Captain_NP0 Nastasio_NP0 was_VBD running_VVG a_AT0 professional_AJ0 charter_NN1 that_DT0 afternoon_NN1 through_PRP his_DPS company_NN1 Black_AJ0 Gold_NN1 Fossil_NN1 Charters_NN2 ,_PUN which_DTQ takes_VVZ paying_VVG customers_NN2 on_PRP guided_AJ0 scuba_NN1 diving_VVG trips_NN2 to_TO0 search_VVI for_PRP fossilized_AJ0 shark_NN1 teeth_NN2 ,_PUN mammoth_AJ0 teeth_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC other_AJ0 unique_AJ0 ,_PUN underwater_AJ0 finds_NN2 ._SENT (_PUL The_AT0 name_NN1 “_NN1 black_AJ0 gold_NN1 ”_NN1 refers_VVZ to_PRP a_AT0 nickname_NN1 for_PRP fossilized_AJ0 shark_NN1 teeth_NN2 ,_PUN which_DTQ turn_VVB black_AJ0 as_CJS they_PNP absorb_VVB minerals_NN2 from_PRP the_AT0 surrounding_AJ0 rock_NN1 and_CJC soil_NN1 during_PRP the_AT0 fossilization_NN1 process_NN1 ._SENT )_PUR The_AT0 group_NN1 was_VBD diving_VVG in_PRP the_AT0 Gulf_NN1 of_PRF Mexico_NP0 ,_PUN off_PRP the_AT0 west_NN1 coast_NN1 of_PRF Florida_NP0 ,_PUN when_CJS Nastasio_NP0 spotted_VVD the_AT0 giant_AJ0 tooth_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 seafloor_NN1 ._SENT 
The_AT0 tooth_NN1 ,_PUN which_DTQ belonged_VVD to_PRP a_AT0 prehistoric_AJ0 species_NN0 of_PRF shark_NN1 known_VVN as_PRP a_AT0 megalodon_NN1 ,_PUN measured_VVN just_AV0 more_AV0 than_CJS 6_CRD inches_NN2 long_AV0 ,_PUN making_VVG it_PNP the_AT0 largest_AJS ,_PUN and_CJC perhaps_AV0 the_AT0 most_AV0 exciting_AJ0 ,_PUN underwater_AJ0 fossil_NN1 that_CJT Nastasio_NP0 has_VHZ discovered_VVN so_AV0 far_AV0 in_PRP his_DPS career_NN1 ._SENT 
“_NP0 Well_AV0 after_CJS 10_CRD years_NN2 of_PRF searching_VVG for_PRP a_AT0 whole_AJ0 6-inch_AJ0 megalodon_NN1 tooth_NN1 ,_PUN I_PNP did_VDD it_PNP ,_PUN ”_NP0 Nastasio_NP0 posted_VVD on_PRP Facebook_NN1 the_AT0 night_NN1 the_AT0 discovery_NN1 was_VBD made_VVN ._SENT “_NP0 I’m_VVD so_AV0 happy_AJ0 right_NN1 now_AV0 and_CJC literally_AV0 still_AV0 shaking_VVG ._SENT ”_NP0 
Fossilized_AJ0 shark_NN1 teeth_NN2 are_VBB found_VVN on_PRP a_AT0 regular_AJ0 basis_NN1 by_PRP beachcombers_NN2 and_CJC scuba_NN1 divers_NN2 who_PNQ frequent_VVB the_AT0 Gulf_NN1 of_PRF Mexico_NP0 and_CJC South_NP0 Atlantic_NP0 ,_PUN and_CJC this_DT0 is_VBZ partly_AV0 because_CJS a_AT0 shark_NN1 can_VM0 lose_VVI and_CJC re-grow_VVI thousands_CRD of_PRF teeth_NN2 during_PRP its_DPS lifetime_NN1 ._SENT Most_DT0 of_PRF these_DT0 discoveries_NN2 ,_PUN however_AV0 ,_PUN are_VBB only_AV0 around_PRP one-eighth_CRD to_PRP three-quarters_CRD of_PRF an_AT0 inch_NN1 long_AV0 ,_PUN and_CJC they_PNP belong_VVB to_PRP more_DT0 modern_AJ0 species_NN0 such_DT0 as_CJS bull_NN1 sharks_NN2 ,_PUN lemon_NN1 sharks_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC great_AJ0 whites_NN2 ._SENT Fossilized_AJ0 megalodon_NN1 teeth_NN2 that_CJT are_VBB in_PRP excellent_AJ0 condition_NN1 —_PUN and_CJC especially_AV0 ones_NN2 larger_AJC than_CJS 5_CRD inches_NN2 —_PUN are_VBB exceedingly_AV0 rare_AJ0 ,_PUN even_AV0 in_PRP a_AT0 place_NN1 like_PRP Venice_NP0 that_CJT has_VHZ been_VBN billed_VVN as_PRP “_NP0 the_AT0 shark_NN1 tooth_NN1 capital_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 world_NN1 ._SENT ”_NP0 
Although_CJS the_AT0 largest_AJS megalodon_NN1 tooth_NN1 ever_AV0 recorded_VVN is_VBZ the_AT0 roughly_AV0 7.5-inch_AJ0 specimen_NN1 that_CJT was_VBD found_VVN in_PRP Peru_NP0 ,_PUN an_AT0 American_AJ0 fossil_NN1 hunter_NN1 by_PRP the_AT0 name_NN1 of_PRF Vito_NP0 Berducci_NP0 —_PUN also_AV0 known_VVN as_PRP the_AT0 “_NP0 Megalodon_NP0 Man_NP0 ”_NP0 —_PUN discovered_VVD a_AT0 7.25-inch_AJ0 tooth_NN1 while_CJS diving_VVG in_PRP a_AT0 coastal_AJ0 river_NN1 bed_NN1 in_PRP South_NP0 Carolina_NP0 back_AVP in_PRP 2004._CRD These_DT0 finds_NN2 have_VHB been_VBN extremely_AV0 valuable_AJ0 to_PRP scientists_NN2 ,_PUN who_PNQ have_VHB yet_AV0 to_TO0 discover_VVI an_AT0 intact_AJ0 megalodon_NN1 skeleton_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC instead_AV0 use_VVB these_DT0 fossilized_AJ0 teeth_NN2 to_TO0 approximate_VVI the_AT0 overall_AJ0 size_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 creature_NN1 ._SENT Fossilized_AJ0 teeth_NN2 have_VHB also_AV0 helped_VVN scientists_NN2 gain_VVB a_AT0 better_AJC understanding_NN1 of_PRF what_DTQ the_AT0 giant_AJ0 sharks_NN2 ate_VVD and_CJC the_AT0 habitats_NN2 they_PNP preferred_VVD ._SENT 
“_NP0 Otodus_NP0 megalodon_NN1 was_VBD not_XX0 only_AV0 the_AT0 biggest_AJS shark_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC one_PNI of_PRF the_AT0 largest_AJS fish_NN0 ever_AV0 to_TO0 exist_VVI ,_PUN ”_NP0 according_VVG to_PRP an_AT0 article_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 U.K._NP0 Natural_AJ0 History_NN1 Museum_NN1 ._SENT “_NN1 Estimates_NN2 suggest_VVB it_PNP grew_VVD between_PRP 15_CRD and_CJC 18_CRD meters_NN2 [_PUL or_CJC between_PRP 49_CRD and_CJC 60_CRD feet_NN2 ]_PUR in_PRP length_NN1 ,_PUN three_CRD times_NN2 larger_AJC than_CJS the_AT0 largest_AJS recorded_AJ0 great_AJ0 white_AJ0 shark_NN1 ._SENT ”_NP0 
The_AT0 word_NN1 megalodon_NN1 simply_AV0 means_VVZ “_AJ0 large_AJ0 tooth_NN1 ,_PUN ”_NN1 which_DTQ isn’t_AJ0 surprising_AJ0 given_VVN that_CJT we’ve_NP0 learned_VVD about_PRP the_AT0 species_NN0 simply_AV0 by_PRP finding_VVG and_CJC studying_VVG its_DPS teeth_NN2 ._SENT 
