Welcome to World of Sharks, a podcast all about sharks, rays and their underwater habitat brought to you by the Save our Seas Foundation. Forget Jaws – there is SO much more to sharks than their fearsome reputation. Join scientist and shark nerd Dr Isla Hodgson as she chats with leading experts in shark science, conservation and storytelling to take a deep dive into the fascinating world of one of the most diverse, well-adapted, enigmatic, misunderstood and threatened groups of animals on the planet.
Episodes
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Exploring human connection with the ocean with Pippa Ehrlich
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
We're learning new things about the ocean every day, but for centuries the ocean has taught us so much more. After the pandemic, many of us evaluated our connection to the sea and nature in general, seeking deeper meaning in our relationship with it and realising how necessary it is for our mental and emotional wellbeing. Award-winning film-maker and conservation storyteller Pippa Ehrlich (My Octopus Teacher, Older Than Trees) is passionate about telling stories of human-nature connection. For years, she has worked with scientists around the world, using storytelling to capture their passion and emotion for marine life and inspire others to feel the same. In this episode, we talk about Pippa's approach to storytelling and the story behind the Oscar winning documentary, My Octopus Teacher. We also discuss Pippa's love for the ocean, exploring the beautiful kelp forests of the Cape peninsula, and how she stays connected to nature - even when life gets in the way. And, we talk about her new film Older Than Trees, which celebrates 20 years of the Save Our Seas Foundation.
You can follow Pippa on social media: @the_rewilding (instagram) and @PippaEhrlich (twitter). You can also find out more about her current work for the Sea Change Project, an organisation aiming to spread awareness of the Great African Seaforest through storytelling and immersion: https://seachangeproject.com/.
You can find out more about us by heading to www.saveourseas.com, or following us on social media: @saveourseasfoundation (instagram) and @SaveOurSeas (twitter).
You can find the shownotes for this episode here: https://saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast
Thursday May 18, 2023
The brilliant world of the blue shark with Dr Jenny Bortoluzzi
Thursday May 18, 2023
Thursday May 18, 2023
This week on World of Sharks we are diving into the world of an iconic species: the blue shark, Prionace glauca. Known for their big eyes, pointed snouts, mesmerising metallic blue colour and inquisitive nature, blue sharks are a species of requiem shark that occur in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. We are joined by Dr Jenny Bortoluzzi, shark scientist and SOSF project leader, who studied this species in Irish waters for her PhD and tried to understand why they came to the area in such large numbers, and discovered some quite surprising things about their eating habits…
Digressions include some very friendly sunfish, travel-happy porbeagles, and why on earth a shark would choose to eat jellyfish.
Time stamps: Jenny's life and career [6.30-20.10], blue sharks and Jenny's research [20.20 - 45.00], porbeagle tagging [45.30-49.50], conservation implications [50.00].
You can follow Jenny's work by heading to her website (https://jennybortoluzzi.wordpress.com/) or following her on social media (@DrSharkyJenny).
You can find out more about the Save Our Seas Foundation by heading to www.saveourseas.com.
Thursday May 04, 2023
Do sharks hang out with their siblings? With Fenella Wood
Thursday May 04, 2023
Thursday May 04, 2023
In this episode of World of Sharks by the Save Our Seas Foundation, we're chatting all things spurdog, relatedness and genetics with molecular biologist and PhD student Fenella Wood! Fenella's research delves into the fascinating world of spurdog population genetics to find out if the individuals that form large aggregations are related, which could have conservation implications if they are caught as by-catch. We learn all about shark DNA, life at sea, and what it was like to work at the legendary Bimini Field Station, AKA Shark Lab.
You can follow Fenella on twitter, she is @Fenella_Wood.
And you can follow our work on instagram (@saveourseasfoundation) and twitter (@aaveourseas).
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
So, you want to study sharks. You have a brilliant research question, a solid methodology, and buckets of passion. There's just one thing missing...funding. Applying for grants to support your research is a huge part of the scientific process - and it's certainly not easy. But fear not! This week, we are taking a break from chatting about sharks to bring you some expert tips on how to get your dream project funded, from three people who definitely know their stuff when it comes to grant applications. Dr James Lea, CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation, Lee Crockett, executive director of the Shark Conservation Fund and Sarah Fowler OBE, scientific advisor to both organisations, have tonnes of experience both as reviewers and applicants. Every year, they sift through hundreds of proposals and know exactly what sets an application apart from the rest. In this episode we talk about growing your idea into a realistic, achievable project and what funders are looking for in a successful applicant. And, we discuss what to do if you get rejected - which is a hard, but very normal, part of the process.
Applications for the Save Our Seas Foundation small grants are open NOW until June 16th 2023. Find out more here: https://saveourseas.com/grants/funding-applications/
You can also find out about opportunities with the Shark Conservation Fund here: https://www.sharkconservationfund.org/
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Sharks and ray populations across the world are in freefall. Reversing these declines requires a coordinated, global effort - but how can this be achieved? At the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in Vancouver, Canada, host Isla sat down with Rima Jabado, fisheries scientist and head of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, and elasmobranch scientists Emiliano García Rodríguez and Ciaran Hyde to talk about Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs). Lead by a growing international team of scientists, policy-makers and practitioners, the ISRAs project aims to put sharks on the map - collating information on areas around the world that serve a vital function for sharks and rays, and making this information freely available to help decision-makers and managers build better, informed protective measures for sharks and rays around the world.
You can find out more about ISRAs here: https://sharkrayareas.org/ and by following @SharkRayAreas.
You can find out more about us over at www.saveourseas.com, or by following @SaveOurSeas (twitter) and @saveourseasfoundation (instagram).
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Creating impact through imagery with Thomas Peschak
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
We are kicking off season 4 of the World of Sharks podcast (formerly the Whole Tooth podcast) with a bang! This episode, we are talking to legendary conservation photographer, National Geographic explorer and our very own Director of Storytelling, Thomas Peschak. Thomas has photographed marine life all over the world, including a huge diversity of sharks and rays, and has dedicated his life to creating images that have real world impact for conservation. We asked Thomas about going on assignment for Nat Geo, his process – from finding the perfect story to crafting an affecting photograph – and what makes an image stand out from the crowd. And, of course, we spent quite a bit of time discussing our favourite group of animals, and what it’s like to work with them in the field.
You can find out more about his work here, https://www.thomaspeschak.com/ or follow Tom on social media via @thomaspeschak.
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
An announcement!
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Shark nerds unite! WE'RE BACK!
The World of Sharks podcast (formerly The Whole Tooth) will be back on Thursday 23rd March with a brand new season. As always, we will be breaking down topics in shark science and conservation with some very special guests. A friendly reminder to look out for our shiny new logo - we think you'll like it!
See you there!
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
What’s been happening in the world of sharks? With Dr James Lea and Jade Schultz
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
As season 3 and 2022 draws to a close, host Isla sits down with Dr James Lea, CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), and Jade Schultz, content manager for SOSF, to look back on the year and all the important events that have happened for sharks and shark conservation. Plus, they have a very exciting announcement about this very podcast!
You can follow our work on social media (@SaveOurSeas on twitter, @saveourseasfoundation on instagram) and by heading to www.saveourseas.com.
You can find the shownotes for this episode, and all previous episodes, here: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/thewholetooth
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
We know that overfishing is the primary cause of global shark and ray declines. But, shark fisheries provide income and subsistence for many coastal communities. Inevitably, any regulation or conservation measure involving these fisheries must be culturally, socially and politically appropriate in order to be accepted, and to achieve this we need to work with and understand the people they will affect. Equally, there are many gaps in our knowledge relating to sharks and rays, including in their distribution, status and how they are traded. SOSF project leaders and marine scientists Alifa Haque and Nadia Rubio specialise in integrating local and traditional knowledge with ecological data to gain a bigger picture on what is happening to endangered species of shark and ray, and have gained a solid understanding of what limits the capacity and willingness of fishers to engage in conservation initiatives and policies. Host Isla sat down with them to discuss their work with fishers in the field, and how they are slowly building shark conservation programmes that work for the community.
Follow Alifa: @haque.alifa (instagram), @alifa_haque (twitter)
Follow Nadia: @nadsocean (instagram), @MarSustenable (twitter)
Find the shownotes for this episode, and all previous episodes, here: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/thewholetooth
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Frozen Planet II and Blue Planet II are landmark natural history series and masterclasses in climate change storytelling. Via captivating sequences, charming characters and compelling stories, the viewer is deliberately drawn into a world that they can’t help but care about, before being told about the very serious threats facing it. Such powerful storytelling can have a big impact; Blue Planet II, for example, persuaded people across the world to give up single-use plastics. But how are these films made? Who crafts the stories? And how do you engage people in the climate emergency without freaking them out? At Wildscreen film festival in Bristol, host Isla sat down with film-makers Rachel Butler Scott and Yoland Bosiger, producers who have worked on both Frozen Planet II and Blue Planet II among many other series, to chat about filming in the most remote and hostile environments on earth, diving under sea ice, and connecting people to life under the waves.
Follow Yoland: @yolandbosiger
Follow Rachel: @rachelbutlerscott
Watch Frozen Planet II: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0cw0nb8/frozen-planet-ii
Shownotes: www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/thewholetooth