Do Sharks Sleep With Their Eyes Open or Closed?

Griffin asks: Do Sharks Sleep With Their Eyes Open or Closed? What a great question! Mike and Chanel get down to the bottom of Griffin's question with the help of shark expert, Alex McInturf from Oregon State University's Big Fish Lab. Not only do they answer Griffin's question, but they also talk about other shark facts that will blow your minds!Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Alexandra McInturf received her PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of California, Davis in 2021 and is currently a Research Associate at Oregon State University’s Big Fish Lab and Graduate Faculty in OSU’s Departments of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences and Environmental Sciences.Her research generally focuses on how marine organisms respond to biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) environmental variables and uses this information to contextualize and predict behavior, movement patterns, and survival. Alex explores this topic in threatened marine fishes. She is currently examining the foraging ecology of salmon sharks in Oregon and Alaska (including microplastic ingestion), the distributions of Chinook salmon and their overlap with salmon sharks, the movements of Pacific spiny dogfish, the social lives of sharks generally, and many more species and topics! SO COOL!Be sure to visit thezooquarium.com/podcast to download quizzes, activity sheets, and bonus materials, upload YOUR art, and submit YOUR animal questions!RECOMMENDED: WATCH this episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify!Visit Alex's websiteLearn more about Big Fish LabLearn about the Portland AquariumShop the Mike Bennett Studios storeFollow Big Fish Lab on Instagram: @big_fish_labFollow us on Instagram: @thezooquariumFollow Mike on Instagram: @mikebennettartFollow Mike on TikTok: @mikebennettartSubscribe to the Mike Bennett Studios YouTube ChannelFollow Chanel on Instagram: @pschanelLearn about The Elakha Alliance: elakhaalliance.orgThe Zooquarium releases episodes about different animals every other Tuesday with bonus content for each episode the following week. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you’re informed when new episodes come out! Video versions are available on YouTube, Spotify, and thezooquarium.com/podcastCreditsHosted by: Mike Bennett & Chanel HasonGuest: Alex McInturfProduced & Edited by: Jon RichardsonMusic by: Gretchen Lohse & Thomas Hughes of Carol Cleveland SingsIntro Animation by: Silas Bell & Kyle Bell of Castle AnimationArtwork by: FuzzzbrainSpecial thanks toGriffin & Griffin's family, Alex McInturf, Michele Kraus Bennett, Cayley Pater, The Elakha Alliance, Teddy Albertson, Sharks in general