ABOARD THE RESEARCH SHIP THE MV OCEARCH, off Long Island — Brett McBride lined up his fishing wires in the ship’s tackle room, carefully ensuring that all knots were tied and all hooks were in place.

For Mr. McBride, the captain of the converted crabbing vessel, precise organization of this equipment would be crucial to ensnare a creature that drew his ship to these waters: a great white shark.

In an expedition over about two weeks, Mr. McBride and other members of the shark-tracking organization Ocearch, along with scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and other agencies, hope to capture and tag sharks swimming nearby with satellite and acoustic monitoring devices.

By monitoring the movement and behavior of these fish, researchers hope to show a theory that this swath of the Long Island coastline serves as a great white breeding ground.