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An Interview with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s shark expert-in-residence, John O'Sullivan

Inspiring Shark Conservation Through Experiential Learning

Hammerhead shark

"Don't give up; each person can make a difference – join us in inspiring ocean conservation and changing attitudes and behaviors towards sharks!"

—John O'Sullivan

SeaWeb: What was your first experience with a shark?

John O'Sullivan: My first "live" experience was during my scuba certification off Catalina Island, seeing small leopard sharks and one horn shark. Compared to what we do now with some of the larger marine mammals, my first shark experience was relatively flat. Diving into a kelp bed, the overall wow factor of the actual environment is greater and somewhat of a distraction. Spotting the smaller horn and leopard shark was underwhelming because the kelp bed itself was overwhelming!

SW: What is your personal relationship with sharks, how do you view sharks?

JO: My views have changed as my knowledge of shark biology and natural behavior has increased; from one of wonder associated with small amounts of fear, to an enhanced wonder, respect and amazement.

Actually, I find all large or small fish or invertebrates unique. This job is so diverse that your focus shifts yearly; I find it personally important to welcome the project you are working on as if it's your passion, as opposed to just another task. In our role we are not specialists, so we can become more understanding of a family of animals as our interest or work requires. This type of broad approach is much more important because we exhibit animals in an ecosystem to promote community conservation versus species by species. Our mission and our work require an emphasis on community (interspecies) exhibits, more than mono species exhibits.

SW: How does your organization engage or interact with sharks?

JO: We use several tools to engage the public about sharks:

  • Direct observations via live permanent exhibits
  • Temporary exhibits containing "live" sharks
  • Touch experience
  • Auditorium presentations on sharks
  • Graphics and conservation efforts such as the Seafood Watch program
  • Tracking and observing sharks in the wild to learn about their natural behaviors
  • Collaborating on academic papers and presentations with other institutions that study sharks

SW: What role do aquariums play in promoting a greater awareness and understanding of sharks and shark conservation?

JO: We believe in conservation of the oceans. We do this through live animal exhibits. The power of bringing people face-to-face with nature helps inspire their will to conserve or preserve that species or environment. Each of the animals on exhibit is an ambassador for their wild counterparts. . Inspiring conservation through live animal exhibits is subliminal in a sense.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium helps raise public awareness of sharks by bringing visitors face-to-face with sharks, conducting research, providing education programs and tools to help minimize by-catch and shark finning with the aquarium's Seafood Watch pocket guide and through the Aquarium's Center for the Future of the Oceans (CFFO) department we support policy efforts to help conserve sharks and the oceans.
© Monterey Bay Aquarium, Kevin Weng

I personally believe by becoming involved, everyone can create change. In some cases you might only minimize impact or correct historic damage, but we all can do something.

SW: What are the next steps in realizing a future for sharks?

JO: Don't give up; each person can make a difference – join us in inspiring ocean conservation and changing attitudes and behaviors towards sharks!

Conservation takes commitment and fortitude, appropriate government policy, funds and educating the public. Bickering between conservation groups can often times be detrimental to the cause at hand. It ends up creating confusion and that's when the public gives up hope. It is important for people to realize that just recycling aluminum cans is the minimum responsibility they should be taking. Whether that's helping terrestrial habitat restoration, or working on international aid development. The key is finding a passion, what you are interested in. The ocean always needs more stewards of course but ultimately, we just want people to find their passion and pursue it. Just get out and appreciate their community and look beyond the walls of their sidewalks and streets.

John B. O'Sullivan is the Curator of Field Operations at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, overseeing the live animal collections and most of Husbandry's research and development programs. From its conception in 2002 John has managed the Young of the Year White Shark research and exhibit program. Other areas of John's research include movements, distribution and husbandry requirements of large elasmobranch fishes of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; distribution, basic biology and natural history of mobulid rays in the waters surrounding Baja California Mexico and movements of Molas in the Monterey Bay region. In addition to the present study on young of the year white sharks, his prior publication topics include bryozoans, molluscs, other elasmobranchs, and endrocrinology.