NSU’s Oceanographic Center partnered with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to present a free screening for the NSU community of “This is Your Ocean: Sharks,” a documentary on the vital role of sharks in the marine environment at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on Oct. 20.
The documentary featured Guy Harvey, marine conservationist and marine wildlife artist, along with Jim Abernethy, a shark expert and diver.
By focusing on sharks’ biology, movements and migrations, Harvey said they were able to reveal the misconceptions and myths about sharks and promote global shark conservation.
“We want to reeducate the masses on the value of these sharks because they are being killed all the time,” said Harvey. “Many people say ‘the only good shark is a dead shark’, but it’s just not true.”
Ken Ma, associate director of Public Affairs said the documentary created a breakthrough in raising awareness about the issue of shark hunting.
“The information the documentary provides is also very alarming. Thirty million sharks are butchered every year to supply food for the shark fin trade,” said Ma. “The problem is, when you kill sharks, you are removing the ocean’s top predator and that affects the entire food chain.”
Dave Chafin, sales manager for Guy Harvey Inc., who has worked with Harvey for almost four years, said, “It really makes no sense, especially to hang [sharks] up on hooks to prove that you’re macho.”
Lisa Morse, a NSU marine biology graduate, said, “I hope to see sharks portrayed how they actually are.”
A paid screening of the documentary was also held on Oct. 19 at the Museum of Art|Fort Lauderdale as a prologue to the museum’s exhibition on sharks illustrated by Harvey and other marine artists including, John Singleton Copley and Damien Hirst, which will begin May 2012.
Proceeds from the paid screening will be used to fund shark research at NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute. Harvey said he is proud of the institute’s research.
“It’s fantastic. [Their accomplishments] will be a part of a tremendous boost in the amount of research done in South Florida,” he said.
