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The UTRGV Coastal Studies Lab at South Padre Island
is using Discovery Channel's Shark Week as a chance
to promote its educational services.
We did a public dissection in honor of Shark Week,
so we invited the public out.
Some people dissected.
Some people just observed,
so it was more of a family-oriented event.
Ever since I saw Jaws and how cool they looked,
and ever since then I thought sharks was very cool.
And I thought since I heard that sharks were being extinct,
I wanted to help sharks.
Normally, we have classes out here.
Well, we wanted to invite everyone out
so they could see what we do and we could
 teach them a bit about sharks and conserving shark populations.
The first event was held Monday evening.
For the first time, we had a full classroom,
so that's great.
I actually saw a lot more participation
than sometimes I see even in the school groups.
She's thrilled.
She's having a great time.
Lab staff explained what makes sharks unique
and the different types found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Then, using dogfish sharks farm-raised for educational purposes,
participants got a hands-on look at a shark's anatomy.
The Coastal Studies Lab program manager said while an interest in sharks
usually starts as fear, the attention can be beneficial.
Originally being afraid of sharks is what makes it so appealing.
Now I think people are starting to realize, there's a lot more to it.
There's a lot more species of sharks out there.
And there's fishing going on and we just need to realize what people are doing to sharks
and how we can help them and respect them.
Monday's event was the latest way the lab is
providing educational opportunities
and community outreach related to coastal and marine concerns.
They seem to like it a lot.
I think it's awesome,
and I wish they would do more of these.
The next shark dissection is scheduled for Friday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m.
For more information about the UTRGV Coastal Studies Lab,
visit utrgv.edu/csl.
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