Some prey on seals and big fish, while others gorge on minuscule plankton. They can be found in the deepest parts of the ocean, in colourful coral reefs, in seagrass meadows, out in the open ocean and far up in rivers. Sharks are diverse and inhabit almost all marine ecosystems in the world. Despite this, not much is known about these charismatic predators, and they are still very much misunderstood. To change this very notion, the award-winning marine biologist and author David Shiffman has dedicated his life to the protection of sharks.

He is an interdisciplinary marine biologist and conservationist who studies sharks, while trying to find ways how to best protect them. Oceanographic spoke to the marine biologist about his love for sharks, social media’s role in shark protection, and much more.

Oceanographic Magazine (OM): First of all, how has your fascination with sharks developed throughout your life?

David Shiffman (DS): I have loved sharks for as long as my family can remember. When I was only a toddler, my family would only see me with shark toys and shark t-shirts. Most children tend to live through a shark or a dinosaur phase. I just simply never grew out of mine!

OM: Do you have a favourite shark species?

DS: The sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), which is called the brown shark in the UK. That is definitely my favourite shark. Despite their unassuming appearance as the most typical shark you can imagine, sandbar sharks have played an outsized role in both scientific understanding of the oceans and in public appreciation for sharks. They are some of the best-studied large vertebrate animals in the world, because there’s a major nursery area in the lower Chesapeake that’s been studied by the long-running VIMS shark survey. They were some of the first sharks to have long distance migrations studied, due to their frequent interactions with anglers and NOAA’s associated cooperative angler shark tag and release programme. A hardy species commonly held in captivity in aquariums around the world, the’ve been seen by more people than just about any other shark species, and have been critical in inspiring many future marine biologists.  Follow #BestShark on Twitter to learn more about them.

OM: What can the public do to support shark conservation?

DS: The single most effective thing that people can do to help the ocean, including but not limited to sharks, is to stop eating unsustainable seafood. Notice that I didn’t say that we all need to stop eating seafood entirely, as some have claimed. Sustainable seafood exists and is a great solution for folks like me who love to eat seafood but are wary of the environmental impacts of some fishing practices. There are tons of other things people can do, as well as some things that many people are doing that is not helping.