Shark enthusiast hopes her conservation efforts make waves

She's always been fascinated by sharks, and now, Candace Fields is doing everything she can to save them.

Fields is a PhD student at Florida International University, studying the population dynamics and geographic population structure of large predators, with a particular focus on oceanic whitetip sharks. Her goal is to use genetics and tracking to learn more about this critically endangered species and assist in its recovery plan.

"Sharks have a negative reputation, and I've always been intrigued by this and wanted to get closer to them to learn more about their behavior," Fields told The Week. "I want to change perspectives."

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Fields grew up in the Bahamas, which is a shark sanctuary, and learned early on that it's "important to understand the diverse range of sharks out there, that all play a critical role in the ecosystem." There are many misconceptions about sharks, like they are "all brainless swimming mouths," Fields said. "That is not the case. They have a preference for specific foods and they have preferences for the time of day to go hunting. They can very easily swim by a meal and not take it."

In addition to her studies and research, Fields has learned more about sharks through her participation in Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), a nonprofit founded in 2020 by four Black women who did not feel welcome in the marine and shark sciences. Members aim to be role models for the next generation while promoting diversity and inclusion in their field. On top of it all, Fields is also a contributor to National Geographic's SharkFest, and will be featured in the upcoming program "Bull Shark vs. Hammerhead."

"I feel quite proud to be a Bahamian on screen talking about sharks in the Bahamas and how important the Bahamas is for shark conservation," Fields said.

Her mission on and off screen is to get people to better understand how globally, sharks have seen serious population declines due to overfishing, habitat loss, and climate change. She believes that the tides are turning, and "generally speaking, there's now much more public support for conservation and trying to help populations recover and maintain stability and avoid extinction."