Shark conservation faces an unexpected challenge: fear. The biggest threat to sharks is not their biology, it is the stories we tell about them. This episode asks a simple but powerful question, how did one movie shape decades of fear, policy decisions, and public misunderstanding about sharks, and why does that still matter for conservation today?

Shark science myths are unpacked as marine scientists explain what sharks actually do, how rare attacks really are, and how misinformation spreads faster than facts. The conversation explores how scientists struggle to communicate nuance in a world that rewards sensational headlines, and why changing the narrative is just as important as collecting data.

Public perception of sharks takes center stage with a surprising emotional insight: many shark scientists first became fascinated with sharks because of Jaws, even though the film caused enormous harm to shark conservation. That contradiction reveals a deeper truth about fear, curiosity, and how storytelling can either protect wildlife or push it closer to extinction.

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