Join us for a series of Sunday talks that dive into the world of sharks, exploring these fascinating predators and the complex role that sharks play in the marine ecosystem that surrounds them.
We will journey through deep time to look at the story of prehistoric shark life revealed through fossil evidence, discuss the science that surrounds the story of sharks in WA and consider how humans and shark interact at the frontier of ecological law and fisheries management.
Date: Sunday 11, 18, 25 August & 1 September
Time: 2pm - 2.45pm
Cost: Free
Bookings: Secure your place by using the below links. Limited spaces will be available on the day.
Lectures are free events but entry fees apply if you wish to look around the WA Maritime Musuem or Planet Shark: Predator or Prey. You can purchase these tickets on the day.
Lecture Schedule
"Big Sharks and Big Parks: Building Resilient Oceans"
Sunday 11 August | 2pm - 2.45pm
Dr Jessica Meeuwig -Professor of Marine Science at the University of Western Australia
Sharks are able to recover their numbers in marine parks, a response that is essential to ocean health given the role these top predators play in regulating marine fish communities. Australia has now established large marine parks in our offshore “big blue” waters and the question is: how does ocean wildlife respond to protection? We are exploring this question by deploying non-destructive baited video cameras in offshore waters to identify, count and measure ocean wildlife. This is a window onto our new marine parks and our progress to rebuilding ocean health.
Jessica trained as a marine biologist with a PhD from Canada’s McGill University, and has worked professionally in marine research in the Caribbean, southeast Asia, the Baltic, Canada, and now Australia for the last 18 years. Jessica’s efforts for our oceans have been widely acknowledged–in 2012, she was one of The West’s “100 Most Influential”, and a finalist for West Australian Science Communicator of the Year, a 2017 finalist for West Australian of the Year and now is the 2019 Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering’s Eminent Speaker. Jessica’s research group, the Marine Futures lab (www.meeuwig.org) focuses on conservation-driven research, with particular attention on the role that highly protected marine parks can play in rebuilding healthy resilient oceans.
"Sea Shepherd and the Key Threats Impacting our Oceans - There is no Hope without Action!"
Sunday 18 August | 2pm - 2.45pm
Jeff Hansen - Managing Director, Sea Shepherd
Given that most of the air we breathe comes from our oceans, they truly are our primary life support. Hear what Sea Shepherd is doing to tackle the key threats impacting our oceans, of illegal fishing, plastic pollution and climate change.
Sea Shepherd is lean, effective and on the front line in defence of our oceans, producing real tangible results in working with governments and providing critical information to Interpol to bring poachers to justice and turn back the tide of destruction in our oceans. Join Jeff Hansen for a presentation that offers a visual feast and an inspiring story of hope … for we cannot have hope without action!
Jeff Hansen is the Managing Director for Sea Shepherd Australia and a Director for Sea Shepherd Global. Jeff joined Sea Shepherd in 2006 to pursue his passion for marine conservation and protecting the natural world. Serving as a crew-member on two Antarctic whale defence campaigns, Jeff was instrumental in locating the illegal whaling fleet on both occasions. Jeff continues to play a pivotal role in driving Sea Shepherd both nationally and globally in tackling the three key threats to our oceans: illegal fishing, plastic pollution and climate change. Jeff’s work is informed by his strong conviction that no matter the opposition, when ordinary people come together, extraordinary things can happen, and if there is one thing worth fighting for on this planet, it's life.
"Why Shark Laws Matter: Ensuring Safe and Healthy Oceans"
Sunday 25 August | 2pm - 2.45pm
Dr Erika Techera - Professor of Law at the University of Western Australia
Effective laws are essential to protect people and sharks, and to ensure our oceans stay healthy. Shark laws include a wide range of provisions - from fishing and finning regulations, conservation and animal welfare laws, to tourism legislation and cultural heritage protections. Erika has researched the vast array of laws in Australia and across the world, and this presentation will highlight the important role that law plays in conserving sharks and managing human activities.
Join Erika Techera as she shares both her passion for sharks and her experience in how environmental law shapes the human relationship to this magnificent and complex species.
Dr Erika Techera is a Professor of Law at The University of Western Australia (UWA). She is an international and comparative environmental lawyer with particular research interests relating to sustainable oceans governance across the Indo-Pacific region: marine environmental law, natural resources law and maritime cultural heritage protection. She has spent ten years researching and writing about laws for the conservation and management of sharks. Erika is a member of the UWA Oceans Institute, and a Research Fellow at the Perth US Asia Centre. She is a former barrister and current member of the WA Museum Maritime Advisory Committee. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and in 2016 was recognised in the Lawyers’ Weekly Australian Law Awards as ‘Academic of the Year’.
"The Rise and Fall of the Giant Megalodon Shark"
Sunday 1 September | 2pm - 2.45pm
Dr Mikael Siversson - Head of Earth and Planetary Sciences, WA Museum
The mass extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period wiped out the mosasaurs, a group of giant marine reptiles that had ruled the oceans for 15 million years. This paved the way for the rise of an evolutionary lineage of sharks that culminated in the arrival of Carcharocles megalodon. New research indicates that this enormous predator went extinct around 3.6 million years ago, which is earlier than previous estimates. A number of factors may have contributed to its demise including climate change, extinction of important prey species and possible competition between young C. megalodon and adult white sharks.
Join Mikael Siversson for a fascinating journey into ancient waters to explore the giant otodontid shark Carcharocles megalodon, and chart the rise and fall of this marine super predator.
Dr Mikael Siversson is Head of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Western Australian Museum and a leading authority on Cretaceous lamniform sharks. He has also published scientific articles on dinosaurs, marine reptiles, pterosaurs and mammals from the Cretaceous period. He was part of the team that discovered and subsequently described the first horned dinosaurs (ceratopsians) from Europe. He is actively exploring Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks in Western Australia for sharks and marine reptiles.