Brendan Talwar is a marine biologist and fisheries ecologist who’s built a career studying sharks around the world. He recently appeared on a reality competition show called "All the Sharks," trying to capture footage of more sharks than any other team, for a prize of $50,000 to the marine conservation organization of their choice.
We caught up with Talwar to talk about his Louisville roots, his path to the ocean and how landlocked states like ours still have a role to play in global conservation.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ayisha Jaffer: On the reality competition "All the Sharks," you and your teammate brought real marine research strategies to the table as the show’s science duo. What drew you to the project and what was it like approaching the competition with your background in field work, especially with a wider audience watching?
Brendan Talwar: The field setting is where we're most comfortable. We're used to the long hours. We're used to being in the water all day, nonstop, day after day. And not only used to it, that's what we love to do. So in terms of how that translates into the show, it couldn't be a better fit. This is what we love doing.
And unfortunately, the further you go in this career, the less time you find in the field. I'm at my computer more and more and more, and so this show was such a nice way to get back in the ocean and to get back to the joys of discovering new species and new locations and seeing it firsthand. And then bringing that to people, to their couch or wherever they are in the world, is like a huge perk on top. So yeah, the field background is really useful.
AJ: Most people don't expect a shark scientist to come from a landlocked state. What helped shape your path and what first sparked your interest in ocean science growing up here?
BT: A lot of folks in our field are actually not from the coast, even on the show. Randy's from the Midwest. Rosie's from the Midwest. Chris is from Wisconsin. I'm from Kentucky. So, you know, I think a lot of people become big fans of wildlife as kids. There's something that's really appealing about animals when you're a kid.
I always loved animals. I always wanted to study biology, and I started to grow an interest in fish and fisheries. And then when that transitioned into the ocean and spending lots of time on the Gulf Coast, it just grew from there.
AJ: And your work takes you all over the world. But for folks here in Kentucky, why should ocean conservation matter? And how can we support young people from places like these who are interested in following a similar conservation path?
BT: You know, in a landlocked state like Kentucky, you can build lots of those skills. I got scuba certified at a quarry out in La Grange. And so you can start to pick up some of those skills in Kentucky. And then if your path leads to the ocean and you want to make that happen, then great. If somebody in Louisville is interested in studying the oceans, make it happen. Reach out to the folks who have come before you, and we'll lend a hand.
AJ: Then for those here in Kentucky, why should ocean conservation matter?
BT: I would just emphasize that everything's connected. Even if you're not close to the ocean, you're breathing air that is produced by phytoplankton in the ocean. It supplies most of the oxygen that's available in our atmosphere. So whether we like it or not, we're connected to the ocean with every other breath that we take.
And I think a direct impact that people can have is through their seafood consumption choices. So I'd say purchase seafood that's caught in U.S. fisheries. We've got a lot of really good quality seafood caught in sustainable ways within U.S. waters.
AJ: Before I let you go, I have to know, do you have a favorite shark?
BT: Favorite shark is the silky shark. You know, it's out in the open ocean. It's just blue everywhere you look, and there's this little shark that's really curious that'll come up and interact with the students and everything. So I just started to love them, and that's actually the species I ended up studying for my Ph.D., and even for my postdoc out here at Scripps in San Diego.
