The Discovery Channels annual “Shark Week” is the longest-running cable series in history, filling screens with sharky content every summer season since 1988. It causes one of the biggest temporary boosts in U.S. viewers attention to any science or preservation topic.
Its likewise the biggest phase in marine biology, giving researchers who appear on it access to an audience of millions. Being included by high-profile media outlets can help researchers bring in attention and financing that can help super-charge their professions.
“Shark Week” is likewise a missed opportunity. As conservationists and researchers have long argued, it is a significant source of false information and nonsense about sharks, the researchers who study them, and how individuals can assist safeguard threatened types from extinction.
Even as long time “Shark Week” critics, we were staggered by our findings. The episodes that we examined had lots of incorrect info and supplied a hugely deceptive photo of the field of shark research. Some episodes glorified wildlife harassment, and many missed out on countless possibilities to teach a huge audience about shark preservation.
I am a marine biologist who just recently dealt with 5 colleagues to clinically analyze the material of “Shark Week” episodes. We located copies of 202 episodes, enjoyed them all and coded their material based upon more than 15 variables, consisting of areas, which specialists were talked to, which shark types were discussed, what scientific research tools were utilized, whether the episodes mentioned shark preservation and how sharks were represented.
Galapagos sharks swim near Maui, Hawaii.
Reinhard Dirscherl/ ullstein bild via Getty Images
Spotlight real options
Some realities. Sharks and their loved ones, such as skates and rays, are amongst the most threatened vertebrate animals in the world. About one-third of all known types are at danger of extinction, thanks generally to overfishing.
Conversely, concentrating on the incorrect issues does not cause helpful solutions. As one example, enacting a ban on shark fin sales in the U.S. would have little effect on international shark deaths, since the U.S. is only involved in about 1% of the global fin trade, and might weaken sustainable U.S. shark fisheries.
Numerous policy options, such as setting fishing quotas, creating safeguarded species lists and delineating no-fishing zones, are enacted nationally or globally. But there also are countless circumstances in which increased public attention can help move the conservation needle. For example, consumers can prevent buying seafood produced using unsustainable fishing techniques that may inadvertently catch sharks.
A team member aboard a commercial fishing boat off the coast of Maine attempts to cut a shark loose from a gillnet. Sharks typically are captured unintentionally by anglers pursuing other species.
Mailee Osten-Tan/ SOPA Images/ LightRocket through Getty Images
Out of 202 episodes that we took a look at, simply 6 contained any actionable tips. Half of those just encouraged against consuming shark fin soup, a conventional Asian special. Demand for shark fin soup can contribute to the gruesome practice of “finning”– cutting fins off live sharks and throwing the mutilated fish overboard to pass away. However finning is not the biggest danger to sharks, and many U.S.-based “Shark Week” viewers dont consume shark fin soup.
The Discovery Channel claims that by drawing in huge audiences, “Shark Week” helps educate the general public about shark preservation. But most of the programs we examined didnt point out preservation at all, beyond vague statements that sharks need help, without explaining the risks they face or how to resolve them.
Spotlighting scuba divers, not research study
Such framing is not representative of actual shark research, which uses approaches ranging from tracking tagged sharks via satellite to genetic and paleontological studies conducted completely in laboratories. Such work may not be as exciting on electronic camera as scuba divers surrounded by schooling sharks, however it creates much more useful information.
When we evaluated episodes by the kind of clinical research study they included, the most regular response was “no scientific research study at all,” followed by what we charitably called “other.” This category consisted of rubbish like developing a submarine that appears like a shark, or a “high tech” custom-made shark cage to observe some element of shark behavior. These episodes focused on supposed danger to the scuba divers revealed on cam, specifically when the devices undoubtedly stopped working, however stopped working to resolve any research study questions.
Whos on camera
Animals
But our findings reveal that lots of “Shark Week” depictions of sharks are still troublesome, pseudoscientific, unhelpful or nonsensical. We hope that our analysis will encourage the network to use its enormous audience to help sharks and elevate the scientists who study them.
Demand for shark fin soup can contribute to the gruesome practice of “finning”– cutting fins off live sharks and tossing the mutilated fish overboard to die. Finning is not the greatest threat to sharks, and a lot of U.S.-based “Shark Week” audiences dont consume shark fin soup.
On the other hand, the Discovery Channels primary rival, National Geographic, is partnering with the professional company Minorities in Shark Sciences to feature varied specialists on its shows.Its a stunning day to tag some bull sharks! @CoastalElasmos @TBEP1991 @dalyengellab #SharkScience #WomenInSTEM #ManateeRiver pic.twitter.com/M7VhS88tZP— Dr. Jayne Gardiner (@GardinerLab) October 27, 2022
More compound and better representation
Sharks
We think that not every documentary needs to be a dry, boring science lecture, however that the details shared on marine biologys greatest stage need to be factually proper and useful. Gimmicky principles like Discoverys “Naked and Afraid of Sharks 2”– an endurance contest with entrants wearing snorkels, fins and masks, but no clothes– show that individuals will watch anything with sharks in it. So why not try to make something great?
Oceans
We also recommend that more scientists seek out media training so they can take benefit of chances like “Shark Week” without being taken benefit of. It would be terrific to have a “Yelp”- like service that scientists might utilize to rate their experiences with media business. Producers who want to include properly varied researchers can rely on databases like 500 Women Scientists and Diversify EEB.
While more than half of U.S. shark scientists are female, you would not understand this from enjoying “Shark Week”. Among people who we saw featured in more than one episode, there were more white male non-scientists named Mike than females of any profession or name.
Shark Week
Television
Editors note: The Conversation US got in touch with Warner Brothers Discovery by phone and email for comment on the research study described in this article. The network did not immediately use or respond comment.David Shiffman is a post-doctoral and research study scholar in marine biology at Arizona State University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the initial post.
We also were bothered by the “professionals” spoken with on lots of “Shark Week” shows. The most-featured source, underwater photographer Andy Casagrande, is an acclaimed cameraman, and episodes when he remains behind the camera can be great. Offered the opportunity to speak, he regularly declares the mantle of science while making suspicious assertions– for example, that shark diving while taking LSD is a fantastic way to find out about these animals– or presents popular shark behaviors as brand-new discoveries that he made, while misrepresenting what those behaviors imply.
Advised Videos
Nor does “Shark Week” accurately represent professionals in this field. One issue is ethnicity: Three of the five most-featured areas on “Shark Week” are Mexico, South Africa and the Bahamas, but we might count on one hand the variety of non-white scientists who we saw included in programs about their own countries. It was far more typical for Discovery to fly a white male midway worldwide than to include a regional scientist.
How could “Shark Week” enhance? Our paper makes numerous suggestions, and we recently got involved in a workshop, highlighting diverse voices in our field from all over the world, that focused on improving representation of scientists in shark-focused media
This category consisted of nonsense like developing a submarine that looks like a shark, or a “high tech” customized shark cage to observe some element of shark habits. Provided the opportunity to speak, he routinely claims the mantle of science while making suspicious assertions– for example, that shark diving while taking LSD is a fantastic way to find out about these animals– or provides well-known shark habits as brand-new discoveries that he made, while misrepresenting what those behaviors indicate.
For a decade, concerned researchers and conservationists have connected to the Discovery Channel about our concerns with “Shark Week”. As our post recounts, Discovery has pledged in the past to present programming throughout “Shark Week” that puts more focus on science and less on entertainment– and some episodes have revealed enhancement.
One problem is ethnic background: Three of the 5 most-featured places on “Shark Week” are Mexico, South Africa and the Bahamas, however we could count on one hand the number of non-white scientists who we saw included in programs about their own countries.
Fishing