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Why It’s Going to be a Sharky Summer
July 15 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Free
An Evening with Dr Chris Lowe, Director of the CSULB Shark Lab
Did you know that San Diego’s coast is home to two of Southern California’s largest nurseries for juvenile white sharks — and that Torrey Pines State Beach is one of them?
Join Torrey Pines Conservancy and the Torrey Pines Docent Society for an evening with Dr. Chris Lowe, Professor Emeritus of Marine Biology and Director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Lowe will explain what the science tells us about why this summer may be especially active for white shark sightings along our coastline — and what that actually means for swimmers, surfers, and beach lovers.
Dr. Lowe and his students have spent the past 15 years studying juvenile white sharks in southern California waters, using acoustic and satellite telemetry to track their movements, behavior, and physiology. Their research — now supported by the California Shark Beach Safety Program, founded in 2018 — has revealed that white sharks use our beaches as nursery habitat, bringing young sharks into regular proximity with beachgoers and ocean recreationalists. The lab’s work at Torrey Pines State Beach has helped researchers understand how storms and other environmental conditions shape shark use of this area.
Dr. Lowe will also discuss how his education and outreach program is helping lifeguards and the public better understand these animals — and how coexistence, not fear, is the goal.
His talks are always a crowd favorite. Seating is limited — register early.
About Dr. Chris Lowe
Dr. Chris Lowe is Professor Emeritus of Marine Biology and Director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, where he has studied sharks, rays, and bony fishes for more than 40 years. His research focuses on behavior, physiology, and ecology, with a particular emphasis on juvenile white sharks along the southern California coast. In 2018, Dr. Lowe was funded to establish the California Shark Beach Safety Program, a statewide initiative using technology and student-based research to reduce risk for both sharks and people.
Learn more: csulb.edu Shark Lab