An alarming number of shark attacks in recent weeks has some residents cautious as they make their way to the coast for the holiday weekend.

Since June, seven people have been attacked by sharks on the North Carolina coast. The state usually sees only one or two shark attacks a year, according to Joel Fodrie, professor of marine science at UNC.

“It is a high number; it’s certainly been an active month,” he said.

Fodrie said while the number of bites is above the norm, it’s too early to say whether the increase is evidence of a new trend in shark populations. Some scientists have suggested the hot weather has drawn more fish to the coast, and therefore, more sharks that feed on them.

“It has been warm kind of early, and that could affect the ecology. But it could also affect people’s behavior and drive people into the water more often,” Fodrie said.

More people in the water, Fodrie explained, result in more possible encounters between swimmers and sharks—even in very shallow water.

“For millions of years sharks have been visiting shallow waters to feed,” he said. “The food that brings sharks into the near shore consists of schools of mullet, sometimes schools of menhaden. And these are fish that are in the surf zone or just outside the surf zone.”

Fodrie cautioned swimmers to stay aware of their surroundings, keep away from schools of fish and avoid fishermen who may draw sharks in with bait.

But he also said despite the increase in attacks, the risk remains minimal. Most sharks are skittish around humans, Fodrie said.

“If you see a shark, move slowly and deliberately and cautiously,” Fodrie warned, “and odds are if you are seeing one of those species, there is an extremely small chance that they would approach you.”

Want to know how to survive a shark attack, if worse comes to worst? Check out the video below from the Washington Post.