This guest column is brought to you by underwater photographer and shark educator Matt “The Shark Guy” Marchant, who recently released the first in a series of educational books geared toward children entitled, “Learn About Sharks.” Read more from him at www.learnaboutsharks.com or pick up his latest book, “The Great White Shark,” here.
In my experience, the greatest Sharkophiles on the planet are children. Sharks captivate, fascinate, and swim through their imaginations. Kids LOVE sharks and my mission is to save the sharks by educating young minds about sharks and shark conservation.
My name is Matt “The Shark Guy” Marchant and I am one of those kids who never grew out of the shark loving stage. Over the last 6 years, my camera and I have been face to face with all the sharks I used to dream about as a kid. I have taken my photos, experience, and shark knowledge to teach kids aged 5-13 about sharks and shark conservation. People naturally fear what they do not understand, so I use education as my tool in the battle against extinction. In my presentations we cover anatomy, geography, taxonomy, biology and many other topics that make sharks so awesome! I emphasize the difference between sharks in “movies/media” and sharks in real life.
Many students see sharks in movies or on tv and confuse what is fact and what is fiction. After covering all our shark topics I finish with “How can you save the sharks?” I discuss shark fin soup and overfishing issues that are depleting our shark populations by 70-100 million sharks per year! Even though they are young, the kids are able to grasp how serious the situation is for sharks right now. It is important to discuss the real issues facing sharks with our kids. They are the future and if we raise the next generation with a conservation mindset then we can help sharks continue to thrive in our oceans.
The great white shark is the largest predatory fish in the sea. It can be found in all the major oceans around the world and is listed as “vulnerable” on the endangered species list. This means they need our help!
To help save the sharks, we must continue to learn more about these amazing creatures and work to protect them and the world’s oceans. “Learn About Sharks: The Great White Shark” is the first in an educational, science-based series about various shark species designed for early and middle readers packed full of incredible photographs and cool facts about one of the most all-time famous sharks.
Find out how old sharks really are, how great white sharks hunt, how they bite, and most importantly, how YOU can save the sharks! Sharks need our help. They deserve respect and not fear. Education and outreach are very powerful in the fight for ocean conservation. Together we can SAVE THE SHARKS!
The Shark Guy
About the Author
Debut author Matt Marchant is a self-confessed shark nerd, so much so that he’s been given the nickname “The Shark Guy.” His passion for photographing sharks has allowed him to help shark conservation by teaching children about these incredible creatures. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Heather; son, Maverick; and their dog named, Chunk.