Christine Hoekenga

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Christine Hoekenga, Ocean Portal Community Manager

Christine is the Ocean Portal Community Manager at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. She joined the NMNH Department of Education and Outreach in the Fall of 2009 after having served as a Museum Specialist in the Office of the Sant Chair for Marine Science. She holds a dual bachelor’s degree in media studies and environmental science from Willamette University and a master’s degree in science communication from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Christine has experience working as an environmental journalist, a freelance science writer, and a conservation organizer and advocate for nonprofits. Despite growing up in land-locked Nevada, Christine is also an avid SCUBA diver with experience conducting marine research in the field and the lab.

She loves hearing from OP visitors and wants to know how the OP Team can improve the site. You can offer your feedback by leaving comments on the site, emailing ocean@si.edu, or connecting with the Ocean Portal on social media:

http://www.facebook.com/oceanportal

http://www.twitter.com/oceanportal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sioceanportal

Collaborator Contributions

King of the Food Chain

Sharks have six highly refined senses: smell, hearing, touch, taste, sight, and electromagnetism. These finely honed senses, along with a sleek, torpedo-shaped body, make most sharks highly skilled hunters. They often serve as top predators—keeping populations of prey species in check. Removing them in large numbers can have ripple effects that throw entire ecosystems out of balance.

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

While shark attacks do occur, they are actually extremely rare—despite the extensive media coverage they usually receive. In fact, your chances of being the victim of an unprovoked shark attack are lower than your chances of being struck by lightning, injured in a hunting accident, or even attacked by a domestic dog.