2025 was a great year for my public outreach! Among other things, I was selected as a Sigma Xi distinguished lecturer (starting in 2026,) won the American Fisheries Society’s Excellence in Public Outreach Award, and was honored as one of the people most shaping policy in Washington, DC by Washingtonian Magazine. Here are some of the highlights.
After I spoke about Jaws to the fine folks at Greenbelt Cinema, they invited me to march with them in their Jaws-themed float during the Labor Day Parade.
My year in writing:
In 2025, I finished the draft of my second Johns Hopkins University Press book “Why Sustainable Seafood Matters,” which will be available for sale in 2026. I also started working on three new books, stay tuned for more information on them!
For American Scientist magazine, I wrote an impassioned defense of public funding of basic science, even science that may sound silly when presented out of context. The Editor-in-Chief turned my column into an opportunity for Sigma Xi members to tell their own stories.
For the Union of Concerned Scientists blog, I wrote about some amazing work that NOAA does that most people haven’t heard of, important roles that were lost in “why we should keep funding NOAA” discussions focusing entirely on the National Weather Service.
For the Revelator, I wrote about some critically endangered marine animals that need stronger conservation policies to be saved from extinction, and how the Trump administration’s policies would be disastrous for them. I also wrote about 50 years of Jaws and its impact on shark conservation, and about the collaborative approached used by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group that allows them to write papers and reports with hundreds of coauthors.
I wrote an op-ed for the Conversation about the Trump administration’s horrific policy of removing protections from marine protected areas, which was syndicated globally.
I wrote two opinion pieces about shark conservation proposals at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: one for the Revelator that explained the proposals and how CITES works, and my first-ever piece for MongaBay that discussed how some new shark conservation research is relevant to those CITES proposals. All the CITES shark proposals passed!
For SCUBA diving magazine, I wrote six “ask a marine biologist” articles: “what happens to an ecosystem when it loses top predators,” “why and how do octopuses change color,” “do sharks sleep,” “what’s the deal with shark teeth,” “how do deep sea organisms survive pressure,” and “are blobfish real?” I also highlighted five amazing ocean science and conservation organizations that SCUBA divers should know about, including Project Seahorse, the Marine Conservation institute and MPA Atlas, the VIMS shark survey, the Women’s Aquatic Network, and the Asian Shark and Ray Alliance. And I wrote an in-depth analysis of a proposed Federal law that would limit shark feeding dives in Florida.
Right here on Southern Fried Science, I wrote more posts than any year in the past decade. I wrote press releases and lay summaries for a new paper about Bluesky use among scientists and a new paper offering advice to scientists who want their research to be policy relevant. I wrote about my expectations as a thesis committee member, and offered advice for colleagues who want to write a book. I compiled career advice for marine biologists, by far the longest blog post in Southern Fried Science history. Inspired by a Nature article, I looked for patterns in the 10 most-cited shark research papers of all time. I told the silly but fun story of at least 74 practicing shark researchers. I wrote about NOAA’s history and legacy. I co-wrote a 4-part series on media advice for scientists (Part 1, 2, 3, 4). And I wrote a long rant about Ocean Ramsey in the context of a ridiculous new “documentary.”
My year in public speaking and training:
I spoke at several scientific conferences this year, including keynote addresses at the Society for Scholarly Publishing and the Association for Conservation Information, and I led a series of workshops and served on several panels. I gave an invited seminar to discuss my research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
I gave a series of in-person and virtual book talks about “Why Sharks Matter,” including kicking off Stand up for Science’s summer of teach-ins. I also trained Stand up for Science members how to do this kind of work.
I spoke at Nerd Nite DC about the surprisingly long and impactful history of Donald Trump and sharks, and spoke about the science and law behind sustainable seafood at a Profs and Pints lecture.
I gave an Endangered Species Day talk for the Natural History Society of Maryland (and also was asked to help them design a new shark exhibit for their museum facility, which you guys helped to fund! Thanks!) And I spoke about Jaws after a 50th anniversary screening, which led to an invitation to march dressed as a shark in a Labor Day parade (see cover image).
I trained folks at AAAS about the new social media for science ecosystem, and served as a career mentor for the Women’s Aquatic Network. I led my first virtual training workshop for the Association for Science Communicators, and led several workshops on how to write and publish scientific papers and how to write op-eds and policy briefs.
My year in media interviews
I gave a variety of popular press interviews this year.
I was interviewed by Nature for the Jaws 50th anniversary. Ars Technica also covered this story.
Ars Technica interviewed me about my open-to-the-public shark research expeditions, and about our new paper showing that scientists have abandoned Twitter in favor of Bluesky.
I was featured in a 3-part series for the Marjorie about sharks in Florida. Part 1 is about the unintended impacts of a ban on shark fin sales in the US, part 2 is about recreational shark fishing, and part 3 is about human-shark interactions.
I was interviewed by Conservation Careers, which led to a job offer working with them to overhaul their ocean conservation professional development training.
And I was quoted in the New York Post, and in Dr. Jack Cooper’s blog, about Ocean Ramsey’s particular brand of pseudoscientific nonsense.
I was featured on several podcasts this year, including the Johns Hopkins University Press podcast, the Fisheries Podcast, the American Fisheries Society podcast, the new Blue Collar White Coat podcast about science careers, and the delightful Happiest Animal Podcast for kids.
I was featured in two documentaries. Tomorrow’s Catch is all about the future of fishing and seafood. And Wiley’s Conversations is all about what academics (and publishers) can do to better communicate science to the public.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next year!