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"Shark Research, Educational Outreach, and Conservation Initiatives of the Florida Program for Shark Research" • George Burgess - Director, Florida Program for Shark Research - Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida About the Lecture Sharks are fascinating not only to scientists that study them, but also to the public. The Florida Program for Shark Research (FPSR) is involved in many areas of shark research, including shark biology, ecology, and behavior. In addition, the FPSR monitors shark attacks through the International Shark Attack File and promotes shark conservation and educational outreach through such programs as Project Shark Awareness. Dr. George Burgess, Director of FPSR, will give an overview of his program's research, conservation, and educational initiatives, including, of course, a perspective on shark attacks! About the Speaker George H. Burgess is Director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. He also serves as Curator of the International Shark Attack File, the comprehensive scientific database recognized as the definitive source of worldwide information on shark attacks. Burgess is a founding member and past president of the American Elasmobranch Society, the international scientific society of researchers studying sharks, skates, rays, chimaeras, and their kin. He is a founding member and Vice Chairman of the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Shark Specialist Group, the world's leading shark conservation organization. Burgess received his undergraduate education at the University of Rhode Island and his masters degree at UF. He has studied sharks for more than 30 years. Burgess' activities with the International Shark Attack File involve investigating shark attacks worldwide and analyzing the data for trends. Such analyses allow him to advise aquatic users on ways to reduce shark attacks. He works with research physicians in documenting the results of medical treatment on attack victims. Burgess has served as a consultant on shark attack and feeding behavior to national and regional governments of Brazil, Florida, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Mexico, and as an expert witness/consultant to the FBI and other parties. In an effort to share the results of scientific shark studies and educational material with the public, Burgess and his team created the shark pages on the Florida Museum of Natural History's web site [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/sharks.htm]. These pages provide a balanced view of shark natural history, management, and conservation and are the most accessed internet source of information on sharks, attracting on average of 500,000 visitors and as many as many as 30 million "hits" per month. Burgess' work on sharks has made him a popular source of information for the media. During the so-called "Summer of the Shark" in 2001, he responded to 950 media requests for interviews. He is a frequent television guest on network morning shows, news programs, and nature specials, having recently appeared in stories or programs carried by national and international media outlets. He is also often featured in programs for the BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. |