Annual Meeting
THURSDAY August 15, 2024 AT 5:00 PM
FREE EVENT AT THE ATWOOD MUSEUM
The Chatham Historical Society will be hosting its Annual Meeting on Thursday, August 14. After a brief business meeting discussing the museum’s 2024 season and celebrating the induction of new members into the Board of Trustees, there will be a keynote address by renowned marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, author, and shark enthusiast, Dr. Greg Skomal.
The meeting will also highlight plans for the coming year at the Atwood Museum, home of the Chatham Historical Society.
This event is free and open to members and the general public. Online registration is required.
Documents pertaining to the Atwood Museum’s 2024 season will be posted here closer to the date of the meeting.
Get to know this year’s speaker:
Dr. Greg Skomal
Dr. Greg Skomal is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, and author. He has been a fisheries scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries since 1987 and currently heads the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. He is also adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology and an adjunct scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. from Boston University.
For more than 40 years, Greg has been actively involved in the study of life history, ecology, and physiology of sharks. His research has spanned the globe from the frigid waters of the Arctic Circle to coral reefs in the tropical Central Pacific. Much of his current research centers on the use of acoustic telemetry and satellite-based tagging technology to study the ecology and behavior of sharks. Greg has been an avid SCUBA diver and underwater photographer since 1978. He has written more than 100 scientific research papers and has appeared in over 50 film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, and numerous other television networks. He has authored several books including The Shark Handbook and The Great White Shark Handbook. His most recent book, Chasing Shadows, chronicles his personal history with great white sharks, and the re-emergence of this predator on Cape Cod. He is a Boston Sea Rover and a member of The Explorers Club; his home and laboratory are on the south coast of Massachusetts.
Dr. Skomal will be presenting about his new book, Chasing Shadows: My Life Tracking the Great White Shark.
The shark biologist who quite unexpectedly found himself in the middle of the newest white shark hot spot tells his story and the story of these magnificent creatures. Based on his book Chasing Shadows, written with Ret Talbot, this presentation will highlight this remarkable conservation success story, which is loaded with cutting-edge science, drama, and controversy. From the fascinating early days of shark research on the East coast to the consequences of the so-called ‘Jaws effect’ and the heart-stopping moment when he found himself beneath a 17-foot white shark off Cape Cod, Skomal sets the record straight about this iconic species.
