Netflix’s reality competition show All the Sharks has made waves not only with viewers around the world, but also in the ocean conservation community, and REEF was at the heart of the excitement.
The six-part series follows four teams of shark experts as they visit some of the world’s most biodiverse waters to find and photograph as many shark species as possible. Along the way, they dive deep into shark science, compete for a grand prize of $50,000, and highlight the importance of protecting sharks and rays.
We are thrilled to share that Team Shark Docs, led by REEF members and marine scientists Dr. Chris Malinowski and Dr. Brendan Talwar, emerged as the winners! Chris and Brendan selected REEF and Ocean First Institute as the two non-profit beneficiaries of the $50,000 prize, resulting in a $25,000 donation to each organization in support of ongoing ocean conservation work.
As longtime supporters, Brendan and Chris used REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey Project database during the competition to inform their dive planning and maximize their chances of shark encounters. Their knowledge of REEF's marine life database, and their personal ties to the organization, made their victory even more meaningful. Here's what they had to say about their experience:
“We competed on All the Sharks to help bring the largest possible diversity of sharks and conservation messaging to screens all over the world, and we couldn't be happier with the result. Seeing the show's poster in Netflix's top ten list in countries across the globe felt like an extraordinary win for the whole production team, including all of the contestants who competed for the grand prize. Not only did we get to go on an adventure of a lifetime and dive in some of the most biodiverse and shark abundant places on earth, for the two of us, bringing that grand prize home to two non-profits close to our hearts was icing on the cake.
We donated half of the $50,000 prize to REEF – an organization that has been a part of our lives since the beginning of our careers. As undergraduates, we each learned REEF survey techniques in the Caribbean (and also Australia for Chris) and later went on to do REEF surveys and use REEF survey data in our own research. Not to mention, our bookshelves are stocked with Reef Fish Identification and Behavior books by REEF co-founders Ned DeLoach and Paul Humann. Having now contributed to every part of the process – donating funds, collecting data as citizen scientists, and using the powerful REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project to publish on and learn more about the status of Goliath Grouper and shark populations – we are more excited than ever to continue supporting REEF and collaborating in the years to come. Few organizations achieve so much with such a small, but powerful team.”
We are deeply grateful to Chris and Brendan for their generous support, and are proud to be part of a global effort to elevate shark conservation through science, education, and action.
All the Sharks is streaming now on Netflix. Be sure to check it out and watch the Shark Docs in action! To learn more about their work, visit www.sharkdocs.org.