Beyond Jaws: Exploring Shark Science and Conservation

Stereo BRUVs are transforming how scientists study sharks, yet most people have no idea how much we have been missing, and why that matters for conservation. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kaylee Smitt about how underwater camera systems are uncovering sharks in places humans rarely go, changing what we think we know about abundance, behavior, and ecosystem health.
Shark research has long depended on divers, fishing surveys, and tagging, but those methods can miss species that avoid people or live deeper than we can reach. Kaylee explains how stereo BRUVs allow researchers to study sharks without baiting hooks or disturbing animals, giving a clearer picture of how sharks actually use their habitats.
Marine biodiversity takes center stage when Kaylee shares how this technology is being used beyond sharks, including in deep-sea environments where data is scarce. One surprising insight from the episode is how often sharks appear in places once assumed to be nearly empty, highlighting how limited human observation has shaped flawed assumptions about ocean life.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
 
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Dave: 
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy
Andrew:
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