What:

The United States Postal Service will host a special dedication of the new Shark Forever Stamps

Who:

Marianne Long, Education Director at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Greater Boston District Postal Officials

Where:

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy
235 Orleans Road
North Chatham, MA 02650

When:

Saturday, August 5, 2017 at 11 a.m.

Background:

Possibly no other creatures are as mythologized — and as misunderstood — as sharks. Blockbuster thrillers and sensationalized media have fueled belief that sharks are monsters: unthinking, bloodthirsty, vengeful and primitive. While they are ancient creatures having emerged twice as long ago as the first dinosaurs, after 400 million years of evolutionary refinements, sharks are extraordinarily advanced organisms. The 500 or so known shark species are ideally adapted for their ecological role.

The adaptations of sharks include light, flexible skeletons of cartilage, teeth replaced without limit, and skin covered by a hydrodynamic surface of tiny tooth-like structures. Their enviably keen senses include one that detects electrical signals given off by prey and enables navigation by Earth’s magnetic field. Their nervous systems are adapted to sense miniscule water movements — from a struggling, far-off fish for instance.

Primal fears aside, people threaten sharks more than they do us. Sharks are overfished — often before reaching reproductive maturity. Cutting off fins for a soup delicacy also collapses populations. There is hope. Shark ecotourism allows us to witness their grace. Increased study expands our knowledge of these fantastic creatures.
Issued as Forever stamps, they will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.