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Profs and Pints presents: “The Fight to Save Sharks,” with David Shiffman, marine conservation biologist, environmental policy consultant, and college guest-lecturer.
It’s the perfect talk to gear up for Shark Week. Dive deep into the murky waters of marine conversation—and, specifically, the effort to protect shark species—with marine conservation biologist David Shiffman, an award-winning science communicator who frequently guest-lectures at the University of Maryland and other higher-education institutions.
Sharks and their relatives are in more trouble than most other vertebrate animals on Earth, with nearly one out of species assessed as threatened with extinction on the “Red List” maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Although they were swimming in the oceans before the existence of dinosaurs or trees, and have survived many global mass extinction events, our current day’s unsustainable fishing practices threaten them like never before.
Shiffman, who has worked extensively with sharks, will summarize the latest research showing which sharks are in trouble, why they’re in trouble, and why the loss of sharks is bad for humans. He’ll also introduce you to the world of shark conservation policy, with a focus on the debate between limit-based and target-based policy solutions, which pits advocates of promoting sustainable shark fisheries against those who want to ban all fishing for sharks and all sales of shark products.
This talk will not only highlight Shiffman’s research on shark conservation policy but introduce you to key players in the world of ocean conservation. He’ll also bust myths about sharks and challenge popular ideas about shark conservation, such as the beliefs that banning the shark fin trade will be effective, that sustainable shark fisheries cannot and do not exist, and that ocean plastics are a major threat to sharks. (They are to whales and turtles, but not to sharks.) It will be a talk you can sink your teeth into. Young people under 18 welcome if accompanied by an adult. (Advance tickets: $12. Door: $15, save $2 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later. Please allow yourself plenty of time to place any orders and get settled into place.)
