INTERVIEW: SharkFest’s Carlee Jackson on bringing positive change to shark science
Photo: SharkFest features Carlee Jackson, a shark and sea turtle conservationist. Photo courtesy of Nat Geo / Provided by press rep with permission.
When Carlee Jackson was in elementary school, she was walking with her mother past a random bookstore, and the cover of a marine biology book caught her attention. The space beneath the book’s title featured a picture of a shark, and Jackson begged her mother to stop and purchase the item. That’s when it all started for Jackson, who would grow up to become a shark and sea turtle conservationist with an abiding interest in marine biology.
“Since then, I was just completely obsessed,” Jackson said in a recent phone interview. “I can’t even remember exactly what it was about sharks that captivated my attention, but I do remember loving them after reading about them.”
Jackson appears this summer in Shark Attack Files, a program that is part of Nat Geo’s annual SharkFest. Audience members can see her segments on Disney+, where Shark Attack Files is currently streaming, or on Nat Geo WILD, which will host an encore presentation Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. The show is billed as an “action-packed” investigation into bizarre and fascinating shark behavior. Included among the expert opinions will be actual footage of shark attacks, plus video of interactions and behaviors captured by professionals and amateurs.
When Jackson started her lifelong obsession with sharks, there was a little bit of a fear factor, but she quickly overcame those thoughts. “The book gave a lot of information, but it also [detailed] shark attacks,” she said. “I’m like, oh my gosh, this is crazy, so there was a little bit of fear. But the interest definitely quickly took over the more I learned about the animals and didn’t even focus on attacks or anything. I started focusing on their makeup, looking at all the superpowers that they have. The interest definitely overtook the fear pretty early on.”
Jackson, a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and Nova Southeastern University, took that childlike wonder and expanded her interests into a research career. Specifically, she focused on the effects of feeding tourism on nurse sharks in Belize. Additionally, she has studied sea turtle conservation for five years. Today she is a sea turtle research associate with New College of Florida, based at Walt Disney World.
“I was looking at the tourism activity, so tour boats would go out and feed the sharks,” Jackson said of her earlier research. “So I was looking at how that would affect their behavior. … There definitely were multiple types of impacts, and in general the sharks were just doing exactly the opposite of what they’re supposed to be doing, which is being nocturnal and feeding at night, sleeping during the day. That’s what a normal nurse shark does, but the sharks at this place that were being fed, they were very active during the day and feeding during the day.”
For Shark Attack Files, Jackson was interested in investigating the featured attacks from all angles. She wanted to know the details leading up to each event and, in particular, the location of the attacks. In general, Jackson has a goal to bring science-minded content to SharkFest. She loves to see TV programming that uncovers the different secrets of these sea creatures.
“I definitely think about how when I’m in the water with them, I just find them absolutely gorgeous,” Jackson said. “I’m just always in awe no matter how many times I’ve been in the water with them. … I definitely had an unexpected encounter with the great hammerhead. I was away from my group in my study area, and this hammerhead came out of nowhere and almost tried to cut me off from the group. And I do remember locking eyes with her, and it was less fear and more respect. I was in awe of her beauty because she just swam, did her thing and then swam off. … They are creatures that are curious, and they want to know what is in the water with me. Seeing that up close really takes away the fear for me and replaces it with respect and amazement.”
In addition to being a researcher and academic, Jackson has several industry roles, including serving as director of communications for Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization she co-founded.
“We were founded last year, and what our main goal is is to increase the diversity in shark science because it’s been very white male-centered,” she said. “And what we’re trying to do is increase the representation on the shows by highlighting … a lot of the women of color that are doing some really cool research. And we’re also trying to break down a lot of the barriers that inhibit women of color from coming into the shark science field because that is definitely a huge factor in why there’s not more diversity in shark science.”
She added: “You don’t know if you’re interested in something unless you’re exposed, so I think it’s definitely very important to expose young kids, especially those in underrepresented communities, to careers like shark science or marine biology in general because a lot of those kids are also landlocked. So they don’t even know what the ocean is, so it’s very important to reach out to that younger community.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
SharkFest continues with Shark Attack Files, streaming now on Disney+ and airing Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. on Nat Geo WILD. Click here for more information.
