2026 Biodiversity in the Connecticut River Watershed Lecture Series: New England’s Great White Sharks and Growing Seal Populations, by Jon Dodd

The White Shark (aka Great White Shark) is an iconic species that is known throughout the world. With females needing to reach the age of 30 or more before they can reproduce, it’s a species that needs to be protected, consistently assessed, and researched. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the White Shark is considered vulnerable with a worldwide population that is decreasing. This discussion will focus on the white shark research that the Atlantic Shark Institute has been conducting in RI and surrounding waters, as well as the growing population of seals that has caught the attention of the ASI team and research partners. We will also discuss the presence of sharks in our ecosystem, why they are important, the tagging methodology used in this research and more.

Jon Dodd is the executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute. He has caught, tagged and released more than 1,000 sharks for different research projects, bringing a wealth of real-world experience to this research. He has worked with a wide variety of shark species both above and in the water and earned a biology degree with a fisheries focus from the University of Rhode Island. He has also worked as a staff volunteer for the NMFS Apex Predator Investigation, holds an Advanced Open Water Dive Certification and is a Fellow of the prestigious Explorers Club, NY, NY.