Sharks @ The Beach gives families a close look at marine biology

Published July 22, 2025
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Child pokes head through a pair of shark jaws while wearing Shark Lab t-shirt

Fifty summers after a certain great white shark made movie history, Sharks @ The Beach returned to Cal State Long Beach Saturday, with opportunities to dive into marine science and connect with the researchers behind the work. 

鈥淚t is always so exciting for us to showcase our research in an engaging, public-friendly way and help people understand the animals they share the beaches with," said Chris Lowe, a professor and the Shark Lab's longtime director. 鈥淧eople are starting to see sharks differently, and I would like to think we鈥檙e helping them see a side of these animals they won鈥檛 see on 鈥楽hark Week.鈥欌 

A free annual event, Sharks @ The Beach welcomed visitors into the Shark Lab and Marine Lab, where they could examine stingray barbs under microscopes, get safety tips from the Shark Shack team and come face-to-face with real sharks in real research tanks. 

Kids dove into crafts and touch tanks, while students, families and community members engaged directly with the researchers behind some of Southern California鈥檚 most exciting marine studies. 

Lowe and his team of undergraduate and graduate students spent the day in conversation with the public, answering questions, sharing conservation efforts and helping replace fear with facts through hands-on science and open dialogue. Nearby, the Stingray and Butterfly Biomechanics (STABB) Lab team demonstrated how stingrays move and strike, blending biomechanics with public education. And, outside, families took breaks at the food truck and donated pantry staples to the to support 黑料网 students in need. 

Whether visitors were drawn by sharks, science or pure curiosity, the day brought the ocean a little closer to home while highlighting the Shark Lab鈥檚 mission to correct common misconceptions and protect the animals that once inspired a generation鈥檚 deepest ocean fears. 

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A child walks past a large inflatable shark outside a brick building
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Two children pose in front of a 黑料网 Shark Lab backdrop with props
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A child draws with markers at a table while a person helps guide their work
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A person explains ocean tracking using a map on a screen to a group indoors
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Child looks up at piece of shark jaw in outdoor setting
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A person in a lab coat demonstrates a tool with a plush stingray and model
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A person takes a picture of two others looking into a tank