Sharks in the Bahamas -- an Historical Perspective

A folksy, eclectic mix of acoustic guitar riffs, turquoise-blue hues of the Caribbean, and up-close footage of 4 meter Tiger sharks provide viewers with an entertaining and educational 5 minute look at a two-year study evaluating long-term trends in apex predator community abundance and diversity in The Bahamas. The film describes the importance of the study in the context of understanding global declines in elasmobranch populations as well as in the value of using rare fisheries independent datasets to evaluate changes in the diversity and abundance of elasmobranchs over time. Targeting non-scientists, this short film seeks to educate the public on the importance of understanding the ecology of Elasmobranchs while describing the basic field ecology techniques used by researchers and highlighting the impacts of study results on the conservation and management of sharks.