Sharks: Turning fear into memory

Sharks: Turning fear into memory | Photo: Gerald Schömbs

By Gabriela Casuso, marine educator and founder of Proyecto Acuática

We’ve all seen movies that portray sharks as monsters. That image stuck: louder than science, stronger than truth. And the result? A whole generation afraid of a creature that should inspire respect, not horror.

Sharks have been unfairly cast as villains. But reality tells a different story: they are essential for keeping the ocean in balance, and with it, life on Earth. Where sharks thrive, ecosystems are healthy. When they vanish, the ocean falls out of balance.

That’s how important they are.

At Proyecto Acuática, we’ve worked to rewrite this narrative through education, art, and science. Since 2022, we’ve hosted the annual Sharks Convention, a virtual event that brings together youth, scientists, and educators across the world. Our goal? To explore the ecological role of sharks and raise scientific literacy.

This year’s theme, Overfishing and the Sustainable Management of Key Species, could not be more urgent. According to the IUCN, over 30% of shark species are currently threatened with extinction, mostly due to overfishing and poor regulation. Their disappearance is not just a loss of biodiversity; it threatens the entire oceanic web of life.

The 2025 Sharks Convention supports youth advocacy, scientific awareness, and global action aligned with SDG 14.4 (Sustainable Fishing). In these spaces, we challenge myths with facts, replace fear with admiration, and foster collaboration between generations. Conservation, after all, isn’t a job for scientists alone, it’s a shared responsibility.

Protecting sharks also means protecting communities that depend on the ocean. It requires bold decisions: well-managed Marine Protected Areas, stronger regulations, and above all, inclusive education. Not just shapes on a map, but living commitments to fairness, science, and shared safekeeping.

So here’s my invitation: choose a shark species, learn its story, draw it, write it a letter, give it a name. Because no one protects what they don’t know. And no one forgets what touches their heart.

Sharks are not the threat. 

The real threat is watching them disappear and doing nothing about it.