The Great White Shark Scientist

by Sy Montgomery, Keith Ellenbogen (Photographer)

Overview

Dr. Greg Skomal, biologist and head of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program, is investigating a controversial possibility: Might Cape Cod’s waters serve as a breeding ground for the great white shark, the largest and most feared predatory fish on Earth? 
     Sy Montgomery and Keith Ellenbogen report on this thrilling turning point in marine research and travel to Guadeloupe, Mexico, to get up close and personal with the sharks. This daring expedition into the realm of great whites shows readers that in order to save the planet and its creatures, we must embrace our humanity and face our greatest fears.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544829343
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	06/07/2016
Series:	Scientists in the Field Series
Sold by:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	185 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Researching films, articles, and 22 books, Sy Montgomery has hiked the Altai Mountains of Mongolia looking for snow leopards, tracked tree kangaroos in Papua New Guinea, and more. A National Book Award finalist, she has also been honored with a Sibert Medal, two Science Book and Film prizes from the National Association for the Advancement of Science, three honorary degrees, and many other awards. She lives in Hancock, New Hampshire. Visit her online at symontgomery.com and on Twitter @SyTheAuthor.     
Keith Ellenbogen is an award-winning underwater photographer with an emphasis on environmental conservation. His images have been published worldwide in newspapers, magazines, and books as well as on TV. He is a Senior Fellow with The International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), a Fellow with the Explorers Club, and an Assistant Professor of Photography at the Fashion Institute of Technology / SUNY.

Hometown:

Hancock, New Hampshire

Date of Birth:

February 7, 1958

Place of Birth:

Frankfurt, Germany

Education:

Syracuse University: B.A., Newhouse School of Public Communications, 1979; B.A., College of Arts and Sciences, 1979

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2016
Shark biologist Greg Skomal and his research team search for great whites in the waters off Cape Cod and Guadalupe in this exciting addition to the Scientists in the Field series. Their quest is as much about finding and tagging new sharks as it is about tracing the movements of old friends: by checking detector buoys that record the presence of tagged sharks, the scientists learn who has been in the area. Aerial photographs show the shadowy shapes of sharks below the waves, and underwater shots taken in Guadalupe reveal sharks surrounding the scientists’ submersible cage. Interspersed between chapters are sections that discuss shark anatomy, behavior, and statistics. Montgomery’s play-by-play narration and Ellenbogen’s dramatic photos give the scientific excursion a thrilling sense of immediacy that should leave readers feeling like they’re along for the voyage. Ages 10–12. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Kirkus Best of 2016
Nonfiction Detectives: Best of 2016


• "Exceptionally written and highly recommended for those looking to give a timely summer boost to STEM collections."
—School Library Journal, STARRED review


• "Readers interested in marine biology in general or great white sharks in particular will find the text informative and the you-are-there immediacy of the writing exciting."
—Booklist, STARRED review


• "This appreciative introduction to a much-maligned species will thrill readers while it encourages them to see great white sharks in a new way."
—Kirkus, STARRED review

"One minute Montgomery recounts the technical details of shark tracking, the next minute relays the steps she needs to take to be safe on the ocean, and the next narrates an all-out shark chase, as researchers on a boat and in a plane work together in a successful shark identification bonanza. This approach fully immerses readers in the field research experience, as do the excellent photographs of people, sharks, and the environment. In, on, and especially above the ocean, Ellenbogen captures the majesty of the great whites as well as the beauty and impermanence of the Atlantic barrier islands, dunes, and shoreline."
—Horn Book

"Montgomery’s play-by-play narration and Ellenbogen’s dramatic photos give the scientific excursion a thrilling sense of immediacy that should leave readers feeling like they’re along for the voyage."
—Publishers Weekly

"Montgomery goes to great, and often humorous, lengths to put the actual danger of shark-on-human attack into perspective (annual average number of people killed by sharks—11; of sharks killed by people—100,000,000), but when dealing with fish prone to devour their unborn siblings, there’s still ample delight for thrill seekers."
—Bulletin

From the Publisher

Young readers dreaming of becoming a marine biologist who studies sharks will find plenty of inspiration as well as information in this book about Greg Skomal, shark biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, plus some of the people who work with him. According to the book, Greg wanted to study sharks since he was eight years old, after watching Jacques Cousteau on TV. Skomal says sharks are misunderstood and maligned: “They’re not hyper and curmudgeonly and angry…wanting to kill something. I’ve never met one like that.” Montgomery, who accompanied Skomal for several days, regales young readers with the elements of a shark scientist’s day: watching for great whites—sometimes relying on a spotter plane to guide him—identifying specific sharks, attaching transmitting or acoustic tags, videoing specific named sharks, checking out sharks’ prey animals, checking on tagged sharks, and so on. Not all days are successful, and scientists have to deal with bad weather conditions as well as days without seeing a single great white. In January, when going out is impossible, there’s computer work to do. The author and Skomal traveled to the waters off Guadalupe, Mexico, to dive in a steel cage and study sharks up close. All this makes for much fascinating reading about what a scientist does in the ocean and why. Photographer Keith Ellenbogen has provided a wealth of stunning photography. The book also features maps, a page of shark statistics, plus a page entitled, “Be Shark Smart!” that offers safety tips, a bibliography, web resources and extensive index. This book is part of the “Scientists in the Field, Where Science Meets Adventure” series. Reviewer: Judy Crowder; Ages 12 up.

Children's Literature - Judy Crowder

★ 06/01/2016
Gr 5–8—Prepare to be enveloped in saltwater air and dizzying blue water in this latest entry from veteran author Montgomery. A tense opening line delivered by 52-year-old great white shark biologist Greg Skomal is sure to hook readers: "It's pretty treacherous right here." But as they will soon discover, for Skomal and team, the even greater danger is not seeing a great white at all. Montgomery deftly balances information and intrigue without delving into the sensational; the emphasis is always on providing unique insight into the fieldwork of scientists and the absolute patience and perseverance it takes to locate, identify, gather, and analyze scientific data under challenging circumstances. Her travels with Skomal and her journey into a shark cage with biologist Erick Higuera are evidence of a genuine interest in understanding great whites and reversing negative attitudes about them. Readers will come to learn that the perceived danger surrounding sharks does not always match reality (the prime example offered being the astounding number of Americans injured by toilets in comparison to shark-related deaths in a year) and that these creatures are in desperate need of quality protection and conservation efforts. Ellenbogen's crystal clear photographs range from intimate shots of crew members and aquatic life to large aerial overviews of the inlets and waters they are sailing on—students will be sure to stop and linger over these gorgeous images. VERDICT Exceptionally written and highly recommended for those looking to give a timely summer boost to STEM collections.—Della Farrell, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ 2016-03-02
"They're laid back. They're calm. They're beautiful." That's shark researcher Greg Skomal's assessment of great whites, the subject of Montgomery's latest entry in the long-running Scientists in the Field series. Here, she invites her readers to appreciate the glory of these much-feared sharks, first through the work of scientists who use video recordings and tags to identify and then track individual sharks who spend summers off Cape Cod, and then with a diving expedition off Guadalupe, Mexico. This acclaimed nature writer's particular strength is that she's not afraid to describe scientific drudge work, giving a rounded picture of what being a field scientist is like. She chooses examples carefully and structures her six smoothly written chapters to build to a crescendo of excitement, going from an unproductive day (and some dull but important safety details) to a very satisfying one and then to an up-close encounter with sharks from the vantage point of a shark cage. Informational segments, including some intriguing facts and surprising statistics, separate each chapter. She picks out details that will engage her middle school readers. Ellenbogen's photographs, both close-up and from the perspective of a spotter plane, bring readers even closer to her experience. This appreciative introduction to a much-maligned species will thrill readers while it encourages them to see great white sharks in a new way. (maps, bibliography, Web resources, acknowledgments, index) (Nonfiction. 10-15)

Kirkus Reviews