Sharks

When Peter Benchley wrote the novel Jaws, which Steven Spielberg would later adapt into the first modern blockbuster film, Benchley could not have predicted the dark side of his commercial success.

Moved to action by the fictional bloodthirsty shark, people began to hunt and kill sharks with the misunderstanding that they were making oceans safer. In response, Benchley became an ocean activist and spoke frequently about the importance of shark conservation. Benchley is said to have regretted writing Jaws and inadvertently contributing to the shark myths that persist today, despite little evidence to support them

“The most common misconception about sharks is that they’re highly aggressive and they pose a threat to you upon entering the water,” says Nathan Lujan, Associate Curator of Fishes at ROM. The fear is overblown

Fishes at ROM. The fear is overblown. “Certainly, you should be aware of the presence of sharks in a given area, but by and large, the vast majority of sharks would have no interest or potentially even ability to attack a human.”

Among the few species of sharks known for attacks, which include great whites, tiger, and bull sharks, a majority of incidents are mistaken encounters—for example, when a shark misconstrues a surfer paddling out on a surfboard for a seal. Because the surfer is silhouetted and moves in a similar way to a seal, it’s easy to see how the mistake is possible.

Lujan explains that sharks generally don’t see humans as prey. “Many shark bites are probing bites, testing bites. They’re not followed up by an attack or a second bite,” he says. “It’s unfortunate, just by virtue of the machinery, that sharks have very sharp teeth.”

In the last few years, an increasing seal population and warming waters have led to more great white shark sightings in the northeast - ern U.S. and southeastern Canada. Rather than a cause for alarm, seeing more sharks is generally a positive sign, reflecting a recovering population of a once overfished species. Just remember that if you’re in the company of seals, it is not the best time to go for a dip.

“The actual probability or chances of getting attacked by a shark are small,” Lujan says. Yet the way sharks are often portrayed in popular media continues to instill fear. Sharks are often depicted as frightening and monstrous creatures, sometimes even as murderous. The newly opened Sharks exhibition, presented by Desjardins Financial Group, aims to overturn this reputation.

This winter, Visitors will encounter a diverse array of sharks in a new exhibition designed to help us understand the importance of these misunderstood fishes. Organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, the exhibition explores the biology and behaviour of sharks, as well as the importance of their place in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Without a thriving shark population, the entire aquatic food chain can be thrown off balance.

Visitors are bound to encounter unfamiliar fishes in the exhibition—from deep-sea chimeras with distinctive rat-like tails to the epaulette shark, whose fins double as feet to help it walk to deeper water from a low tide. With life-size models that include the smallest and largest sharks, a large-scale projection of swimming sharks, and an interactive game to let visitors hunt like a hammerhead, this exhibition is for all ages.

Sharks are part of a group of cartilaginous fishes classified as the class Chondrichthyes. The group also includes skates and rays—fishes that evolved alongside sharks and now occupy many of the world’s marine and fresh waters. Sharks, skates, and rays have incredible sensory abilities and defensive mechanisms, and their evolutionary lineage is millions of years older than that of dinosaurs.

Right past the door, visitors will be greeted by a huge megalodon model. This extinct predatory fish is the largest shark to have ever lived, estimated to have been as long as two school buses and as heavy as a herd of elephants. Though it is striking, and maybe a little intimidating, coming face to face with the biggest shark in history is also an opportunity to confront your own feelings and misconceptions about sharks—fishes we still don’t know a whole lot about.

“Some people say we know more about space than we know about the deep ocean,” Lujan says.

Though shark attacks are rare, they can be deadly. Lujan would like to see efforts to minimize unplanned contact between sharks and humans and discourage shark movement through recreational areas.

Ongoing research into sharks is one way to mitigate unwanted encounters. “We underestimate the complexity of the world around us to our own detriment,” Lujan says. “History is full of examples of our oversimplification of nature coming back to bite us.”

John Tyminski, a Senior Data Scientist at OCEARCH, is contributing to the ongoing scientific endeavour to understand more about sharks. OCEARCH has been studying the western North Atlantic population of white sharks since 2012. Part of that research includes expeditions to satellite tag live sharks to track their movements. This is no easy feat.

“You have to remember: white sharks are a large apex predator,” Tyminski says. “They’re difficult to catch. They’re difficult to handle.”

The Sharks exhibition highlights important conservation work and scientific education that’s ongoing today. That includes the efforts of Florida-based Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), a non-profit working to increase access to scientific support to develop more shark researchers. MISS offers fully funded opportunities for gender minorities of colour to attend camps, be supported through fellowships, and participate in collaborative research programs.

Norah Mendoza, Program Coordinator at MISS, oversees the non-profit’s programs in education and outreach and in professional development. As a former attendee of MISS programming, she knows firsthand how important access to science education can be. Encouragement is a big part of MISS programming success, emblematic in stories Mendoza shares from her time leading MISS attendees.

This past summer, for example, a student came to camp proclaiming they didn’t know anything about sharks. The next day, this same student was able to successfully identify key expedition goals.

Mendoza asked, “Why do we take a muscle biopsy?” The student answered, “Because we wanted to look at what they’re eating.” Mendoza followed up with, “Why do we take a fin clip?” The student answered correctly, “To see who they’re related to.”

Mendoza, impressed, said, “Didn’t you say 24 hours ago that you don’t know anything about sharks? Yet you’re answering these questions faster than anyone else can.” The student was excited by the encouragement and became more involved in the rest of the camp as a result.

MISS works to create an inclusive environment, where everyone has a place in science. As work continues to restore balance to shark populations globally, more shark scientists means more knowledge and the potential to improve how sharks and humans can live symbiotically.

“Sharks are like the thermometer of the ocean,” Mendoza says. “Even though people are scared of them, I promise that we need them.”

Sharks is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org). The Museum gratefully acknowledges Warner Bros. Discovery for its generous support of Sharks. A selection of footage in Sharks has been provided by Discovery’s Shark Week.

Stephanie Philp is an Interpretive Planner at ROM.