Feature Stories 2025: Lindsay Graff PhD '27: Shark conservation research

"A lot of people don't realize the important role UMass Dartmouth has played in shark science. It's the reason I came here for my PhD."  

Lindsay Graff PhD '27 always knew she wanted to study sharks. By now, Graff has seen thousands of sharks in the wild, from Fiji to South Africa to Cape Cod, but she says it's an awe-inspiring experience every single time.  

As a PhD student in the Brewster Fisheries Lab led by Dr. Lauran Brewster at UMassD's School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), Graff is investigating what happens to prohibited sharks that are accidentally caught and released by recreational fishers. 

How did you become a shark researcher? 

"I always wanted to study sharks, although, coming from Vermont, I wasn't exposed to many people doing that kind of work. As an undergraduate I studied abroad in the Turks and Caicos Islands and one of my assistant professors, Marta Calosso, was studying sharks. It was my first time seeing a woman studying what I was passionate about, and it was incredibly impactful for me.  Inspired by her example, I interned and did my master's thesis research at the Bimini Biological Field Station (also known as the Bimini Shark Lab) in the Bahamas. 

"After earning my master's degree, I had opportunities to continue contributing to shark research, including studying bull sharks in Fiji and studying white sharks at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) on Cape Cod. At the AWSC, I got to work with Dr. Greg Skomal and his PhD student at the time, SMAST alumna Megan Winton, who both encouraged me to pursue a PhD at UMassD-SMAST. My current advisor, Dr. Lauran Brewster, also did her PhD work at the Bimini Shark Lab; coming here has brought my career full-circle in a way. 

"I came to find out that many of the most prominent shark researchers in the Northeast have come out of UMassD and SMAST. The school is a big part of the shark scientist pipeline, and there's a wealth of good shark science happening here and from our alumni." 

"A lot of people don't realize the important role UMass Dartmouth has played in shark science. It's the reason I came here for my PhD."

"The first time I saw a white shark was in South Africa in 2010. You’re just left in awe when you’re in the presence of an animal like that. You have a whole new appreciation for their size and how long they've been on this earth. It truly never gets old." 

Tell us about your current research. What's the goal of your project?  

"My research is focused on what happens to prohibited sharks that are caught incidentally by recreational fishers and then released. I want to understand how that affects the sharks physically, whether it changes their behavior, and if it leads to post-release mortality. We're studying sand tiger sharks, dusky sharks, and young-of-the-year white sharks, which are all protected species that are prohibited from retention.  

"I've teamed up with Dr. Tobey Curtis, another SMAST alum who's been studying young-of-the-year white sharks for more than 10 years in the northwestern Atlantic. We work with amazing charter fishing captains in the New York Bight, where we take blood samples that can be analyzed for bioindicators of stress, and attach pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT) to track the sharks' behavior after they're released back into the ocean.  

"Interestingly, the results vary widely based on the species of shark and the type of fishing gear used to catch them.  This is the first study to explore post-release behavior and capture stress in white sharks caught by recreational rod and reel." 

Shark tagging summer 2025: New York Bight 

This summer, Graff and Curtis spent 8 days on the water off of Long Island, NY, the only known white shark nursery site in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Their mission: to tag and release sand tiger, dusky, and elusive baby white sharks.  

"This is most likely where all white sharks in the northwestern Atlantic come from, and it's also a big recreational fishing area," Graff explained. "There's a lot we still don't know about the early life of a white shark, but this study will help us understand what happens when they cross paths with recreational fishers, and whether that negatively affects their chances of survival after release. 

"The tags from this trip will give us hundreds of hours of data to analyze over the coming months." 

Science over spectacle 

Over the course of her career, Graff has found that sharks tend to illicit strong reactions from people. Public fascination has made sharks a source of both spectacle and profit, as Graff wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post. Unfortunately, a lot of the media surrounding sharks (from movies to television to social media) is not grounded in science or conservation. Graff is passionate about sharing her love of sharks with other people and helping to replace fear with facts.  

"I feel that people should have respect for these animals. That doesn't necessarily mean they need to fear them, but it's important to be aware of our own vulnerability in the world. 

"I've also learned that everyone has a different relationship with the ocean. For some people, the ocean is a source of enjoyment; for others, it's their livelihood. Everyone brings a different perspective to these questions about how we as humans should coexist with the ocean and with sharks. Ultimately, we need healthy ecosystems in order to have a healthy ocean and ocean economy, and sharks are an important part of that ecosystem."  

Any advice for younger students interested in marine science? 

"Find role models: people who are doing what you want to be doing, or who represent the kind of scientist you want to be. Then ask them about opportunities to contribute to their work. It never hurts to ask; more often than not, people are willing to give advice. 

"In 2009, I was finishing my master's degree and went to see Greg Skomal, who had just tagged his first white shark, give a talk at the New England Aquarium. I walked up to him after the event and introduced myself and told him that I wanted to do my PhD with him someday. It was that connection that led me to the AWSC and to UMassD-SMAST, where he's now one of my mentors and committee members.  

"There are so many paths you can take in marine science. It helps to find people who share your values and your passion."