the most recent fatality occurring in 2005 in Walton County.
In fact, shark-human incidents along this stretch of coast were considered almost non-existent.
Following the deployment of artificial reefs and underwater sculptures, combined with natural changes in ocean conditions, the local marine ecosystem has grown significantly richer — and so perhaps has the presence of predators like sharks.
The three attacks within 90 minutes in 2024 marked an unprecedented cluster that shocked both locals and marine biologists.
⚡ Why Lulu’s Law Is Critical
While artificial reefs and underwater sculptures have brought positive environmental impacts — enriching biodiversity, promoting eco-tourism, and supporting fisheries — is it possible they also subtly shifted the balance of human and predator interaction zones?
Lulu’s Law is a proactive response:
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It acknowledges that new coastal dynamics require updated public safety tools.
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It ensures instant public communication when shark risks escalate.
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It respects both marine conservation efforts and the need for human protection.
✅ Summary
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Artificial reefs and underwater art installations have transformed the once sandy barren Gulf Coast seabed into thriving marine habitats.
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These habitats attract fish and predators like sharks, altering risk levels near popular beaches.
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Historically rare, shark encounters have risen, culminating in a dramatic cluster of attacks in 2024.
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Lulu’s Law offers a balanced solution: preserve marine gains while ensuring public safety through real-time shark alerts.
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