News Release

San Francisco, CA - Are sharks a bigger threat to humans than humans are to sharks? Dr. Ellen Pikitch, an international expert in fisheries science and management, will separate the facts from the fiction on many aspects of sharks -- including shark behavior, biology, and their niche in the ocean ecology -- at a 6:00pm lecture on Tuesday, February 12th in the Koret Auditorium of the San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street at Grove.

The free lecture is jointly sponsored by the Wallace Stegner Environmental Center of the San Francisco Public Library and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) of New York.

Dr. Pikitch, the director of the Marine Conservation Programs at WCS, oversees marine and freshwater research and conservation efforts both in the labs and out in the field. As a recipient of the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation for 2000-2003, Dr. Pikitch is developing a unique fisheries approach to promote cost-effective, sustainable, multi-species ocean management. This new approach will be a vital addition to the conservation and recovery of marine species populations and the ocean habitats that sustain them.

Dr. Pikitch also uses her expertise for the Ocean Wildlife Campaign, a collaborative effort of five major conservation groups that pool their resources and skills in science, law, politics, and education for the conservation and restoration of giant ocean fish such as sharks, tuna and swordfish.

Prior to joining the Wildlife Conservation Society, Dr. Pikitch was on the faculty of the University of Washington and was the director of their Fisheries Research Institute. She has authored numerous articles on fisheries science topics and is co-editor of the book, Sharks of the Open Ocean, to be published by Blackwell Science later in the year.

The Wildlife Conservation Society was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society. Its original mission was to promote research in zoology and related subjects, and furnish education and recreation to the general public. In 1897 it expanded its purpose to include the preservation of wildlife. It was one of the first wildlife conservation organizations in the United States. It adopted its present name in 1994 to better describe its mission and purpose – to save wildlife across the globe. Today, the Wildlife Conservation Society is active in 53 nations throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America.

The WCS Talk on the Wild Side series at the Library is filmed by Science Interchange, a non-profit environmental media organization that is committed to providing science information for the general public. Science Interchange Executive Director and long-time broadcast journalist Jerry Kay hosts the programs. Kay is also the host of EarthNews science and environmental audio reports heard on CBS-Radio network affiliates, National Public Radio (NPR), and independent radio stations around the country. The 90-second radio pieces feature interviews with scientists and other experts discussing a wide range of environmental topics.

The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center, located on the 5th floor at the Main Library, was established in 1996 as a resource collection for environmental awareness, scholarship, advocacy, and activism. The Stegner Center works with local and national environmental groups to present its public programs – to educate, empower, and enrich our community and our world.

All programs and exhibits at the Library are free of charge and open to the public.

For program information, please call the SFPL Public Affairs Office at (415) 557-4277.