W2O, in partnership with the New England Aquarium, will host shark protector and advocate, Wendy Benchley along with scientist John Mandelman on October 22nd for an evening lecture, cocktail party and celebration of the ocean’s apex predator: the majestic shark. Wendy is actively engaged in the marine policy community and supports many of the world’s leading ocean and environmental philanthropies. She is a member of the International Board of WildAid, a widely respected global non profit solely focused on reducing the demand for illegal wildlife products, including ivory, rhino horn and shark fin. With her late husband, Peter Benchley, and after the release of his movie phenomenon Jaws, the Benchleys helped transform fear of “Great” white sharks into a message of conservation and protection inspiring a new generation to become advocates for protecting this hauntingly beautiful species referred to by biologists by its real name: the white shark. Senior Scientist and Director of Research at the New England Aquarium, John Mandelman, has spent the last fifteen years studying the effect of human disturbances on sharks. His research focuses on decreasing stress and injury to sharks while increasing their overall survival in the face of fishing pressure. “By understanding how sharks respond to human-induced disturbances, we can establish more effective strategies to protect them. Sharks are critical to the health and balance of just about every marine environment around the globe, and therefore essential to our well-being” Mandelman says. Come celebrate, learn and share the awe of sharks with us. Here for tickets
