Florida Atlantic: Big 'Fin'ish

Alumnus Chris Malinowski, Ph.D., affiliate scientist at Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, recently snagged first place in the Netflix series, "All the Sharks."

Part of the Shark Docs duo, Malinowski and his partner, Brendan Talwar, Ph.D., beat three other teams during an intense, globe-trotting race to identify and photograph some of the planet's most misunderstood predators. The rarer the sharks the teams discovered, the more points they earned — and Malinowski and Talwar ultimately took home the $50,000 grand prize.

"Winning the series in the Galápagos — surrounded by some of the world's most incredible shark and ray populations — was absolutely mind-blowing," said Malinowski, who earned a master's in biology from Florida Atlantic in 2011. "After pushing ourselves through eight weeks of nonstop travel across five continents and diving in the most jaw-dropping locations on Earth, that final victory felt like the ultimate reward for all the blood, sweat and salt water."

To continue to push the boundaries of marine science and develop real solutions for ocean conservation challenges, Malinowski and Talwar donated the prize money to various marine conservation organizations — including half of the money to the Ocean First Institute, where Malinowski serves as director of research and conservation. The institute focuses on cutting-edge marine research, especially related to sharks and other megafauna, while inspiring and educating a new wave of ocean champions.

"Experiencing that rapid-fire tour of the world's most incredible marine ecosystems was like living every marine biologist's dream all at once," Malinowski said. "Seeing that incredible diversity and abundance of life just reinforced how desperately we need to fight for better conservation measures to protect these hotspots and to improve other regions."

Malinowski credits his marine science-focused career to his time at Florida Atlantic.

"My master's at FAU in the Schmidt College of Science was where I truly learned to think like a scientist — formalizing research questions, designing robust studies and discovering my passion for marine research."

Malinowski was not the only Owl swimming in shark-infested waters during the filming. Rosie Moore, who earned a bachelor's in general studies in 2018 and a master's in geosciences in 2021, was one of the competitors during the high-octane competition. For the last three years, Moore has hosted shows on Discovery Channel's Shark Week, however, her main role is with The International SeaKeepers Society, where she manages the citizen science program and promotes ocean science through conservation, education and work with the media.

To watch the Florida Atlantic alumni compete nose-to-nose, check out the "All the Sharks" series now streaming on Netflix.