Freshwater Colloquium: Shark Research in Chicago: helping conserve the ocean’s ultimate survivors from the Midwest

Dr. Steven Kessel will present “Shark Research in Chicago: helping conserve the ocean’s ultimate survivors from the Midwest” as part of the School of Freshwater Sciences Fall colloquium.

Steve Kessel gained his PhD in marine ecology and biology from Cardiff University, UK, conducting his field work at the Bimini Biological Field Station in The Bahamas. He spent two years at Cardiff University as a postdoctoral fellow, acting as the principal investigator for the Jupiter Large Coastal Shark Species Study. Since then, he has also worked for the University of Windsor Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research as the principal investigator of the Lancaster Sound Arctic component of the Ocean Tracking Network and at Michigan State University, where he studied the movements and migrations of lake sturgeon.

Currently, he oversees marine research projects protecting economically important species in The Bahamas in addition to conducting his own original research on Caribbean shark species at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where he serves as the director of marine research. He has applied his research background to many Marine and Freshwater environments. In this talk, Dr. Kessel will share a fascinating career retrospective that has taken him from The Bahamas to The Artic, The Great lakes, and back. He will also share some of his experiences in shark conservation, his current work and further insights from past projects.

As always, please join us a few minutes before the start of the seminar and grab some refreshments to enjoy during the event.

This presentation is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public.

Fall 2024 Colloquium Series schedule. The Colloquium series creates a platform where students, faculty, and scientists discuss emergent issues related to freshwater science research. Invited speakers present specific topics of their research, as well as policy, commercial, and industrial experiences. Everyone is welcome.