Arts & Entertainment

'Jaws 3D' Stars To Be On Hand For SharkCon 9 At Fairgrounds In Tampa

Visitors won't need a bigger boat to attend SharkCon 9 this weekend, kicking off the Discovery Channel's always-popular Shark Week.

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Directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr. will be the featured nostalgic shark film at SharkCon 9. (Universal Studios)
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Directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr. will be the featured nostalgic shark film at SharkCon 9. (Universal Studios)

TAMPA, FL — While the Hollywood version may depict sharks as terrorizing sea creatures, marine biologists say sharks, for the most part, are largely misunderstood and misrepresented by the popular media.

Residents will be able to judge for themselves whether sharks are friend and foe when National Geographic's Shark Fest presents SharkCon 9 this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 15-16, at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, 4800 U.S. 301, Tampa, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

The event for all ages will feature shark and ocean experts who will raise awareness of the importance of the shark in ocean conservation and sustainability.

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There will be more than 150 vendors of shark and ocean-related merchandise, as well as dozens of nonprofits, experts and celebrities on hand to educate the public about the role sharks play in the ocean's ecosystem. ]

Additionally, those attending will have an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the stars of the 1981 film, "Jaws 3D," the third of five installments in the "Jaws" movie franchise that began in 1975 with Steven Spielberg's movie that terrorized beachgoers.

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Directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr., Universal Studios' "Jaws 3D" featured nostalgic shark film at SharkCon 9.

The film revolves around a Florida aquatic park attached to the sea via a tunnel where a great white shark and another bigger shark access to slaughter and maim employees and visitors.

The movie was filmed at Universal Studios-owned property in Orlando and SeaWorld in Orlando,

There will be a meet-and-greets and photo opportunities with "Jaws 3D" stars Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr.

SharkCon

Other scheduled speakers will include:

Saturday

  • Dr. Dave Gallo – American oceanographer, TED speaker, documentary dontributor
  • Jillian Morris – Marine biologist, PADI divemaster, Discovery Channel Shark Week contributor
  • Vicky Vasquez – Marine science educator, Shark Week contributor
  • Dr. Mike Heithaus – Dean, professor and director at Florida International University and also a Shark Week Contributor

Sunday

Attendees will also have a chance to hear from:

  • Steve Alten, author of "The Meg" book series followed by the popular 2018 film, "The MEG." Alten will appear via Zoom to promote the sequel, "The MEG 2: The Trench," opening in theaters this summer.
  • Kelli Cadenas, husbandry and displays curator at SEA LIFE Orlando, member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Marine Fish Taxon Advisory steering committee for AZA SAFE Shark and Rays, and owner and artist of Dang Cute Fish.
  • Paul Coxx, CEO of the Shark Trust, a globally-active shark and ray conservation organization based in England and vice president for the SAFE Sharks and Rays program.
  • Dr. Tracy Fanara, an environmental engineer and research scientist with a doctorate from the University of Florida, program manager at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and former environmental health research program specialist at Mote Marine Laboratory.
  • Dr. Michael Heithaus, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE) and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University. He is a marine ecologist specializing in predator-prey interactions and the ecological importance of sharks and other large marine species. He was previously a scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research and worked with National Geographic's Remote Imaging Department where he conducted studies using its "Crittercam." Heithaus has been involved in the production of more than a dozen natural history documentaries, including two featured during Shark Week, and hosted a National Geographic Channel television series.
  • Kenzie Horton, a fisheries bilogist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the Fisheries Independent Monitoring program, providing data on managed and non-managed fish and select macro-invertebrates.
  • Dr Gisele Montano Pedroso, a research associate at the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Reproductive Research Center, focusing on in vitro embryo technologies in cetaceans. She is also a research consultant with Dolphin Adventure in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and is a member of the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine and the International Embryo Transfer Society. She currently is working with OCEARCH to learn more about the reproductive cycles of sharks.
  • Duncan Brake and his team have worked throughout the world on various underwater productions for major networks.
  • Dr. Yannis Papastamatiou is an associate professor and marine biologist. With close to 100 research publications, Papastamatiou is one of the world’s leading shark behavioral ecologists. His work has appeared on National Geographic and BBC but he's best known for "Naked Science" (2004), "World's Biggest Hammerhead?"(2022) and "Shark Week" (1987).
  • Matt Seguin is the curator of husbandry and records at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota where he oversees the fish and invertebrate collection.
  • Hap Fatzinger is the director at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and serves as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Sharks and Rays program leader.
  • Dr. David Gallo is an American oceanographer and explorer. He is the senior adviser for strategic initiatives at RMS Titanic Inc. There have been more than 16 million views of his "TED Talks" presentations, “Underwater Astonishments,” a record for "TED Talks." In 2010, he co-led an expedition to create the first detailed and comprehensive map of the RMS TITANIC and has appeared in science documentaries for the Discovery Channel, History Channel and National Geographic and has been a guest on "Face the Nation" (CBS), "Good Morning America" (ABC), The Today Show (NBC), The Weather Channel, PBS and MSNBC.
  • Dr. Stephen Godfrey is the curator of paleontology at Calvert Marine Museum. He is considered one of the foremost experts on the megalodon shark.
  • Vicky Vásquez is a deep sea shark researcher who has achieved such firsts as the discovery of the Ninja Lanternshark (Etmopterus benchleyi) and tagging goblin sharks (Mitsukurina owstoni).
  • Brent L. Winner has been a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation associate research scientist for 33 years, publishing scientific papers on a variety of Florida fish species including red drum, snook, sheepshead, snappers, groupers, sharks and rays and has participate in a number of research cruises with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
  • Liz Thomas was already an animal trainer at SeaWorld when she got the opportunity to play herself as an animal trainer in "Jaws 3D." She's worked with orcas and dolphins at SeaWorld for more than 40 years.
  • Ryan Walton is a professional shark diver, scuba instructor and cameraman who founded Shark Tours Florida.

Vendors at SharkCon 9 will include:

Exhibitors will include:

Other activities include:

  • Mermaid Area
  • Shark Slide
  • Jaws Car
  • Street Sharks Car

SharkCon admission is $5 for children and $20 for adults. Click here for tickets.

Discovery Channel

Shark Week 2023

The Discovery Channel hopes to dispel some of the fears and myths surrounding sharks during its annual homage to all things shark-related, Shark Week, which runs from July 23 to July 30.

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of Shark Week, Discovery Channel's popular television event will be hosted this year by actor Jason Momoa, who plays the DC Comics action hero Aquaman in the film series. The latest Aquaman film, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," now playing in theaters, is dedicated to protecting and preserving the oceans.

Momoa, a vocal advocate of protecting and preserving the world's oceans, will guide fans through this annual celebration of sharks.

“As the host of Shark Week, I am beyond excited to take you along on this journey,” said Momoa in a statement issued by Warner Bros. Discovery. “This project means more to me than a week of talking about sharks. It’s a chance for me to learn and share my connection to these amazing creatures. My love of sharks came long before my time as Aquaman — it began several generations before me.”

The Discovery Channel also has a lineup of documentaries and miniseries it plans to air during Shark Week including "Sharks in Paradise," "Monster Mako Under the Rig," "Rise of the Monster Hammerheads" and "Great White Vs. Mako."

The Discovery Channel's schedule will also feature a series of podcasts including "How Shark Fishing Funds Human Trafficking," "How Did a Shark Encounter Survivor Become an Advocate for Their Protection?" and "Cristina Zenato on Why Sharks are the Safest Animal to Interact With on the Planet."

That doesn't mean TV viewers can't expect to be inundated with the usual array of fictional gory and gruesome shark movies on alternative channels, including the "Jaws" series, "Sharknado," "The Reef," "47 Meters Down" and "Open Water."

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