It's a common annoyance that has only grown worse over the years — millions of Florida fishermen are in a constant battle with sharks destroying their catch.

"We also lose money in gear. We lose money in time, you know, hooks and lines. Everything costs money, so when a shark takes that from you, you lose everything," said Jeremy Prouty, a commercial and recreational fisherman.

Prouty is an avid angler who turned his passion into an award-winning career, becoming one of the best in the country. But lately, his livelihood has hit a snag. The prize catches that he's used to pulling in are getting taken off his hook.

"Where some places we used to fish, you literally can't fish there anymore because every desirable fish you hook, it's eaten by a shark," Prouty explained.

Researchers call it shark depredation.

It's become such a problem that scientists are now working to come up with some solutions.

Robert Fly Navarro

Professor Matthew Ajemian, an assistant research professor with Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, is leading the charge on the study, which is being sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

He said the cause remains unclear, but an increase in shark populations over the years could be the culprit.

"A lot of shark populations are showing some signs of recovery, which they have come back from being decimated decades ago thanks to great management and things like that," Ajemian said. "These populations are really starting to recover, and this might be one of the consequences of that."

For his study, he's teaming up with local captains and relying on DNA sampling to gain some insight.

"When the sharks are biting the fish, the mucus, the residue which has pieces of their DNA, gets left on the fish. It's basically a marker, and we try and collect that when we swab around the fish," Ajemian said.

Robert Fly Navarro

Ajemian is also looking to survey anglers across Florida every three months to help determine if the change in seasons is a factor.

"In the wintertime here, as you may know, a lot of sharks come here, just like snowbirds, and hang out here," he said. "So, we're thinking that there might be higher interactions that time of year, but it's not something we have ever done experimentally, and we really want to use the fisherman to help us try and diagnose this."

The study is expected to last for a year.

Once it's complete, Ajemian and his team will present their findings to NOAA.

In the meantime, they are also looking for more anglers to help collect samples, especially those living in Palm Beach and Martin counties.

To get involved, email Ajemian here.

This story was originally published by Kamrel Eppinger on Scripps station WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Take a look at the wild items the TSA seized in 2020

Next time you travel, make sure to leave your dead shark at home — that is, if you don't want to make the Transportation Security Administration's list of top 10 catches of the year.

On the list of bizarre items TSA workers found during luggage inspections, a dead baby shark came in at number six, right after a live smoke grenade.

The shark was discovered by TSA agents at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in the fall, floating in a jar of liquid chemical preservative.

And it was this liquid chemical — not the shark — that TSA had a problem with.

"The chemical was deemed to be considered a hazardous material and as such, was not permitted to be carried through the checkpoint," TSA said in a release.

The no. 1 item on the list is even more surprising

Other items on the list included a slingshot, a book holding concealed knives and an assault rifle.

TSA prohibits carrying guns, knives, bludgeons, self defense devices like pepper spray — and any replicas of these items — onto planes.

Closer to the top were other commonly known non-negotiables — drugs and explosives. Marijuana stashed in a shampoo bottle came in at number four, and a handmade solar panel with explosive potential made second.

But topping the 2020 list is a less traditional TSA catch.

At number one, two TSA canine handlers at Newark Liberty International Airport "caught" each other, and married in the presence of their Explosive Detection Canines, Obelix and Proto.

"The two canines not only detect explosives but also detect love when they see it," TSA said in an Instagram post.

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In 2020, love came out on top for TSA, leaving grenades and dead sharks in the dust.

Should you need to bring a shark on a plane, though, just make sure it's swimming in water, not chemical solution, the TSA said.

And, as always, cartoon baby sharks are allowed.

Three shark species off the coast of New Zealand have been found to glow in the dark.

Scientists from Belgium had believed the species to be bioluminescent — but for the first time were able to document the phenomenon in New Zealand's waters.

Their studies were published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, after a research expedition to an area of the ocean floor known as the Chatham Rise.

One species observed, the Kitefin Shark, is believed to be the largest vertebrate able to produce light.

The three shark species inhabit an area of the ocean known as the "'Twilight Zone," ranging from 656 to 3,280 feet deep.

Research suggests the creatures’ “glowing camouflage” may help them hide from predators.