The Dark Side of Being a Female Shark Researcher - Scientific American

The Dark Side of Being a Female Shark Researcher - Scientific American

Why Shark Week matters

For some female marine scientists, Shark Week (a week-long celebration of sharks on US television) can raise mixed feelings, says shark biologist and ecologist Catherine Macdonald. “Many women I’ve spoken to were passionate viewers as children,” she says — but when they grew up, the programmes’ emphasis on senior male researchers began to ring hollow. More than 60% of graduate students in the field are women, and Macdonald and others share examples of sexual harassment during fieldwork and discrimination in academia.

Scientific American | 10 min read