The movie Jaws was first released 50 years ago in the summer of 1975. In the film, a vicious shark terrorizes a New England town by snatching swimmers from the ocean. Although the town’s mayor initially denied that a man-eating shark was to blame, he eventually dispatched a team of three hunters to slay the beast.
The shark in Jaws was ugly, aggressive, and unpredictable. It instilled fear in many people towards the ocean and sharks. But many marine researchers say it made them love sharks even more.
“Jaws is my favorite film,” says Steve Kessel, a marine ecologist and the director of marine research at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. “I bugged and bugged my mum to let me watch Jaws, and from that point on it was sharks.”
That Jaws is a go-to favorite for marine researchers may not seem surprising. But here are 10 other ...
