🌍 The Bahamas: A Shark Sanctuary Under Threat

Chris and Brendan join their friend and colleague Dr. Matt Smukall, Director of the Bimini Biological Field Station @BiminiSharkLab to discuss all things shark and ray in The Bahamas, including the ongoing battle to save the mangrove forests of North Bimini from unsustainable, short-sighted development. These mangroves provide an outsized benefit to local wildlife, ecotourism, and fisheries in the western Bahamas, and trading them for a golf course or a few condos is a terrible mistake.

Thanks to:

📸 @Sharkman_Dan – Filming and Editing

📸 Wyatt Albert @wadewithwyatt - Photo and Video Contributions

🔗 Follow us for more shark science and ocean stories:

📸 Instagram: @shark_docs

🎯 Website: www.sharkdocs.org

Relevant Literature & Resources

🏫 Bimini Research

Bimini Shark Lab – https://www.biminisharklab.com/

🦈 Shark Management and Abundance in The Bahamas

Kessel et al., 2016 – https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12987

Hansell et al., 2018 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2017.09.016

Talwar et al., 2020 – https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105683

Smukall et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15067

🔬 Species-Specific Research

Caribbean reef shark IUCN Red List assessment:

Carlson et al., 2019 – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/60217/3093780

Caribbean Reef Shark life history:

Talwar et al., 2022 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-022-04044-9

🌊 Shark and Ray Abundance

MacNeil et al., 2020 – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2519-y

Clementi et al., 2021 – https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v661/p175-186/

Simpfendorfer et al., 2023 – https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.ade4884

Goetze et al., 2024 – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02386-9

🌍 Population Declines and Management

Ward-Paige et al., 2010 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011968

Talwar et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12675

Pacoureau et al., 2023 – https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2216891120

🌴 North Bimini Mangroves

Jennings et al., 2008 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-008-9357-3

DiBattista et al., 2011 – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00125.x

Jennings et al., 2012 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11852-012-0211-6

Arkema et al., 2017 – https://naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj25256/files/media/file/natcap_economicvalueofmarineprotectedareas_0.pdf

Beal et al., 2021 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21004581

Kanno et al., 2023 – https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v724/p167-183/

Kressler et al., 2024 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24006964

🌐 Habitat Conservation Resources

North Bimini Marine Reserve – https://www.biminisharklab.com/north-bimini-marine-reserve

🌍 Global Habitat Loss

Waycott et al., 2009 – https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0905620106

Polidoro et al., 2010 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010095

Buelow et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.013

💰 Shark Economy

Haas et al., 2017 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.01.007

🌊 Ecosystem Values

Harborne et al., 2006 – https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2881(05)50002-6

🦈 Shark and Ray Interactions

Maljković & Coté, 2011 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2010.11.019

Hammerschlag et al., 2012 – https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01973.x

Heim et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.628469

Heim et al., 2024 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.08.012

🌐 Shark Diving Management

Gallagher et al., 2015 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.007

Healy et al., 2020 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103964

🐟 Shark Homing Behavior

Edrén & Gruber, 2005 – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-004-2583-4

Feldheim et al., 2014 – https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12583

📚 Internships

https://www.biminisharklab.com/internships

#AllTheSharks #netflix #wildlife #ocean #conservation #shark #ray

South Africa is a global hotspot for shark and ray biodiversity — home to over 200 species, including many found nowhere else on Earth. In this episode of Beyond All the Sharks, Chris & Brendan team up with their friend and fellow Shark Doc, Dr. Alison Kock of South African National Parks (SANParks), to dive into the science, conservation, and management of these incredible animals along South Africa’s ~3,000 km coastline.

From white sharks in False Bay to endemic catsharks and shysharks, Dr. Kock has dedicated her career to protecting species that play a critical role in ocean ecosystems.

Thanks to:

📸 Andy Murch – www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | IG: @bigfishexpeditions

📸 Morne Hardenberg – @mornehardenberg

📸 Mark Van Coller – @AtlanticEdgeFilms

📸 Dr. Alison Kock – @alison_kock

Resources & References

🌍 South Africa National Parks

SANParks – https://www.sanparks.org/?home

👩‍🔬 Dr. Kock's story

Save Our Seas Foundation – https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/alison-kock/

📊 IUCN Red List Assessment for White Shark

Rigby et al., 2022 – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3855/212629880

📈 Preliminary recovery of White Shark in the NW Atlantic

Curtis et al., 2014 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099240

🌊 White Shark habitat shift towards Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Bowlby et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23008622

🌐 Biodiversity & conservation of sharks in South Africa

Ebert & Van Hees, 2014 – https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1048730

Pollom et al., 2024 – https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306813

🐠 South African marine biodiversity & environment

Griffiths et al., 2010 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012008

🐟 Catsharks / Shysharks of South Africa – Population status

Natal Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161667/124524866

Brown Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39346/124403821

Puffadder Shyshark / Happy Eddie – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39345/124403633

Dark Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161650/124521775

Pyjama Shark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39348/124404008

Leopard Catshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161515/124498131

🦑 Endemic sharks of South Africa

Cliff & Olbers, 2022 – https://sharksunderattackcampaign.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_01_17_WILDOCEANS-endemic-and-threatened-sharks-species-reports.pdf

🛡️ Marine protected areas & catsharks / shysharks

Albano et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109302Cortelezzi et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115691

📖 Select work on White Sharks from Dr. Kock

Klimley et al., 2024 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-024-01584-5

Bowlby et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23008622

Towner et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2022.2066723

Towner et al., 2022 – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10078210/

Kock et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.811985

Kock et al., 2018 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40462-018-0125-5

Hewitt et al., 2017 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-017-0679-x

🔄 Effect of White Shark absence on other species / ecological role

Dedman et al., 2024 – https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl2362

👀 Shark Spotters

Shark Spotters – https://sharkspotters.org.za/

Engelbrecht et al., 2017 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185335

⚖️ Human–shark conflict & conservation

Atkins et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X23002956

Sheridan et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104633

Simpfendorfer et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.692767

📝 South African shark conservation priorities

IUCN, 2024 – Global Shark Status Report (South Africa) – https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-024-En_part_6.pdf

In this episode of Beyond All the Sharks, marine ecologists Dr. Chris Malinowski and Dr. Brendan Talwar join fellow Shark Doc Dr. Heather Middleton on Heron Island—a remote research station nestled into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Together, they explore how this iconic island has evolved from a turtle cannery into a hotspot for shark and ray science and what it teaches us about biodiversity, adaptation, and the urgent need for conservation. From the shallow reef flats to the deep impacts of climate change, this is a deep dive into one of the most vibrant marine ecosystems on the planet.

🦈 In this episode, we cover:
– The transformation of Heron Island from turtle cannery to protected Green Zone
– Ray and shark mating behavior, olfactory communication, and reproductive strategies
– Epaulette sharks and their chemical cues: what pheromones can tell us about courtship
– Research at the Heron Island Research Station and its role in global reef science
– How climate change is affecting shark movement, mating, and survival
– The importance of protected zones in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

🎧 Whether you're a marine biologist, conservationist, diver, or shark enthusiast, this episode offers fresh perspectives and emerging science from one of the world’s most studied reefs.

🎙️ About our guest:

Dr. Heather Middleton is a marine scientist and shark researcher based at the Heron Island Research Station. Her recent work focuses on the chemical ecology of elasmobranchs, including groundbreaking research on pheromones in epaulette sharks. She combines field ecology with behavioral studies to better understand how marine species interact, reproduce, and respond to environmental change.

📸 Special thanks to: Andy Murch – www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | Instagram: @bigfishexpeditions; Dr. Heather Middleton, Dr. Lawson (@_alinya), and Dr. Wheeler for their photos and videos; and Dive Spear and Sport – for supporting our dive team at Heron Reef

📚 Further Reading & Resources
For full references and links to the scientific literature mentioned in this episode, visit our YouTube channel @SharkDocs

🔗 Follow us for more shark science and conservation:
📸 Instagram: @shark_docs
▶️ YouTube: @SharkDocs
🎯 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/shark_docs

🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.

#AllTheSharks #SharkPodcast #SharkScience #Elasmobranchs #MarineBiology #OceanConservation #GreatBarrierReef #SharkWeek #ClimateChange #HeronIsland #BeyondAllTheSharks

Beyond All the Sharks is the official companion podcast to the Netflix series All the Sharks. Want to learn more after watching the show?

Join hosts Dr. Chris Malinowski and Dr. Brendan Talwar as they connect with their new friends and fellow Shark Docs, Arzucan Zuzu Askin and Ahmed Ricky Mohamed from the Miyaru Programme in Fuvamulah, Maldives. Together, they explore shark and ray conservation, dive ecotourism, sustainable fisheries, and the evolving perceptions and uses of sharks in this vibrant region of the Indian Ocean.

🌊 In this episode, we cover:

– Shark and ray research and conservation in the Maldives

– The role of dive ecotourism and sustainable practices

– Deep-sea biology and shark ecology

– Fisheries impacts and community engagement

– Changing local and global attitudes toward sharks

🎧 Whether you're a scientist, conservationist, diver, or curious explorer, this episode dives into the connections between culture, conservation, and research in the Maldives—one of the most important and rapidly changing shark hotspots in the world.

🎙️ About our guests:

Arzucan “Zuzu” Askin is a National Geographic Explorer, conservation scientist, and co-founder of the Miyaru Programme. Trained at Oxford’s Seascape Ecology Lab, she specializes in shark-human interactions and the social dimensions of shark conservation.

Ahmed “Ricky” Mohamed is an underwater photographer, videographer, and dive shop owner based in Fuvahmulah. As part of Miyaru’s media storytelling team, he documents local shark populations and helps share the island’s conservation efforts with global audiences through visual media.

📸 Special thanks to:

– Andy Murch (https://www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | Instagram: @bigfishexpeditions)
– Arzucan Zuzu Askin, Ahmed Ricky Mohamed, and Lorea Dandoy for their photos and videos
– Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah and owner Ahmed Inah (@inah_shark) for supporting our team both underwater and on land (https://www.pelagicdiversfuvahmulah.com/)

📚 Further Reading & Resources

For full references, links, and more scientific resources mentioned in this episode, visit our YouTube channel @SharkDocs.

🔗 Follow us for more shark science and ocean stories:

📸 Instagram: @shark_docs

▶️ YouTube: @SharkDocs

🎯 Linktree: linktr.ee/shark_docs

🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.

#AllTheSharks #SharkPodcast #SharkScience #Elasmobranchs #MarineBiology #OceanConservation #Maldives #SharkWeek #ClimateChange #BeyondAllTheSharks #MarineConservation #SharkResearch #OceanScience #WildlifePodcast #CoralReefProtection