12 Sep ‘Reading Frenzy’ shark tour coming to Maritime Museum

BEAUFORT, N.C. — The author of a new book that addresses misconceptions about sharks and explores the species’ importance within the marine environment will make a stop in Beaufort later this month as part of his “reading frenzy” tour.

Award-winning marine biologist Dr. David Shiffman will discuss how — and why — we should protect shark populations during a talk at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 at the museum. The program is free and open to the public. Shiffman’s presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing. Copies of his new book, “Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator,” will be available for purchase in the Port of Call Museum Store.

“There are lots of shark books, but this one is different,” Shiffman said. “It is the first book to comprehensively lay out the evidence for why declines are bad, how scientists are trying to help, and what laws and policies are available to protect them for a lay audience.”

The book — and Shiffman’s talk — explore why healthy shark populations are a must for supporting ocean ecosystems and the coastal economies that depend on them; why we’re in danger of losing many shark species forever; what people can do to help save these predators; and why there is so much misinformation surrounding them.

“Sharks also play vital roles in the healthy functioning of marine and coastal ecosystems, ecosystems that humans depend on for food security, livelihoods, and recreation,” Shiffman said. “In short, people are better off with healthy shark populations off our coasts than we are without them.”

Shiffman invites the public to connect with him online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @WhySharksMatter.

In addition to the Beaufort stop, Shiffman has two other public presentations planned in North Carolina, one on Sept. 19 at his alma mater Duke University in Durham and the other on Sept. 22 at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

The N.C. Maritime Museum is located at 315 Front St. in downtown Beaufort. For more information about the program, call 252-504-7740 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.