Beyond Jaws: Exploring Shark Science and Conservation

South Africa Sharks sit at the heart of Louw Claassens' career, shaping how she understands conservation, risk, and public trust in science. South Africa Sharks frame this episode through one central question: how do you build a career protecting sharks in a country where fear, media pressure, and politics often overpower science? Louw shares how her path into shark conservation began, the challenges she faced early on, and why her work continues despite public backlash. Shark conservation is not just a scientific pursuit, it is deeply personal work. In this conversation, Louw walks through her professional journey, from working on shark research and management to navigating emotionally charged debates around shark bites and public safety. One surprising and emotional insight from the episode is how often conservation decisions ignore the voices of the scientists closest to the work, even when those scientists are deeply embedded in local communities. Living with sharks is the principle that underpins Louw Claassens' career and advocacy. She explains how her approach to shark management has evolved over time, why communication is just as important as data, and how helping people understand sharks can reduce fear more effectively than exclusion or lethal control. This episode offers a rare look at the human side of building a career in shark conservation under intense scrutiny. Connect with us: Website: https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram: https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave:  Website: https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Andrew: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/37g5WkG YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakUpForBlueTV    

Shark conservation faces an unexpected challenge: fear. The biggest threat to sharks is not their biology, it is the stories we tell about them. This episode asks a simple but powerful question, how did one movie shape decades of fear, policy decisions, and public misunderstanding about sharks, and why does that still matter for conservation today? Shark science myths are unpacked as marine scientists explain what sharks actually do, how rare attacks really are, and how misinformation spreads faster than facts. The conversation explores how scientists struggle to communicate nuance in a world that rewards sensational headlines, and why changing the narrative is just as important as collecting data. Public perception of sharks takes center stage with a surprising emotional insight: many shark scientists first became fascinated with sharks because of Jaws, even though the film caused enormous harm to shark conservation. That contradiction reveals a deeper truth about fear, curiosity, and how storytelling can either protect wildlife or push it closer to extinction. Connect with us: Website: https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram: https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave:  Website: https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Andrew: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/37g5WkG YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakUpForBlueTV  

Shark research raises a big question, how does one scientist turn 12000 hours of underwater video into discoveries that protect sharks and rays across Mexico. Marine biologist Dr. Oscar Sosa returns to the show after receiving one of the most prestigious lifetime achievement awards in the biological sciences. His work has transformed how Mexico monitors sharks, rays, and marine protected areas, and this episode reveals the surprising moments that shaped his career. Marine biology Mexico takes center stage as Dr. Sosa explains how his team is using BRUVS and drones to build the first long term monitoring system for the Los Ángeles marine reserve. He shares what it is really like to manage a massive archive of footage, why data analysis is the hardest part of shark research, and how students are helping build the next wave of conservation science. One emotional insight stands out, Dr. Sosa became the first shark specialist ever to receive this national award, breaking a longstanding bias toward terrestrial biology. Shark conservation gets a powerful boost through Dr. Sosa's stories about mentorship, scientific leadership, and the role of community in conservation. His reflections on his peers nominating him for the award, along with the legacy of Juan Luis Cifentes Lemus, reveal how recognition can change not only a scientist's life but also the path of an entire field. Connect with us: Website: https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram: https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave:  Website: https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Andrew: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/37g5WkG YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakUpForBlueTV  

Shark conservation: What does it take to go from growing up on Lake Erie to tagging great white sharks around the world? This episode reveals the surprising twists and setbacks that shaped Dr. Taylor Chapple's career including the moment he thought he lost his future in research and how that failure became the most important turning point of his life. He shares the non-linear path that led him to global shark research from Cape Cod to California to Oregon and what he learned about persistence, curiosity, and opportunity along the way. Marine biology careers: Taylor also opens up about the realities of science careers, how early opportunities in AmeriCorps and education informed his approach to research, and the moment when a population-modeling talk flipped a switch in his mind and made him want to become a serious shark scientist. His story shows why career journeys are never straight and why the skills you gain outside your plan can become the key to your future. A surprising insight: Taylor thought he was headed into a traditional academic career, but it was losing a graduate position and winding up on a Puget Sound education ship that changed everything and set him on the shark science path. It was the setback that opened the door.   Connect with us: Website: https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram: https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave:  Website: https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Andrew: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/37g5WkG YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakUpForBlueTV  

Guitarfish genetics take center stage in this inspiring episode as Bryan Huerta shares how his fascination with sharks at the massive La Nueva Viga fish market in Mexico City sparked his entire scientific path. His early curiosity grew into formal research that now examines the guitarfish sold as Pez Diablo in Mexican markets, where he used molecular tools to identify species and highlight conservation concerns.  Marine conservation research also shaped Bryan's career through field experience in the Northern Gulf of Mexico where he helped run longline surveys, learned dissection and biological sampling, and worked with leading shark scientists including Dr. Marcus Drymon and Dr. Nicole Phillips. His story illustrates how dedication, language learning, and crossing borders opened doors in science and advanced important work in the genetics and management of threatened rays.  Shark research careers come to life in this conversation that highlights Bryan's upcoming PhD, his marathon-running discipline, and his commitment to filling knowledge gaps for understudied elasmobranchs. His journey offers a roadmap for aspiring scientists navigating international education, language barriers, and the practical challenges of breaking into the shark science world. Connect with us: Website: https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram: https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave:  Website: https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Andrew: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/37g5WkG YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakUpForBlueTV