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Beyond Jaws: Exploring Shark Science and Conservation

Speak Up For Blue

Dr. David Ebert and Andrew Lewin interview shark scientists and conservationists to find out the steps they took that lead them to study and work with sharks. Interviews include stories of field shenanigans; career choices and advice; and, the science of sharks that may or may not include great white sharks...mostly not.

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S1 · E137
Tuesday · 1 hr 6 min
Stranded at Sea, Sent After a Shark: Dr. Pilar Blanco-Parra's Wild Road to Shark Science
Dr. Pilar Blanco-Parra grew up in Bogotá, high in the Andes and far from any ocean. She saw the sea for the second time in her life when she moved to Santa Marta to finish her marine biology degree. Within a couple of years she had been stranded overnight on a fishing boat during her first shark project and sent diving as the Galápagos National Park's "shark expert" after a tourist was bitten. She was still an undergrad. In this episode of Beyond Jaws, Andrew Lewin and Dr. David Ebert hear the stories behind Pilar's career, one of the best runs of storytelling we've had on the show. She explains how she fell for sharks during a class presentation, how she pieced together a master's project on blue shark age and growth after two projects fell through, and why her PhD on the banded guitarfish filled a gap nobody else was working on. She defended that PhD a week before giving birth, nearly left science for a corporate job, and rebuilt her research career in the Mexican Caribbean with a citizen science program run with divers and fishers. Now Pilar is the Endowed Faculty in Marine Conservation Biology at Florida Gulf Coast University, where she's building a new shark and ray program with a focus on rays. Dave also offers a word of advice for students: if a field task doesn't feel safe, you're allowed to say no. Links mentioned in this episode Dr. Pilar Blanco-Parra, Florida Gulf Coast University: https://scholarscommons.fgcu.edu/esploro/profile/maria_del_pilar_blanco Blue shark age and growth paper (2008): https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-19572008000300010 Banded guitarfish reproductive biology paper (2009): https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315409990348 Citizen science for sharks and rays in the Mexican Caribbean (2022): https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116490 Searching for Lost Sharks: Extinct or Alive series: https://youtu.be/2ZXrAHgkEkQ?si=wytRFQzWSRDU1vLT Takeaways You don't need to grow up by the ocean to build a life around it Some of the best shark careers start by finding a species or region nobody else is studying When a project falls through, keep asking around; the next contact may have the samples you need Citizen science can produce real data when funding is thin, especially in places with active diving and fishing communities Careers can bend around family and still come back to sharks If a field task feels unsafe, you can say no, even as a student Pilar's advice: don't accept no as an answer. Your approach is your own, even if others are working on the same thing 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/@OceanDecoded4U
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S1 · E136
October 23 · 36 min
How 14 African Countries Joined Forces to Protect Sharks and Rays
Sharks and rays are landed every day along the coast from Mauritania to Angola, yet for decades almost nothing was known about them. Researchers working in the region have often been the only people in their country doing this work, isolated by distance, language and a lack of funding. That changed this year with the public launch of the West and Central African Elasmobranch Coalition. Andrew and Dr. David Ebert welcome back Ghofrane Labyedh and Ana Lucia Furtado Soares, two of the people leading the coalition. They explain how a small Gulf of Guinea network that began in 2023 grew into a 14-country coalition backed by Manta Trust and the African Marine Conservation Organization, and how its members work across French, English, Portuguese and Spanish to share knowledge fairly. You'll hear about the coalition's standardized data collection protocol, five planned CITES workshops through 2028, a rapid landing-site assessment running in five countries during the same season, and the region's role as the final stop for the global ISRA initiative. Ghofrane closes with a dream for the future: a West and Central Africa where scientists study sharks alive in the water. Takeaways The coalition started in 2023 as the Gulf of Guinea Elasmobranch Network and expanded at governments' request It now includes 14 of roughly 20 countries between Mauritania and Angola Coordinators work across four languages so knowledge reaches every member country fairly A shared data protocol will be published in three languages within months Five countries are running the same landing-site survey design in the same season for the first time Five CITES workshops are planned between now and 2028 to turn science into national policy The African Atlantic was the last region assessed for Important Shark and Ray Areas Website: https://www.wcasharksandrays.org/ 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
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S1 · E135
October 12 · 46 min
37 Shark and Ray Species Documented in Benin: Inside West Africa's Shark Research
37 shark and ray species documented in Benin, the result of more than 15 years of fieldwork by fisheries biologist Dr. Houangninan Midinoudewa. He has built Benin's first dedicated shark and ray research program from almost nothing on the Gulf of Guinea. On this episode of the Beyond Jaws podcast, Andrew Lewin and shark scientist Dr. David Ebert explore what he's found and why West Africa is the next frontier for elasmobranch research. Houangninan shares how Jacques Cousteau's films inspired his career, how he recorded shark and ray landings at Benin's harbors from dawn until midnight, and how he confirmed an angel shark as a new record for the country in 2026. He explains how his Save Our Seas Foundation grant is funding a national species guide and IUCN Red List groundwork for a shark and ray action plan, and why migrant fishing fleets targeting large sharks and guitarfish make that plan urgent. You'll also hear why he's shifting his research toward West Africa's data deficient rays, how speaking local languages shapes fisheries research, and his advice for early career marine scientists in Africa and beyond: stay consistent and leave your comfort zone. Takeaways Benin has 37 documented shark and ray species, with more likely in deeper offshore waters Only one researcher studied sharks in Benin before Houangninan began in 2009 A Save Our Seas Foundation-supported species guide will help policymakers protect threatened sharks and rays Many West African rays and guitarfish are data deficient and need dedicated research Trust and local language skills are essential for fisheries data collection in West Africa 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
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S1 · E134
September 28 · 1 hr 2 min
How Carlos Gauna's Drone Revealed California's Hidden White Sharks
What flying drones over great whites really revealed is that far more white sharks live off Southern California beaches than anyone's records showed, often within a few yards of swimmers who never know they're there. Carlos Gauna, known online as The Malibu Artist, has spent years documenting them from above. It started with a shot he missed: sitting atop Point Dume at sunset without his camera or phone, he watched a large white shark chase a sea lion right below him. He had been flying his drone over gray whales, and from that night on he went looking for sharks. Today the photographer and FAA-certified drone pilot films white sharks nearly every month of the year, has published peer-reviewed research on their behavior, and funds most of his fieldwork through his YouTube channel. Andrew and Dave follow the whole path with him: storm chasing in Oklahoma with his university's first digital camera, 16 years in corporate insurance while shooting weddings on the side, and a first drone bought in 2016 by someone who admits he couldn't stand drones at first. Carlos explains how he scouted beaches by tallying decades of reported encounters in Ralph Collier's Shark Research Committee records, then used empty COVID-era beaches to search alone. That's where his first viral clip came from: four white sharks consuming a common dolphin in 18 minutes. He also describes how outreach to Dr. Chris Lowe's Shark Lab and to Dr. Alison Towner turned an artist's curiosity into careful science communication. Dave adds what he saw from helicopters over Monterey Bay and South Africa decades ago, and the three of them work through a hard question: are there more white sharks now, or are we just finally able to see them? The conversation also gets into water temperature as the most reliable predictor of where sharks show up, reading a shark's mood from the angle of its pectoral fins, filming natural behavior with no chum in the water, and the viral video of a swimmer who waved off a lifeguard while white sharks circled him. Carlos compares Southern California's approach to shark sightings with Cape Cod's, shares his simple rule for beachgoers when his drone flies close, and closes with advice for young creators: find a story, and make the content you want to watch. Takeaways: Carlos Gauna switched from filming whales to filming white sharks after seeing a sea lion chased at Point Dume, a moment he couldn't record. He found his first shark hotspots by tallying reported encounters, beach by beach, in Ralph Collier's Shark Research Committee records, then searching those beaches by drone. Encounter databases rely on people noticing sharks. Drone surveys show white sharks close to swimmers who never knew they were there. Warm water temperature is the most consistent predictor Carlos has found for locating white sharks, especially in January and February. Hours of observation let him read shark behavior from fin posture, telling a calm, agitated, or foraging shark apart. Filming without chum shows natural behavior, which differs from the amped-up sharks seen on baited TV shoots. Staying with a group in the water lowers risk, and when a drone hovers close to you, a shark is probably nearby. Carlos' YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/themalibuartist
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S1 · E132
September 14 · 53 min
How a Three-Month Trip Turned Into a Career in Sharks
Dr. Clova Mabin never set out to become a shark educator. She grew up on Scotland's windswept, freezing beaches with no TV until she was 13, which meant a childhood spent outside with her nature-loving father, and an honors degree in zoology from the University of Edinburgh that ended up focused on bird behavior, not the ocean, simply because no marine supervisor was available. A three-month marine conservation placement in Madagascar gave her a first taste of the field. A chance meeting with a South African at a Scottish aquarium turned what was meant to be a three-month trip to South Africa into 21 years and counting. Today she's the Education Centre Director at the Save Our Seas Foundation's Shark Education Centre in Kalk Bay, leading a team that's grown from six people to more than a dozen. Andrew and Dave trace the whole winding route with her: two weeks with ragged-tooth and tiger sharks on South Africa's East Coast and two and a half months working alongside Michael Scholl aboard the White Shark Trust's research vessel in Gansbaai, a detour into wildlife filmmaking that included a National Geographic shoot and three and a half years working under a longtime BBC Natural History Unit cinematographer, and a pivotal moment watching a mass whale stranding near her home in Hout Bay that made her question whether chasing dramatic film footage was really the work she wanted to do. From there it was a master's in conservation biology at the University of Cape Town studying invasive species hitching rides on yachts, a solo-adjacent transatlantic sailing crossing from Martinique to the Azores as a break between degrees despite never having spent a night at sea before, and a PhD at Stellenbosch spent leading a team that pulled 36,000 invasive European shore crabs out of a harbor whose official population estimate was 6,000, research that fed directly into South African invasive species legislation. She finished writing it up nine months after her first daughter was born. Clova also talks candidly about applying for a different role at Save Our Seas and not getting it, only to be asked to step into the director's chair six months later, starting the job four months pregnant with her second daughter, and what it's meant to grow an education team into portfolios covering facilities, digital engagement, a nutrition program that feeds the school groups who visit, and a new research arm focused on how ocean connection shapes kids' lives. It's a conversation about what an unconventional, occasionally "unhinged" career path can look like when you say yes to almost everything that comes your way. Takeaways: Clova Mabin is the Education Centre Director at the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Education Centre in Kalk Bay, South Africa, a role she's held since 2019 after previously applying for and not getting a different position there. Her path to shark education ran through bird behavior research, invasive species work, a transatlantic sailing crossing, and several years in wildlife filmmaking, not a straight line through shark biology. Her PhD team removed roughly 36,000 invasive European shore crabs from a harbor with an official population estimate of 6,000, research that directly informed South African invasive species legislation. A mass whale stranding near her home in Cape Town became the turning point that pushed her out of wildlife filmmaking and back into graduate school. The Shark Education Centre's team has grown from six people to more than a dozen, now organized into education, facilities, digital engagement, nutrition, and a newly added research arm. Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Education Centre (Kalk Bay) Website: saveourseas.com/sosf-shark-education-centre Instagram: @sharkeducationcentre Facebook: SOSFsharkeducationcentre TikTok: @sharkeducationcentre LinkedIn: Shark Centre X (formerly Twitter): @sharkcentre Save Our Seas Foundation (global) Website: saveourseas.com Instagram: @saveourseasfoundation Facebook: saveourseasngo YouTube: youtube.com/saveourseas LinkedIn: Save Our Seas Foundation 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
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S1 · E131
September 7 · 52 min
Inside Shark Biology and Conservation, Second Edition
Every shark course needs a bible, and this one just got a second edition. Five years after the first Shark Biology and Conservation: Essentials for Educators, Students, and Enthusiasts landed on shelves and in classrooms, co-authors Dan Abel, Dean Grubbs, Tristan Guttridge, and Josh Moyer rebuilt it from the ground up: new chapters, new contributed essays from researchers around the world, and two co-authors who weren't part of the original book at all. Three of the four join Andrew and Dave (Dean's internet dropped him from the call, but he's credited throughout) to talk about why a book that was already considered the accessible alternative to a dense academic textbook needed a full rewrite so soon. Dan walks through where the book started, a shark biology course he and Dean taught together at the Bimini Biological Field Station, and why they brought in fresh voices for the second edition instead of writing it alone again. Tristan and Josh talk about what it was like joining an established two-author project, the freedom they were given to shape their own chapters on behavior and sensory biology, and the unglamorous realities of textbook publishing: turnover with editors, humor that gets cut by copy editors who remind you that you're a scientist, not a comedian, and illustrators like Elise Pullen and Marc Dando who redraw a shark's fin position a tenth of a percent at a time until it's right. Josh also shares how he ended up adopting the first edition for his own shark biology course at Yale, and how that classroom experience shaped what he pushed for in the second edition. The conversation closes with each author's advice for readers, professors deciding how to structure a course around the book, and a look at what's next: a batoid biology book from Dean and Dan, a title called How Sharks Work from Dan and Josh, and Tristan's focus for now on building a research field station in the Bahamas rather than a fifth book. It's a fun, candid look at what actually goes into building the reference book an entire field ends up using. Takeaways: Shark Biology and Conservation is now in its second edition from four co-authors, Dan Abel, Dean Grubbs, Tristan Guttridge, and Josh Moyer, illustrated by Elise Pullen and Marc Dando, published by Hopkins Press. The second edition added two new co-authors and dozens of contributed mini-essays from researchers worldwide specifically to bring in fresh perspectives Dan and Dean felt they'd already exhausted after the first edition. Co-authors got real creative freedom: Tristan and Josh were each given latitude to shape their own chapters (behavior and cognition for Tristan, sensory biology for Josh) rather than being handed a rigid outline. Textbook publishing has real friction most readers never see: editor turnover, cut jokes, and illustrators redrawing figures repeatedly to get anatomical details right, all without royalties for the original artwork licensed into the second edition. The authors' shared advice to readers: don't stop at what the book says. If a fact or figure interests you, go track down the primary source. Website: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53846/shark-biology-and-conservation 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
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S1 · E130
August 31 · 46 min
Saving Ghana's Guitarfish: Inside West Africa's First Shark Science Program
Dr. Issah Seidu didn't set out to become West Africa's first dedicated shark and ray scientist. He started his career studying dragonflies, damselflies, amphibians, and even elephants and crocodiles as a terrestrial wildlife biologist in Ghana, a country whose university programs, like most in the region, simply didn't study marine species. That changed on a visit to his uncle, a fisherman in a coastal community, where he watched sharks and rays being landed and sold on the beach and realized nobody in Ghana, or almost anywhere in West Africa, was studying them at all. Today he's the founder and team leader of AquaLife Conservancy, a lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, a Regional Vice-Chair for Africa on the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, and a 2026 Whitley Award winner, one of conservation's most prestigious honors, for his work protecting Ghana's guitarfish. Andrew and Dave talk with Issah about what it actually takes to build a conservation program where none existed before: the funding that mostly has to come from outside the country, the near-total absence of local mentors in his field, and the years it took just to convince his first fishing partners that his research wasn't a threat to their livelihoods. Issah walks through the hard math behind his work, sawfish already functionally extinct in Ghanaian waters, wedgefish not seen since around 2010, and four species of guitarfish now at real risk of following them, and explains why Ghana's own high demand for shark and ray meat as a protein source makes this a food security question as much as a conservation one. He also shares how a broad early career studying insects and amphibians turned out to be the best possible training for pioneering an entirely new field, and what he tells young African conservationists who ask him how to get started with no roadmap at all. This is a conversation about what it looks like to build shark science in a part of the world that the field has largely overlooked, told by someone doing it in real time, with real fishing communities, on a coastline most Western listeners have never heard mentioned in the same sentence as sharks. Takeaways: Ghana has four documented guitarfish species (common, white-spotted, blackchin, and spineback), and Issah's research shows they're on the same extinction trajectory that already claimed the country's sawfish and wedgefish populations. Sawfish are functionally extinct in Ghana, with no confirmed sighting since the 1980s; wedgefish haven't been caught since around 2010. Building trust with fishing communities took years, not months. Issah's first two committed fishing partners took roughly six months of repeated visits and conversations to win over. Ghana's own high domestic demand for shark and ray meat as a protein source, not just export markets, is a central driver of the fishing pressure Issah is trying to manage. Issah's advice to young conservationists starting out with no local mentors or funding: be bold, be committed, and above all be persistent, since changing fishing behavior takes years of sustained relationship-building. Connect with Issa Seidu: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antwiseidu88/ 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
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S1 · E127
August 19 · 1 hr 9 min
Walking Sharks and the Great Zebra vs. Leopard Shark Debate with Dr. Chris Dudgeon
Dr. Chris Dudgeon has spent more than two decades studying some of the ocean's strangest and least understood sharks, from the reef-walking Hemiscyllium species of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to the shape-shifting zebra shark that spends its youth striped and its adulthood spotted. In this episode, hosts Andrew Lewin and Dr. David Ebert sit down with Chris, a senior researcher who bridges evolutionary biology, population genetics, and applied conservation, to unpack why a single species can carry two completely different common names, how a newly discovered walking shark came to be named after her, and what it actually took to build a rewilding program from scratch. The conversation traces Chris's path from a landlocked childhood in Canberra to the front lines of Australian shark science, including her role as a founding member of the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society and her work describing new walking shark species alongside taxonomist Gerry Allen. She walks through the surprising biogeography of Papua New Guinea's walking sharks, where distinct species turn up within a short distance of each other with no obvious barrier explaining the split, and the practical realities of doing fieldwork where saltwater crocodiles share the water. The back half of the episode is devoted to the StAR Project, the rewilding effort that raises zebra shark pups from eggs supplied by aquariums around the world and releases them into the wild in Indonesia and Thailand, and to the taxonomic history behind why scientists now call the species Stegostoma tigrinum rather than Stegostoma fasciatum. Along the way, Chris shares a personal tribute to her late PhD supervisor, Janet Lanyon, reflects on what it means to build a research career with no roadmap to follow, and offers direct advice for the next generation of aspiring marine scientists. It is a wide-ranging look at how careful taxonomy, genetics, and community partnerships come together to protect species most people have never heard of, let alone seen. Takeaways Zebra sharks and leopard sharks are common names for the same Indo-Pacific species, Stegostoma tigrinum, which is striped as a juvenile and spotted as an adult; the confusion exists because a completely unrelated species, Triakis semifasciata, is also called a leopard shark in the eastern Pacific. A 2018 taxonomic review found that the species' correct scientific name should be Stegostoma tigrinum, not Stegostoma fasciatum, because an earlier valid name had been overlooked. Walking sharks (genus Hemiscyllium) use their pectoral and pelvic fins to "walk" across reef flats, mostly at night, and new species are still being described in Papua New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. A newly described walking shark species was named after Chris by her own PhD student, Jess Blakeway. The StAR Project (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) rewilds zebra sharks bred from aquarium-supplied eggs, with active hatchery and release programs in Raja Ampat, Indonesia and the Gulf of Thailand. Chris was a founding member of the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society in the mid-2000s, part of a small cohort of students who built the region's shark research community largely from scratch. Chris's advice for aspiring marine scientists: pick an understudied species to build genuine expertise faster, expect the path to feel anything but linear, and be prepared to figure things out without a roadmap. 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
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S1 · E128
August 11 · 51 min
Walking Sharks Explained: A PhD Candidate's Path to a New Species
Walking sharks are one of the strangest small predators on the reef: pectoral fins built for crawling across coral flats at low tide, distributions so narrow some species live in a single bay, and a family tree that's still being filled in. In this episode, Andrew Lewin and Dr. David Ebert are joined by Jess Blakeway, a PhD candidate at the University of the Sunshine Coast, whose research on the distribution, ecology, and biology of walking sharks (genus Hemiscyllium) in Papua New Guinea has already led to a new species discovery. Jess walks through her path from volunteering with sea turtles in PNG to noticing a walking shark outside its known range, emailing shark scientist Christine Dudgeon out of the blue, and eventually joining her as a PhD student. That relationship led to the description of Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, or Dudgeon's walking shark, named in honor of her supervisor. Jess and the hosts also dig into why these sharks have such tiny, non-overlapping ranges, how researchers tell nearly identical-looking species apart using color pattern, genetics, and geography, and the ongoing mix-up between "zebra sharks" and "leopard sharks," which turn out to be the same animal at different life stages. It's a fun, detail-rich conversation about what it actually looks like to find a new species in the field, what happens after that moment (specimen collection, museum deposits, taxonomic description), and what Jess has planned for her postdoc research. Takeaways: Papua New Guinea and northern Australia are home to all 10 known species of walking shark, each with a highly restricted range shaped by deep-water barriers, freshwater outflows, and shallow-water habitat limits. Jess Blakeway co-described Hemiscyllium dudgeonae, a newly recognized walking shark species named after her supervisor Christine Dudgeon. Because walking sharks look nearly identical morphologically, researchers rely on color pattern, genetics, and geography, not body shape, to tell species apart. Zebra sharks and leopard sharks are the same species (Stegostoma tigrinum): striped as juveniles, spotted as adults. Some walking shark distributions overlap without the species actually co-occurring, raising open questions about how isolation and reef geography shaped their evolution. 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
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S1 · E127
July 27 · 1 hr 6 min
Inside Shark Week 2026: Jesse Colaizzi on Alien Sharks Untamed America
It's Shark Week season again, and Andrew Lewin and Dr. David Ebert are joined for the third year running by Jesse Colaizzi, an award-winning television documentary producer, senior editor, and director of photography who works closely with Forrest Galante. Jesse pulls back the curtain on how a Shark Week episode actually comes together, from scouting locations to the final cut. Jesse joins the show remotely from Gujarat, India, where he is showrunning and editing Vantara's Sanctuary Stories, before turning to his newest project, Alien Sharks: Untamed America, premiering Wednesday, July 29th on Discovery. Built around America's 250th anniversary, the episode traces a journey across the country in search of cryptic and lesser known sharks, including white sharks off Diablo Canyon, a California horn shark, a swell shark located after months of searching, a guitar fish, bonnethead sharks, a swarm of blacktip sharks, a rediscovered tagged sawfish with researcher Dean Grubbs, and a basking shark in Cape Cod Harbor. Along the way, Jesse and the hosts dig into what editors notice that scientists and viewers often miss: coordinated hunting behavior in sharks, how white sharks react to a drone's shadow on the water, the technical tricks used to slow down fast-moving animals on camera, and how years of watching raw footage trained Jesse to read animal behavior the way a birder reads bird behavior. Jesse also shares stories from filming rescued and rehabilitated animals in India, the discipline it takes to run multiple shows at once, and why this year's episode leans into American wildlife, from bison to elk to the Statue of Liberty, rather than the usual landmarks. Key Takeaways Jesse Colaizzi is an award-winning producer, senior editor, and director of photography who works with Forrest Galante on Shark Week and Discovery Channel programming, including Extinct or Alive and Alien Sharks. Alien Sharks: Untamed America premieres Wednesday, July 29th and is built around an America 250 theme, spotlighting cryptic and lesser-known native sharks across the country. The team tracked white sharks, a California horn shark, leopard sharks, a swell shark, a guitar fish, bonnethead sharks, blacktip sharks, a sawfish tagged in partnership with researcher Dean Grubbs, and a basking shark in Cape Cod Harbor. Editors and camera crews rely on subtle behavioral cues, frame rate tricks, and instinct to capture usable footage of fast-moving, unpredictable animals in the wild. White sharks have been observed reacting to the shadow of a filming drone, a small but telling example of how visual and behavioral cues shape what ends up on screen. Sharks display coordinated group behavior when hunting, echoing patterns Dr. David Ebert has documented in his own research on pack hunting. Jesse is currently based in Gujarat, India, working on Vantara's Sanctuary Stories, a series focused on rescued and rehabilitated animals and the conditioning process used to care for them. This year's episode centers the Statue of Liberty and iconic American wildlife such as bison and elk instead of typical landmark imagery, offering a nature-first take on the America 250 theme. 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
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S1 · E123
July 14 · 54 min
She Spent Years Tracking Sharks in Crocodile-Infested Rivers
Dr. Julia Constance is back on Beyond Jaws, and this time she's joining hosts Andrew Lewin and Dr. David Ebert as Dr. Constance. Julia returns fresh off completing her PhD on the natural mortality and movement ecology of two of the world's least understood sharks: the speartooth shark and the northern river shark, both found almost nowhere outside northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea. Using a long-running acoustic telemetry dataset built by her supervisor since 2013, Julia tracked around 200 tagged sharks across Northern Territory river systems, some for up to a decade, to understand how these animals move, where they go, and what puts them at risk. The conversation digs into just how little is still known about these sharks once they leave the rivers as adults. Julia explains how individuals vanish from the tracking data for years at a time before reappearing at a river mouth, with almost no confirmed sightings of adults in the open marine environment. She and the hosts also compare the relatively stable status of Australia's river sharks to their close relative, the Ganges shark, a species so rare and poorly documented that even basic facts about its biology are borrowed from research on its Australian cousins. Along the way, Julia and Andrew share what it's actually like to do this fieldwork: murky, chocolate colored water, gear retrieval by feel instead of by sight, and working in rivers that hold the largest population of saltwater crocodiles on the planet. The episode also touches on a real and growing concern: proposed water resource development on the Adelaide River, home to the largest known population of speartooth sharks anywhere in the world, and what that could mean for a species already living in an extremely narrow habitat. 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
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S1 · E125
July 6 · 1 hr 5 min
What Does a Camera Have to Do With Saving Sharks?
For decades, stunning shark photographs have shaped the way millions of people think about these misunderstood predators. But behind every unforgettable image is a story that rarely gets told. In this episode of Beyond Jaws, we sit down with Manique Fallows to explore the passion, patience, and purpose behind a life dedicated to sharks. Monique shares how photography became more than a way to capture wildlife. It became a powerful tool for conservation, storytelling, and helping people connect with animals they often fear. We also talk about her work as an author, her experiences in the field, and what it is like building a life around some of the ocean's most iconic species. Whether you love sharks, wildlife photography, or inspiring stories from people making a difference for the ocean, this conversation offers a fresh perspective. You'll come away with a deeper appreciation for the people behind the lens and why their work matters now more than ever. Website: https://saltyseadogbooks.com/ 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
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S1 · E120
June 15 · 1 hr 5 min
What a 5-Week Shark Trip Revealed About the Future of Shark Science and Conservation
Dave Ebert returns from a five-week journey across South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, sharing stories from shark research, Sharks International, mentoring young scientists, and the search for lost sharks. This episode explores why taxonomy still matters, how new shark and ray species are still being discovered, and why the future of shark science depends on training the next generation. Shark science, shark conservation, Beyond Jaws, Dave Ebert, lost sharks, new shark species, guitarfish, South Africa sharks, Sri Lanka sharks, Sharks International, marine biology, ocean science, shark research, taxonomy, chondrichthyans, marine conservation, Save Our Seas Foundation, Maldives diving, science communication. 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
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S1 · E123
June 1 · 56 min
How Do You Build an Ocean Career When You Live Inland?
Ocean careers rarely follow a straight line. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Dave Ebert takes over the host chair to interview Andrew Lewin about his career journey, from marine biology and consulting to podcasting, science communication, and his new role as Ocean Communications Manager with Pisces Ocean. Andrew shares how choosing family, living away from the coast, and building a podcast over many years helped shape a different kind of ocean career. The episode explores why storytelling matters in marine conservation, how podcasting can build real professional networks, and why science communication is becoming a powerful tool for ocean impact. This episode is for anyone trying to build a career in marine science, ocean conservation, science communication, or environmental storytelling, especially if your path does not look traditional. 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
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S1 · E122
May 25 · 1 hr 28 min
Are Orcas Really to Blame for the Missing Great Whites?
Great white sharks have disappeared from some of South Africa's most famous shark hotspots, but the reason may not be as simple as the popular story suggests. In this episode, Chris Fallows returns to talk about orcas, white sharks, shark nets, longline fisheries, and the uncomfortable possibility that humans played a much larger role than many people want to admit. This conversation looks beyond the headline of orcas hunting great whites and asks a harder question: what happens when we focus on the predator we cannot control while ignoring the human systems we can? From False Bay to Gansbaai to the broader South African coastline, this episode explores how shark conservation, fisheries, tourism, photography, and public storytelling collide when an iconic predator starts to vanish. 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
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S1 · E121
May 5 · 51 min
The Big Question at Sharks International 2026: Are We Saving Sharks the Right Way?
Ocean Conservation feels like it's everywhere, but are we actually making a difference, or just telling ourselves we are? In this episode, we break down what really works in ocean protection and why so many well-intentioned efforts fall short. If you care about the ocean but feel overwhelmed by conflicting messages, this conversation will help you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters. Marine Science meets real-world impact as Daniel Fernando shares lessons from the field, including the challenges of balancing conservation with human needs. From working with communities to understanding how policies succeed or fail, this episode reveals the hidden systems that determine whether ocean protection actually works or becomes just another empty promise. Shark Conservation takes center stage as we connect this conversation to global efforts like Sharks International 2026, where scientists, conservationists, and policymakers come together to share what is actually working for shark protection. These events highlight a critical truth: success is not just about research, it is about collaboration, trust, and turning science into action that benefits both sharks and people. Sustainable Ocean Action is more than awareness, it is about making decisions that lead to measurable results. One surprising insight from this episode: some conservation efforts can fail not because people do not care, but because they are designed without understanding the people they affect most. That tension changes everything about how we should approach saving the ocean.
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S1 · E120
April 28 · 1 hr 3 min
She Built Shark Science Where Almost Nobody Was Looking
Shark Conservation What happens when an entire coastline is full of species we barely understand, and almost no one is studying them? In this episode of Beyond Jaws, we speak with Ghofrane Labyedh, a rising shark scientist originally from Tunisia who is helping build shark and ray research in Cameroon. You'll hear how she entered marine science, why West Africa remains one of the least understood regions for sharks and rays, and what it takes to create science where little existed before. Marine Biology Careers Ghofrane shares the realities of doing fieldwork, building trust with local communities, working with fishers, and navigating the challenges of conservation in developing research systems. Her story shows that ocean science is not only about data, it is also about people, persistence, and creating opportunities where others see barriers. Women In Science one of the most inspiring moments in this episode is hearing how a young scientist from North Africa is helping lead change in a region where shark research has long been overlooked. It is a reminder that the future of conservation may come from voices the world has ignored for too long. 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
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S1 · E119
April 21 · 52 min
She Didn't Plan to Study Sharks, Then Everything Changed in the Bay of Bengal
Shark Conservation What happens when one unexpected opportunity completely changes your career path, and why does that matter for the future of sharks? In this episode of the Beyond Jaws podcast, Zoya Tyabji shares how her journey began in island conservation work and led her into the world of shark and ray research in India. You'll hear how curiosity, timing, and taking risks opened doors she never expected. Shark Research India Zoya explains the hidden realities of shark fisheries, trade, and conservation challenges in one of the world's most important marine regions. Her work combines science, community engagement, and real-world solutions that can help protect vulnerable species while supporting people who depend on the ocean. This conversation reveals why shark conservation is never just about sharks. Women in Science One of the most powerful insights in this episode is that Zoya did not start out chasing a shark career at all, she built it step by step by saying yes to opportunities. That reminder can change how anyone thinks about their own future. 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
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S1 · E117
April 16 · 1 hr 4 min
He Couldn't Become a Doctor… So He Built a Shark Conservation Movement
Shark conservation often feels like something only experts or elite scientists can do, but what if one unexpected decision could completely change your life and impact an entire ecosystem? In this episode, we unpack how a student who never planned to study the ocean ended up leading a major conservation effort focused on thresher sharks in Indonesia, and why his journey matters for anyone trying to build a meaningful career. Marine biology careers are rarely linear, and this story proves it. From struggling to find direction to discovering purpose through internships and hands-on experience, Raffid Shidqi shows how curiosity, persistence, and taking chances can open doors you didn't even know existed. You'll hear how he built an organization with 25 local staff, why community-based conservation is essential, and how real change happens on the ground. Ocean conservation impact becomes real when local people lead the work, and that's exactly what makes this story powerful. One surprising insight from this episode is that Raffid didn't start with a clear plan or passion for sharks, he developed it through exposure and opportunity, which challenges the idea that you need everything figured out before you begin. Listen to the full episode. 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
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S1 · E118
April 14 · 41 min
Scientists Thought Sawfish Were Gone… They Were Wrong
Sawfish conservation might be one of the most overlooked stories in the ocean, but what scientists are discovering right now could completely change how we think about their future. For years, sawfish were believed to be disappearing beyond recovery, but new findings suggest something very different is happening beneath the surface. Endangered sawfish populations have been pushed to the brink by fishing pressure, habitat loss, and near total public neglect. But in certain regions, researchers like Rachel Graham are starting to uncover something unexpected, sawfish are still there, and in some cases, they may even be returning. This episode breaks down where they're being found, why it matters, and what it tells us about conservation actually working. Surprising Insight: One of the most endangered marine animals on Earth may be recovering in places where scientists thought it had already disappeared. Marine conservation success stories like this are rare, and they don't happen by chance. They happen when science, local communities, and long-term protection come together in the right way, even for species most people have never heard of. Listen to the full episode.
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