Abstract
Marine conservation programs are present worldwide, but their success has been limited due to funding and personnel constraints. However, the involvement of non-scientist participants in research and conservation programs has shown to be a viable solution to these limitations. Volunteer and citizen science programs are collaborative opportunities with potential benefits for all parties involved, allowing scientists to boost the progress of their research while also educating a captive audience and offering a chance for non-scientists to learn about, and potentially interact with, wildlife. The case of shark research and conservation is a particularly interesting one, due to their recent rise in popularity, making sharks a group that non-scientists are becoming increasingly eager to encounter. This project created a documentary film (titled, Among Fins) and a website (https://www.amongfins.com/) that introduced viewers to opportunities for participation in citizen science programs involved in elasmobranch (sharks, skates, and rays) research while also informing them about the science behind these types of programs. An array of filmmaking technologies was used to capture footage relevant to the topic discussed, which was later edited into a format suited for online dissemination. Although an online survey was used to poll viewers, the project failed to sample a large enough number of viewers to draw greater conclusions on its impact. The project did; however, receive overall positive reviews from survey participants and served as an experiment to test the obstacles and limitations research groups may face if they decide to create similar media productions, websites and associated content evaluations. The online resources produced throughout this project will remain available online for any education or research group interested in using them and the website will remain as a potentially growing online collection of citizen science programs relevant to elasmobranch research.