Om episode
What's the first emotion that comes to mind when you think of sharks? For most people it's fear. Fear of an open water attack. A fear that has been culturally woven into our lexicon dating back thousands of years. That fear is justified - sharks are powerful predators. However, it's also over blown. 300 times more people bite other people on subways each year than how many sharks who bite people globally each year! Sharks are vital to our oceans. In fact, given every curveball we are throwing at our oceans right now - warming, acidification, plastic pollution - sharks are more critical than ever. They've been around for over 400 million years, yet have never been so valuable to the survival of our oceans. Find out why this week on Animalia. -------------------------------- Quick plug for our weekly newsletter - every week we curate and write about 3 important stories in the world of protecting this planet and send it to your inbox - all designed to be read in 5 minutes or less. It's the fastest and most efficient way to learn and spread effective climate communications. Sign-up today here. It's totally free. ------------------------------------ Joining us today is Dr. James Sulikowski, a professor at Arizona State University where he leads a conservation lab focused on sharks, skates, and rays. So what’s a sand shark scientist doing in the desert? Finally, we want to mention Dr. James' partnership with Earthly to promote conservation research of the spiny dogfish shark. Earthly is a clean-ingredient dog treat brand known for their trademark dental chews that is supporting this important research initiative. You can get 20% off your first order of their dental chews or other treats using the code "ANIMALIA" on their site here. Thanks!