Ask us anything

Show notes

In this episode, we tried something a little different and asked YOU to ask US anything!! I’m joined by SOSF CEO Dr James Lea and content manager Jade Schultz, and together we try to answer as many of your questions in an hour. This mission took us on a wild journey from careers in marine conservation to shark eyelids, schooling behaviour to conservation successes, and even fossilized shark poo!

First, we learn about Jade and James’ individual roles within SOSF, as the content manager and CEO, respectively [2.50 – 6.39]. We then, of course, get to find out their most memorable experiences in the ocean. Jade’s involves a sharky sunset (the best kind!) [7.05 – 9.41] whereas James recollects the time he realized a childhood dream with schooling hammerheads [9.47- 11.47]. I then hand the reigns over to Jade, who delivers all of our fantastic audience questions! First up is: 'What made you want to become a shark scientist'? James talks about the beginning of his fascination with sharks, which started with Jaws and developed through diving with his older brother (a marine biologist!). Later, he turned into a career in shark research [12.51 – 15.52]. This included a pivotal opportunity to volunteer at the Bimini Shark Lab, which cemented his obsession with sharks and gave him valuable skills for the future [16.20 – 17.08]. James then asks me about my own scientific career, which has been slightly wonkier – I discuss zig-zagging from marine to terrestrial and back again [17.41 – 20.20]. Our next question is connected – ' What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into marine conservation?' We talk about getting in touch with people working in your ideal job and asking for advice, or if you’re not sure to research a variety of sectors and positions – marine conservation and science are such huge areas, with many different possible career paths, and there is no right or wrong way to walk those paths [20.40 – 21.55]. James also points out that all skills are transferrable, so even if you want to change direction, you can apply your unique skill set to a marine context [22.00 – 22.45]. Jade tells us about her career journey and how she has utilised her marketing, communications, and PR expertise to promote marine conservation on an international scale, engaging the public and connecting them with marine science [24.01- 26.13].

Next, we move on to the shark facts! First, we discuss 'how long do sharks live for?' [27.40 – 31.04]. We, of course, give the ancient Greenland sharks a mention and go off on a little tangent about whale sharks and their incredible (but sometimes very slow) reproductive habits [31.05 – 32.35]. Our next question asks, 'do sharks have good or bad eyesight?', leading us to talk about how sharks see the world, the tapetum lucidium and the benefit of having a third eyelid – or rolling your eyes in the back of your head if you don’t [37.26]!

Following our brief dip into the worlds of shark age and eyesight, we quiz James about schooling hammerheads – why do they do this? And do any other sharks do this? [37.33 – 40.58]. We also respond to a listener who asks, 'Do sharks really not have bones? Not even one?!' [40.59- 43.00]. The short answer is: no, they don’t – but we talk about which part of sharks fossilise, one of which might surprise you…

Our final few questions related to shark conservation. One listener wanted to know if there ' is any hope for sharks' – and thankfully, we think yes! There are many brilliant, dedicated people working to protect sharks, and there are positives among all the doom and gloom [43.07 – 47.12]. One of these positives is the mako retention ban in Atlantic tuna fisheries, which was announced last week after the tireless work of several organisations fighting for sharks [47.11 – 51.14]. We talk about how difficult it is to get multiple nations to agree and how monumental this decision was.

Our final question is a great one – *' Which species of shark would you have a beer with?' [51.25 – 54.28]. We had great fun answering this one and found out that we’d all like to raise a (very, very slow) glass with the same deep water shark…

About our guests

Dr James Lea

James is the chief executive officer of the Save Our Seas Foundation.

He has had a fascination for the marine realm from a young age, which sparked his ambition to explore the oceans. Having been humbled by encounters with various shark species, he became keen to learn as much as he could about their behaviour and ecology. James gained a first-class Honours degree in biological sciences from the University of Oxford and then volunteered as a shark researcher at the Bimini Biological Field Station. At Bimini, he cut his teeth, catching, tagging and tracking sharks, and working with them so closely consolidated his passion and further motivated him to fight for marine conservation.

James then moved to work as a research scientist for the Save Our Seas Foundation before completing a PhD in marine biology at the University of Plymouth in collaboration with the D’Arros Research Centre. His primary research focus was a comprehensive tagging programme tracking almost 200 sharks of seven different species in Seychelles, aiming to determine the factors that drive their movement behaviour and use this knowledge to inform effective conservation strategies. James’ research has helped to contribute to the design of marine protected areas. It has revealed previously unknown open ocean migrations of tiger and bull sharks, highlighting the challenge of managing shark populations that span ocean basins. He continues his research as part of the Evolutionary Ecology Group at the University of Cambridge.

James fully realises the importance of actively promoting awareness of marine conservation issues, so he is particularly excited to lead the Save Our Sea Foundation team to help ensure that we can live with healthy oceans for generations to come.

Jade Schultz

Jade is the Content Manager for the Save Our Seas Foundation.

From a young age, when she and her family would go on holiday to nature reserves and the seaside, Jade has felt a powerful connection to the natural world and a great appreciation for its overwhelming beauty. With time, however, she realized that this was a view few others shared. Having experienced how little other people know about the wonders of the ocean, she became acutely aware that they know even less about the dangers that the marine realm faces.

With a background in marketing and media experience, Jade understands that the media is compelling when it comes to spreading a message and raising awareness– and, in fact, in today’s digital world, it is an invaluable conservation tool. She believes that the knowledge and experience that she can bring to the Save Our Seas Foundation’s Conservation Media Unit, together with the passion and dedication of the other team members, can and will make a positive difference in the mindset of the public – and, ultimately, the health of our oceans.