Virtual NightLife: Sharktoberfest

Sharktoberfest celebrates two things dear to our hearts: the annual return of white sharks to our marine sanctuaries and the world’s annual salute to beer. Get a taste of shark science and Fort Point beer (and shark scientists tasting Fort Point beer) during this year’s online Virtual NightLife celebration. Hosted by the Academy’s Curator of Ichthyology Dr. Luiz Rocha.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• You may know a little bit about the life of sharks, but what can sharks teach you about your life? Marine biologist, science communicator, and author Melissa Cristina Marquez joins us from Australia to discuss how studying sharks has taught her valuable lessons that she now uses in her daily life and work.
   
• Fort Point is joining us for our first-ever virtual NightLife beer tasting! Over the course of the evening, their head brewer, Mike Schnebeck, will lead us through tastings for three Fort Point beers. To play along at home, make sure to stock your fridge with Sfizio, Cool, and Animal. Need help finding one of those beers? Six-packs are available at their taprooms or you can message them for a list of stores near you.
   
• Diversify your shark knowledge with a talk about some of the lesser-known shark species of the world—the epaulette sharks, nurse sharks, tasseled wobbegongs, and blind sharks of the seas. Community ecologist and Duke PhD student Leo Chan Gaskins will talk about his work researching and celebrating diverse sharks and their unique adaptations for survival.
   
• Join long-time Sharktoberfest NightLife partners Shark Stewards for a talk about contemporary shark science: David McGuire joins us from a boat off the coast to talk about local shark diversity and the threats they face during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Bianca Bahman will talk about her current research in the movement of open ocean predators and the technology of tagging and tracking sharks.
   
• Enjoy a R&B-infused jazz performance by Northern California pianist and composer Damani Rhodes, whose debut recording project with the Kennedy Center drops in November.

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PAST VIRTUAL NIGHTLIFE EVENTS

Missed the party? Just want to relive the magic? Watch the recorded livestreams on YouTube!