© 2026 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

How Jaws changed our perception of sharks

Actresses Desiree Kerns, left, in water, Donna Wilkes, center, and Colleen Barber, right in a staged publicity photo for "Jaws 2" off the coast of Southern California on Monday, June 12, 1978. (Lennox McLendon/AP)
/
Actresses Desiree Kerns, left, in water, Donna Wilkes, center, and Colleen Barber, right in a staged publicity photo for "Jaws 2" off the coast of Southern California on Monday, June 12, 1978. (Lennox McLendon/AP)

Friday marks 50 years since the movie “Jaws” was released in theaters. The movie transformed cinema; it is considered to be the first true summer blockbuster. It also had a huge impact on how people view sharks, thanks to the villain’s rampaging and violent nature.

However, marine ecologist Dr. Taylor Chapple says that this impression of sharks is false and has done the animal a lot of damage. Chapple heads Oregon State University’s Big Fish Lab and joins host Asma Khalid for more on how our perception of sharks has changed and how they are coping as a species.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom