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Latest publication from Chris and colleagues now available open access in Fish and Fisheries! Find it in the latest issue :)

Congrats to Brandon Sosa on his first first-author publication! & in a leading journal in our field no less!

📸 thanks Cass for many of the photos! @covascott

#science #OceanConservation #marinescience #WildlifeConservation #healthyseafood

Latest publication from Chris and colleagues now available open access in Fish and Fisheries! Find it in the latest issue :)

Congrats to Brandon Sosa on his first first-author publication! & in a leading journal in our field no less!

📸 thanks Cass for many of the photos! @covascott

#science #OceanConservation #marinescience #WildlifeConservation #healthyseafood

One spot remains on our June 15-20 field experience!
**Please share with folks who might be interested 💙

Thanks for all of your support! We're really excited to explore south Florida's marine ecosystems with you and collect meaningful data along the way.

Reserve your spot ASAP at www.sharkdocs.org to participate.

#sharkconservation #floridasummer #research #experientiallearning #marinebiology

One spot remains on our June 15-20 field experience!
**Please share with folks who might be interested 💙

Thanks for all of your support! We're really excited to explore south Florida's marine ecosystems with you and collect meaningful data along the way.

Reserve your spot ASAP at www.sharkdocs.org to participate.

#sharkconservation #floridasummer #research #experientiallearning #marinebiology

Earth Day Victory 😎

Chris joined Ocean Conservancy on Capitol Hill during Earth Week to meet with Florida members of Congress to discuss the vital work of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the importance of the Endangered Species Act, and why the proposed Endangered Species Amendment Act would pose danger to Florida's most iconic and at-risk marine ecoaystems and animals, like the Smalltooth Sawfish.

The bill was scheduled for a vote on the afternoon of Earth Day, but was pulled from the House floor at the last minute. 🎉

Earth Day Victory 😎

Chris joined Ocean Conservancy on Capitol Hill during Earth Week to meet with Florida members of Congress to discuss the vital work of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the importance of the Endangered Species Act, and why the proposed Endangered Species Amendment Act would pose danger to Florida's most iconic and at-risk marine ecoaystems and animals, like the Smalltooth Sawfish.

The bill was scheduled for a vote on the afternoon of Earth Day, but was pulled from the House floor at the last minute. 🎉

Hopefully these infographics have explained in greater detail the key points from our recent TedX talk! This deep dive was inspired by an amazing orca encounter at Darwin's Arch in the Galapagos during filming for #allthesharks on @netflix

------"Mothers unknowingly offload poison into the mouths of their eager young." ‐------

Orca milk is among the fattiest of any mammal, and that's exactly what makes it a vehicle for some of the most dangerous pollutants on Earth.

PCBs, mercury, and DDT don't just disappear when we ban or regulate them. They persist in the environment, bioaccumulate and then biomagnify up food chains, and concentrate in the tissues of apex predators like orcas and sharks. When a mother nurses her calf, she transfers lipophilic contaminants directly to her calf through her milk.

The result? Over half the world's orca populations face severe decline from PCBs alone (Desforges et al., 2018).

These pollutants trace back to our everyday choices. The energy we use, the products we buy, the materials in our homes.

📸 infographics developed using Gemini and a whole lot of editing

#MarineConservation #orca #conservation #tedx

Hopefully these infographics have explained in greater detail the key points from our recent TedX talk! This deep dive was inspired by an amazing orca encounter at Darwin's Arch in the Galapagos during filming for #allthesharks on @netflix

------"Mothers unknowingly offload poison into the mouths of their eager young." ‐------

Orca milk is among the fattiest of any mammal, and that's exactly what makes it a vehicle for some of the most dangerous pollutants on Earth.

PCBs, mercury, and DDT don't just disappear when we ban or regulate them. They persist in the environment, bioaccumulate and then biomagnify up food chains, and concentrate in the tissues of apex predators like orcas and sharks. When a mother nurses her calf, she transfers lipophilic contaminants directly to her calf through her milk.

The result? Over half the world's orca populations face severe decline from PCBs alone (Desforges et al., 2018).

These pollutants trace back to our everyday choices. The energy we use, the products we buy, the materials in our homes.

📸 infographics developed using Gemini and a whole lot of editing

#MarineConservation #orca #conservation #tedx

TLDR:
--This Earth Week, it is important to remember that consumer pressure, alongside verification programs and trade regulations, can achieve conservation wins. Buy plant-based supplements and cosmetics if you don't want sharks on your skin.--

Deep-sea sharks are targeted and retained for their liver oil, from which folks extract a compound called squalene widely used in cosmetics and supplements and as an adjuvant component in some vaccines.

Gulper sharks (Centrophoridae) are among the most sought-after, with populations declining by over 80% in some regions. Among deepwater sharks in the liver-oil trade, around half are threatened with extinction (Finucci et al. 2024).

The good news: plant-based squalene from olives and sugarcane is functionally identical. And over 100 cosmetic brands have committed to shark-free sourcing. Further, in 2025, 86% of CITES Parties voted to list gulper sharks on Appendix II, regulating their international trade for the first time.

However, many "shark-free" commitments rely on supplier self-reporting, not independent testing. A 2015 Bloom study found a substantial fraction of tested moisturizers contained shark squalene, including from brands that believed their supply was plant-based.

📷 Gulper shark images by @bigfishexpeditions
📸 infographics developed using Gemini and a whole lot of editing

📖 Finucci, et al. (2024).

#mythofinsignificance

#SharksInternational2026 #tedx #SI2026 #earthweek

TLDR:
--This Earth Week, it is important to remember that consumer pressure, alongside verification programs and trade regulations, can achieve conservation wins. Buy plant-based supplements and cosmetics if you don't want sharks on your skin.--

Deep-sea sharks are targeted and retained for their liver oil, from which folks extract a compound called squalene widely used in cosmetics and supplements and as an adjuvant component in some vaccines.

Gulper sharks (Centrophoridae) are among the most sought-after, with populations declining by over 80% in some regions. Among deepwater sharks in the liver-oil trade, around half are threatened with extinction (Finucci et al. 2024).

The good news: plant-based squalene from olives and sugarcane is functionally identical. And over 100 cosmetic brands have committed to shark-free sourcing. Further, in 2025, 86% of CITES Parties voted to list gulper sharks on Appendix II, regulating their international trade for the first time.

However, many "shark-free" commitments rely on supplier self-reporting, not independent testing. A 2015 Bloom study found a substantial fraction of tested moisturizers contained shark squalene, including from brands that believed their supply was plant-based.

📷 Gulper shark images by @bigfishexpeditions
📸 infographics developed using Gemini and a whole lot of editing

📖 Finucci, et al. (2024).

#mythofinsignificance

#SharksInternational2026 #tedx #SI2026 #earthweek

Happy, happy Earth Week. 🌎

Pulling from years of shark research, a Netflix show I resisted for months, and moments when the smallest of my decisions carried immense weight, I recently distilled my marine conservation ethic into a talk at TEDxTorreyPines. I'm honored it was chosen as a TedX Editor's Pick.

Sharks, Reality TV, and the Myth of Insignificance begins with a single shark and ends with the belief that our world is more connected, and our choices more consequential, than they first appear - for us, for wildlife, and even for sharks on the other side of the world.

I’m grateful to @TEDxTorreyPines and all the volunteers, coaches, speakers, and organizers who put this event together. Thank you!

The full talk is now live (link in bio). If it resonates with you, please let us know!

#mythofinsignificance

Photos: @laurakmoorephotography

#tedx #conservation #sharkweek #earthday

Happy, happy Earth Week. 🌎

Pulling from years of shark research, a Netflix show I resisted for months, and moments when the smallest of my decisions carried immense weight, I recently distilled my marine conservation ethic into a talk at TEDxTorreyPines. I'm honored it was chosen as a TedX Editor's Pick.

Sharks, Reality TV, and the Myth of Insignificance begins with a single shark and ends with the belief that our world is more connected, and our choices more consequential, than they first appear - for us, for wildlife, and even for sharks on the other side of the world.

I’m grateful to @TEDxTorreyPines and all the volunteers, coaches, speakers, and organizers who put this event together. Thank you!

The full talk is now live (link in bio). If it resonates with you, please let us know!

#mythofinsignificance

Photos: @laurakmoorephotography

#tedx #conservation #sharkweek #earthday

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