Dr. Brendan Shea

IGC FELLOW  GRADUATE  |   Global Change Center

Ph.D. GRADUATE December 2025  •  Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Research Interests: Marine ecology; predator-prey dynamics; ecological role of sharks and the ecosystem consequences of their removal

Advisor: Dr. Francesco Ferretti

bshea@vt.edu •  Website  •  Google Scholar 

Dr. Brendan Shea successfully defended his dissertation in December of 2025. He is now the Associate Director of Science Programs for the NGO Beneath the Waves.

Dr. Brendan Shea is a marine scientist, earning a Ph.D. in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation under the supervision of Dr. Francesco Ferretti. His research interests center around the ecology and conservation of elasmobranchs, in particular sharks. His Ph.D. research focused on the conservation role and ecological impacts of marine protected areas (MPAs) for  populations of large sharks. 

Brendan holds a M.S. in Marine Biology from Northeastern University and a B.A. in Environmental Science from Colorado College. He completed his M.S. in December 2018, after conducting his thesis research with the ocean conservation NGO Beneath the Waves, using baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) to examine how predation risk associated with large sharks such as white sharks may influence the behavior of other local fish species in the waters off of Cape Cod, MA. Since then, he has expanded his work to include acoustic and satellite telemetry, stress physiology, animal borne camera deployments, and more. 

Brendan continues to work extensively with Beneath the Waves and has led significant research efforts for the group in New England as well as in the Bahamas. In this role, he has been privileged to have the opportunity to work closely with a range of stakeholders, including charter fishing operators, landowners, regulatory agencies, local business owners, and concerned citizens. This experience has demonstrated the importance of communication and collaboration across disciplines and stakeholder groups and continues to shape Brendan’s approach to his research and ultimate goal of shark conservation.

Last updated July 2026.

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