今年夏天缅因州沿海的大白鲨目击事件显著激增，导致多个海滩暂时关闭，甚至发生资深救生员遭鲨鱼拉扯救援浮标的意外事件。尽管缅因州海域暖化速度居全球前列，但专家指出近期鲨鱼目击数的大幅增加，不能单纯归咎于气候变迁，其背后有著更复杂的成因。

研究人员认为目击事件增加的主要原因之一是数十年前保育政策的成效显现。大白鲨成长至成年需二十余年至三十余年，这与1990年代美国对大白鲨及其主要猎物灰海豹实施的联邦保护法令时间吻合，进而促成了整个东海岸鲨鱼族群数量的逐步恢复与增长。

此外，气候暖化间接改变了猎物的栖息范围，使得鲨鱼在特定海域停留的时间延长，同时炎热天气吸引了更多游客涌向海滩。配合现代智慧型手机和无人机等先进摄影设备的普及，大众更容易发现并记录到鲨鱼的踪迹，造成了目击事件大增的视觉效应。

Great white shark sightings off the coast of Maine surged dramatically this summer, leading to multiple temporary beach closures and an incident where a veteran lifeguard was dragged underwater by his rescue buoy. Although the waters off Maine are among the fastest-warming globally, experts emphasize that this influx cannot be attributed solely to climate change, as the underlying causes are far more nuanced.

Researchers point to decades-old conservation efforts as a major driving factor behind the population rebound. Great white sharks require between 26 and 33 years to reach maturity, a timeline that aligns with the federal protections enacted for both sharks and their primary prey, gray seals, in the 1990s, fostering long-term population growth along the East Coast.

Additionally, climate change has indirectly altered the distribution of prey species, leading sharks to linger longer in these waters, while hot weather has brought larger crowds to the coast. Coupled with widespread consumer technologies like smartphones and drones, people are now far better equipped to spot and film marine life, significantly magnifying the frequency of recorded sightings.