- It's time to let sharks off the hook.
- It's time to let sharks off the hook.

(energetic electronic music)
(energetic electronic music)

Sharks are amazing creatures
Sharks are amazing creatures

and they have been since before there were dinosaurs.
and they have been since before there were dinosaurs.

They come in all shapes and sizes,
They come in all shapes and sizes,

from the gentle whale shark
from the gentle whale shark

to the teeny tiny dwarven lanternshark.
to the teeny tiny dwarven lanternshark.

They're phenomenal, and they also have
They're phenomenal, and they also have

a mostly unearned bad reputation.
a mostly unearned bad reputation.

Look, I get it. Sharks are scary.
Look, I get it. Sharks are scary.

They're predators, they live in the water.
They're predators, they live in the water.

We can't even see them until they're really close.
We can't even see them until they're really close.

And occasionally, they mistake us for something else
And occasionally, they mistake us for something else

like a tasty seal.
like a tasty seal.

But trust me.
But trust me.

Sharks have got way more to be scared of about us
Sharks have got way more to be scared of about us

than we do about them.
than we do about them.

Sharks are really important parts of a balanced ecosystem.
Sharks are really important parts of a balanced ecosystem.

Let's take seagrass beds, for example.
Let's take seagrass beds, for example.

Without sharks, the foragers of these seagrass beds
Without sharks, the foragers of these seagrass beds

would eat up all the seagrass.
would eat up all the seagrass.

Which would be great for exactly one generation of foragers.
Which would be great for exactly one generation of foragers.

After that, you'd be in some serious trouble.
After that, you'd be in some serious trouble.

So the predators help keep everything in balance.
So the predators help keep everything in balance.

But, they've been in danger for quite some time.
But, they've been in danger for quite some time.

Out of all the species of sharks and rays
Out of all the species of sharks and rays

assessed by the International Union of Nature,
assessed by the International Union of Nature,

about half of them are on
about half of them are on

the Near Threatened level of extinction or worse.
the Near Threatened level of extinction or worse.

And, every year, 100,000,000 sharks are caught by fisheries.
And, every year, 100,000,000 sharks are caught by fisheries.

Fortunately, we have a lot of conservation efforts
Fortunately, we have a lot of conservation efforts

across multiple platforms.
across multiple platforms.

On the political side, the United Nations
On the political side, the United Nations

has passed resolutions to regulate shark trade,
has passed resolutions to regulate shark trade,

which is an enormous step.
which is an enormous step.

They've also put into protection several species of sharks,
They've also put into protection several species of sharks,

and there are now shark sanctuaries around the world.
and there are now shark sanctuaries around the world.

Meanwhile, shark biologists have taken
Meanwhile, shark biologists have taken

to social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter,
to social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter,

to communicate directly to us, which is fantastic.
to communicate directly to us, which is fantastic.

We get the benefit of their knowledge, their enthusiasm,
We get the benefit of their knowledge, their enthusiasm,

and their love of these animals
and their love of these animals

to help encourage our own curiosity.
to help encourage our own curiosity.

If that's not enough, sharks themselves have joined Twitter.
If that's not enough, sharks themselves have joined Twitter.

Yeah.
Yeah.

Sharks like Katharine,
Sharks like Katharine,

who was captured and tagged and released
who was captured and tagged and released

off the coast of Cape Cod,
off the coast of Cape Cod,

and Mary Lee, who cruises up and down the east coast,
and Mary Lee, who cruises up and down the east coast,

Tweeting about things like fast food, the swimming kind,
Tweeting about things like fast food, the swimming kind,

have joined the Twitter roddy.
have joined the Twitter roddy.

And you can use an app, called Ocearch.
And you can use an app, called Ocearch.

It's a non-profit, shark tracking app.
It's a non-profit, shark tracking app.

And it keeps track of multiple sharks, wherever they go.
And it keeps track of multiple sharks, wherever they go.

All the sharks that have been tagged are there,
All the sharks that have been tagged are there,

available for you to look at at any given time.
available for you to look at at any given time.

So you can watch their migrations throughout the year.
So you can watch their migrations throughout the year.

A shark might start its journey off the coast of New England
A shark might start its journey off the coast of New England

and end in the Bahamas.
and end in the Bahamas.

That's a shark that knows how to vacation.
That's a shark that knows how to vacation.

The real purpose of Ocearch
The real purpose of Ocearch

is to give people another tool to connect with these sharks
is to give people another tool to connect with these sharks

in a way that doesn't encourage fear.
in a way that doesn't encourage fear.

It encourages wonder.
It encourages wonder.

To see the journey
To see the journey

of one shark as it moves throughout
of one shark as it moves throughout

the Atlantic or the Pacific,
the Atlantic or the Pacific,

searching out food is phenomenal and exciting!
searching out food is phenomenal and exciting!

But if this isn't enough for you,
But if this isn't enough for you,

you can always get more hands-on with shark conservation.
you can always get more hands-on with shark conservation.

A lot of organizations allow the general public
A lot of organizations allow the general public

to join on shark tagging expeditions.
to join on shark tagging expeditions.

They're mostly geared toward schoolkids,
They're mostly geared toward schoolkids,

but there's some that allow people who graduated...
but there's some that allow people who graduated...

some time ago to join along.
some time ago to join along.

And it's really exciting.
And it's really exciting.

You could actually take part in shark conservation,
You could actually take part in shark conservation,

letting scientists learn more about these creatures
letting scientists learn more about these creatures

and protecting them for the future!
and protecting them for the future!

Now personally, I've never been on one of these trips. Yet.
Now personally, I've never been on one of these trips. Yet.

But I know a guy.
But I know a guy.

And when he has an opening on his next trip,
And when he has an opening on his next trip,

I wanna go along.
I wanna go along.

But I wanna hear what you guys think.
But I wanna hear what you guys think.

What is the next step in shark conservation?
What is the next step in shark conservation?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Thanks to Toyota for sponsoring our show.
Thanks to Toyota for sponsoring our show.

If you enjoyed this episode, hit the like button.
If you enjoyed this episode, hit the like button.

Join the Forward Thinking Think Tank
Join the Forward Thinking Think Tank

by subscribing to our channel,
by subscribing to our channel,

and then swim on over here for some other awesome videos.
and then swim on over here for some other awesome videos.

(relaxed music)
(relaxed music)