A future of sustainability
COHABITATION WITH GREAT WHITE SHARKS
In the spirt of collages, the mixing and matching of seemingly different objects to form beautiful yet unforeseen relationships, I decided to focus my inquiry and problem solving segments of the semester on an age old issue: Man vs Shark. Who truly is the beast? Is it possible for us to coexist? Can we, as a species, face one of our largest fears in favor of a more sustainable and symbiotic relationship with the Great White Shark?
Problem solving
I identified the current problems facing great white sharks. These include the lack of data we currently have on their population and the effect humans have on the species due to an ignorance of our actions. I used this to help strengthen my position that more of an effort must be put in to research and educating the public on the great white shark in order to break down negative stigmas surrounding the species put on by the media. For example, while the great white has been protected for more than a decade, the Premier of Australia ordered the culling of two great whites following a shark attack stating that while the sharks are vulnerable, they are not protected. The ignorance surround the great white is harming its population and must be stopped through education in order to ensure a sustainable future for the species. Overall, I identified a need for shark awareness and research and a break from the negative stigmas and practices that have plagued and hurt the species.
I came up with several solutions: doing nothing, believing the data that suggested a surge in the population, or believing the data that suggested a decline in the population. I erred on the side of caution due to a large amount of bias in the data and decided to focus my energy on a strategy that would be easily accomplished yet effective. Through further research and education, I believe that we can decrease the ambiguity and elusiveness of the great white as well as influence public opinion and actions in favor of the shark. The research aspect will help us to better understand and collect data surrounding the great white. With this data, further observations can be made in relation to the population fluctuation. With a better understanding of the current status of the white shark, policies can be enacted to better protect it. The education aspect will help provide a safer environment for the white shark. Through education of the harmful effects marine fishing and beach safety nets have on great whites, initiatives can be put into place to design a more eco friendly manner of fishing and protecting swimmers. Education of the great white shark will also help to break down the negative stigmas put on by the media. The public opinion on the great white shark has spurned directly from inaccurate representations such as Spielberg’s “Jaws”. Following an attack, often witch-hunts will search out and kill great white sharks. The public is blinded by the media’s presentation of sharks as vicious man killers and must be taught about the valuable and ecological role of great whites in the environment as well as the truth concerning shark attacks.
As stated above, I chose a strategy based off of education and research. The solution would include a greater emphasis on the importance of collecting population data on the great white as well as the importance of taking bias in data into account. The solution would also include a global teaching of the importance on the great white and awareness of how man has effected the species through population decline due to hunting, shark nets, and fear driven practices following an attack. My strengths are that there is very little opposition to my proposition besides issues dealing with funding for research and a global education on the great white shark. I believe my weaknesses fall heavily in how general my proposition is. However, I chose not to be specific due to failed past attempts. One example includes government intervention. Even after being listed as vulnerable and protected, the white shark has not experienced any great incline in population. I believe that education and research is the last resort to initiating a sustainable future of cohabitation between shark and man. If properly executed, I believe that by creating a positive image for the great white shark and further examining its behavior, we can expect to see a definite future surge in the population.
I came up with several solutions: doing nothing, believing the data that suggested a surge in the population, or believing the data that suggested a decline in the population. I erred on the side of caution due to a large amount of bias in the data and decided to focus my energy on a strategy that would be easily accomplished yet effective. Through further research and education, I believe that we can decrease the ambiguity and elusiveness of the great white as well as influence public opinion and actions in favor of the shark. The research aspect will help us to better understand and collect data surrounding the great white. With this data, further observations can be made in relation to the population fluctuation. With a better understanding of the current status of the white shark, policies can be enacted to better protect it. The education aspect will help provide a safer environment for the white shark. Through education of the harmful effects marine fishing and beach safety nets have on great whites, initiatives can be put into place to design a more eco friendly manner of fishing and protecting swimmers. Education of the great white shark will also help to break down the negative stigmas put on by the media. The public opinion on the great white shark has spurned directly from inaccurate representations such as Spielberg’s “Jaws”. Following an attack, often witch-hunts will search out and kill great white sharks. The public is blinded by the media’s presentation of sharks as vicious man killers and must be taught about the valuable and ecological role of great whites in the environment as well as the truth concerning shark attacks.
As stated above, I chose a strategy based off of education and research. The solution would include a greater emphasis on the importance of collecting population data on the great white as well as the importance of taking bias in data into account. The solution would also include a global teaching of the importance on the great white and awareness of how man has effected the species through population decline due to hunting, shark nets, and fear driven practices following an attack. My strengths are that there is very little opposition to my proposition besides issues dealing with funding for research and a global education on the great white shark. I believe my weaknesses fall heavily in how general my proposition is. However, I chose not to be specific due to failed past attempts. One example includes government intervention. Even after being listed as vulnerable and protected, the white shark has not experienced any great incline in population. I believe that education and research is the last resort to initiating a sustainable future of cohabitation between shark and man. If properly executed, I believe that by creating a positive image for the great white shark and further examining its behavior, we can expect to see a definite future surge in the population.
Inquiry
I have always had an interest in exotic animals and fish, especially those that are difficult to follow. I chose to research Great White Sharks because of the immense difficulty there is to study them. In order to study marine life, man has to enter into their realm. There is no easy or other way to interact with sharks. What sparked my interest initially was that over the summer one of my friends had to deal with a Great White Shark in her lifeguarding zone. I became interested in the interaction between man and shark and decided to research how these interactions, such as fishing and poaching, have affected the population and behavior of Great White Sharks. There is so much more to learn about the oceans and its’ inhabitants; I always find that there always is something new and exciting to capture my interest.
In order to collect data, I initially started with an online shark tracker. I reviewed the multiple pings until I was confident that there was a substantial white shark population off the East Coast of the United States. Next I reviewed local new articles discussing the supposed rise in shark sightings along the beaches recently. Finally, I searched peer-reviewed sources to find studies that supported my questions in normal shark behavior and population compared to recent shark behavior and population numbers. After completing most of my research, I found it more helpful to derive a majority of my information for local news stations. While the peer-reviewed sources helped to provide concrete facts, the news articles provided me with the information to answer my initial questions regarding the actual human interaction with sharks and how man perceived its influence was affecting great whites.
For the most part I found credible sources. The issue I faced was finding enough sources in my designated area (Off the East Coast of North America). As many sharks congregate near South Africa and Australia, there is a surplus of information for those areas and only a few for the one I was interested in. However, I was still able to utilize the other articles for information on general white shark habits.
Looking back on the entirety of my project, my initial problem statement transformed dramatically. Rather than focusing primarily on sharks off the East Coast of North America, I chose rather to look at the species as a whole and how we, as humans, can work to create a safer and more sustainable future with Great White Sharks.
In order to collect data, I initially started with an online shark tracker. I reviewed the multiple pings until I was confident that there was a substantial white shark population off the East Coast of the United States. Next I reviewed local new articles discussing the supposed rise in shark sightings along the beaches recently. Finally, I searched peer-reviewed sources to find studies that supported my questions in normal shark behavior and population compared to recent shark behavior and population numbers. After completing most of my research, I found it more helpful to derive a majority of my information for local news stations. While the peer-reviewed sources helped to provide concrete facts, the news articles provided me with the information to answer my initial questions regarding the actual human interaction with sharks and how man perceived its influence was affecting great whites.
For the most part I found credible sources. The issue I faced was finding enough sources in my designated area (Off the East Coast of North America). As many sharks congregate near South Africa and Australia, there is a surplus of information for those areas and only a few for the one I was interested in. However, I was still able to utilize the other articles for information on general white shark habits.
Looking back on the entirety of my project, my initial problem statement transformed dramatically. Rather than focusing primarily on sharks off the East Coast of North America, I chose rather to look at the species as a whole and how we, as humans, can work to create a safer and more sustainable future with Great White Sharks.
Conclusion
The great white shark serves an important apex predator in today’s oceans. Its elusive behavior has lead to a lack in information and data that would allow researchers to further protect it. While society is constantly trying to find new and innovative ways of protecting man from shark, we should turn our focus to protecting shark from man. Through education and further research we can create a support network for the great white shark. The teaching of the importance of the white shark as well as how man has negatively affected its population and behavior will help to foster its conservation toward a sustainable future of cohabitation between man and shark. The fifth axiom of sustainability states that, “Sustainability requires that substances introduced into the environment from human activities be minimized and rendered harmless to biosphere functions”(Heinberg 2007). Man has introduced the wasteful practices of fishing, beach recreation, and media portrayal into the environment of the great white shark. These practices have produced negative effects on the white shark cascading into population fluctuations and uncertainty. In order to ensure a sustainable future with the great white shark in our oceans, the netting practices of fisheries must be revised, shark barriers must be installed to protect swimmers, sharks, and other marine life, research must be funded in order to better understand and protect the species, and education on the great white must be universal to stunt poaching and media fear-driven witch-hunts. If the policy of education and research is enacted, the white shark population will be ensured a position as a vital apex predator in the sustainable future.
1. Heinberg R (2007) Five Axioms of Sustainability. http://richardheinberg.com/178-five-axioms-of-sustainability
1. Heinberg R (2007) Five Axioms of Sustainability. http://richardheinberg.com/178-five-axioms-of-sustainability