Episode 36: Greg Skomal, Shark Scientist

The Nik Hawks Show

Greg Skomal is the classic adventurous scientist; driven to discover all he can about his subject and willing to go anywhere to slake his thirst for knowledge.

"Not all science is boring."

He is the Senior Scientist at the Massachusetts Shark Research Program and works closely with both the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and OCEARCH to study Great White Sharks. He literally wrote the book on sharks (The Shark Handbook) and is very enthusiastic about translating the science literature for the lay public to learn about and enjoy this fascinating family of animals.

“It’s one thing to really like sharks, it’s another thing to really study them. I think it’s great to love Shark Week, but that doesn’t make you a scientist.”

Sharks have been around for over 400 million years, an awful long time to perfect the glorious evolution evident in every sweep of their tail and gnash of teeth, and in this podcast Greg shares his fascination with this most amazing of creatures along with stories of his experiences diving with sharks in the Arctic, the Caribbean, and Pacific.

Studying sharks has shaped Greg's world, and he talks about how the science has shifted dramatically from only being able to access dead sharks to now being able to track in real time the peregrinations and through that the individual personalities of one of the most well traveled species on the planet, the Great White Shark.

“A good scientist needs commitment, curiosity, and passion for their subject."

Greg talks about the importance of shark scientists and shark aficionados, what it takes to make a difference, and how you can help sharks tremendously from either path. Enjoy!