Despite the diversity of shapes and sizes in the animal kingdom, there is truly nothing like the shark. As ocean predators, they command our ultimate attention. The shark is something we learn about at a young age, a creature whose reputation becomes indoctrinated in our deep psyche likely before our first conscious foray into the ocean.
This is how I – like many others – first considered these predators. But alongside our reservations, comes a parallel sense of fascination. As I grew up, this fascination took over, and I now spend my time studying, researching, and engaging these species as much as possible.
In my film, “Coastguards,” I hope to illustrate humanity’s obsession and mixture of fear and fascination for sharks, while bringing their ecological importance – and plight – into the spot light. Told through my perspective with footage compiled from expeditions and research trips from the last 3 years, “Coastguards” is a metaphor for the role sharks play in maintaining the health and stability of our precious blue planet.
-Austin Gallagher
PhD Student, Research Assistant
RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program
Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy
www.austingallagher.com