Community events planned for Shark Week next week

Local shark research will be on display during Discovery Channel's Shark Week next week.

For those in Corpus Christi, two upcoming community events will also feature local researchers.

Kesley Banks, a researcher at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Harte Research Institute Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation, will be interviewed in a Shark Week episode which will be aired from 8-9 p.m. Thursday, July 11 on Discovery.

Banks has been featured in Shark Week programs in previous years. Last summer, she was appointed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which aims to sustain and maintain responsible management of fisheries.

From 6-9 p.m. Thursday, July 11, Brewster Street Icehouse Downtown will host a community event where attendees can watch the episode titled "Caught! When Sharks Attack."

“Sharks provide an excellent platform to educate children and adults on the critical importance of healthy oceans for the well-being of both people and the planet,” Harte Research Institute Executive Director Greg Stunz said in a news release. “An ocean without sharks is a much scarier place than one with them."

There will also be a meet and greet with shark researchers, shark-tagging demonstrations, interactive booths and shark-themed giveaways.

Banks and additional Harte Research Institute scientists and students will also take over the "Let's Talk Sharks!" show at the Texas State Aquarium at 11:20 a.m. Friday, July 12.

"Having our scientists participate in Shark Week and attend our community events can inspire future generations to respect and admire these remarkable animals, fostering a sense of conservation and sustainability for our world’s oceans and especially the Gulf of Mexico," Stunz said in the release.

Harte Research Institute researchers have appeared in Shark Week programming for eight years.

Next week, the university has several Shark Week activities on campus planned, including a July 11 student watch party in the University Center Anchor Ballroom.

“Shark Week is a great avenue to get research out of the lab and into people’s day-to-day conversations,” Banks said in a news release. “It gives people a chance to start digging deeper in shark science and seek answers to the questions they have — not just about sharks, but about a healthy ocean in general, something we all benefit from.”