Greg Wilfert, a 55-year lifeguard, was yanked underwater by a great white shark off the coast of Scarborough, Maine, this summer. Such sightings are part of a trend, with a dozen sharks seen in two days near Pine Point Beach in August.

The waters off Maine are some of the world’s fastest-warming, but experts attribute the uptick in shark sightings to a combination of factors. Federal protections for great whites and their prey, along with advancements in shark monitoring technology, may be playing a part. Great whites take up to 33 years to reach adulthood, so the protections are only now bearing fruit.

Climate change’s direct effect on great whites is less clear. While warmer waters might push prey north, sharks can regulate their body temperature, which may help them adapt. However, warmer waters might indirectly affect sharks by changing the habitat ranges of their prey, keeping them in certain areas longer.

The proliferation of tech, from phones to hobby drones, means more people are capturing marine life, including sharks. With better technology, it’s easier to spot sharks, but does that mean there are more of them, or just more sightings?