The scientist who risked everything to understand sharks

Imagine spending decades studying an animal that much of the world fears.

Now imagine continuing this work after surviving a life-threatening encounter in an effort to better understand and protect this very species.

For Mexican marine biologist Mauricio Hoyos Padilla, this commitment has defined much of his career. It’s also one of the reasons he was recently recognized as a recipient of the 2026 National Geographic/Buffett Award for Conservation Leadership. Announced by the National Geographic Society in partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the award honors conservation leaders working in Africa and Latin America who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to protecting biodiversity, mentoring future conservationists, and inspiring environmental stewardship in their communities and beyond. This year’s recipients are Dr. Mauricio Hoyos Padilla and Nigerian conservationist Dr. Iroro Tanshi. While their work focuses on very different animals and ecosystems, both scientists share a common goal: protecting often-overlooked species while building stronger relationships between science and the people most connected to these environments.

For Hoyos Padilla, this journey began with a fascination for sharks. “As a child, I was deeply affected by the film Jaws. However, instead of seeing one
oversized animal depicted as a serial killer of humans, I was fascinated by the
The creature itself,” he explained via e-mail. “This mechanical shark, which vaguely resembled a real white shark, piqued my curiosity about the remarkable design that nature had achieved in creating a marine animal perfectly adapted to be the ultimate predator. I started learning everything I could about sharks using the resources available to me at the time (games, books and magazines). Gradually, this fascination evolved.” Over the past three decades, he has become one of the most important shark researchers and conservation advocates in Latin America. As its co-founder Pelagios Kakunjá and its chief scientist Wings attachedhas led shark expeditions throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean and helped uncover new insights into shark behavior. Among his most notable contributions is research documenting deep-water hunting behaviors in sharks previously unknown to science. These discoveries have helped researchers better understand how sharks use their environment and interact with marine ecosystems. His work has also resulted in more than 100 scientific publications, management manuals for marine protected areas and a comprehensive book focusing on great white sharks.

But scientific discoveries alone rarely save species. One of the most important aspects of Hoyos Padilla’s career is his recognition that conservation requires more than data — it requires communication, collaboration and public trust. During his career, he has given hundreds of public lectures and appeared in numerous documentaries, helping the public see sharks as more than just “inanimate predators.” “Thanks to advances in technology and scientific research, we have come to understand sharks much better and moved away from the misconceptions that once defined them,” he said. “We now know that sharks are the ones under threat, that many species face serious conservation challenges and that their role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems is essential.” Sharks sit near the top of marine food webs, and by influencing the behavior and abundance of other species, they help maintain ecological balance in all ocean ecosystems. When shark populations decline, the effects can ripple through entire food webs in ways that scientists are still working to fully understand. At a time when biodiversity loss continues to accelerate across the globe, stories like this remind us that conservation is ultimately a human endeavour.

In September 2025, Hoyos Padilla’s dedication became particularly clear when he survived a life-threatening incident during a scientific dive. “That day, my goal was to tag a large female Galapagos shark. Once I spotted her, I deployed the tagging device and she responded by biting me on the head, severing the air tubes and damaging my mask. With no air and unable to see, I remember what ultimately kept me alive was the crushing part of the port. man-eating killers,” he said. “I held on to the slim chance of survival and drew all my love and passion for these animals as I swam to the surface. If sharks really became uncontrollably aggressive at the sight of human blood, I’d be easy prey. I couldn’t see and was swimming in a straight line to the surface. — which I believe was a defensive response — let me just be in that moment, I realized how different sharks are from the image we’ve created of them. For many people, such an experience could mean the end of a career. But this experience only strengthened his belief that understanding sharks is the key to overcoming fear
and their protection.

And it felt kind of like a full-circle moment for him when he got the e-mail saying he’d been awarded that honor at the exact location where he survived that life-threatening encounter with a shark. “It was a huge challenge to get back in the water and get back on the horse. But I didn’t want to develop PTSD related to the incident, so I wanted to deal with the situation as soon as possible. Before the dive, I experienced a mild panic attack, but my love of sharks gave me the strength to jump in. That night, I checked my email and when I saw the subject line, I initially thought it was some kind of spam.”

The National Geographic Society has spent more than a century supporting explorers, scientists and storytellers who help people better understand the world around them. By recognizing leaders like Hoyos Padilla and Tanshi, the organization reminds us that protecting the future of wildlife requires investing in the people who are willing to fight for it. This is especially true for researchers in countries that science has labeled as “developing.” “Scientists from Latin America often bring a perspective shaped by working directly in areas where biodiversity is extremely rich, but where resources for research and conservation may be limited. This reality fosters creativity, adaptability, and a strong ability to find solutions with fewer resources while generating impactful science,” he says. “Another perspective that is sometimes overlooked is our close relationship with local and coastal communities. Conservation in Latin America often depends on building trust and cooperation with people whose livelihoods are directly linked to the ocean, such as fishermen and tourism operators. As a result, many Latin American scientists are learning to integrate scientific knowledge with local experience, cultural traditions and community needs.”

Hoyos Padilla says winning this award brings much-needed awareness to the fundamental role sharks play in sustaining marine ecosystems, and awareness is the catalyst for decisive action. He also hopes to inspire Latin American students: “I hope Latin American students understand that if I was able to achieve this, so can they. I don’t have extraordinary abilities that set me apart from others.”

He believes the next generation of scientists will have to deal with significant human-induced impacts that will affect how they assess the natural behavior and distribution of many species. As environmental conditions continue to change, distinguishing between natural patterns and those driven by human activities will become increasingly difficult. But he also believes that the ocean will teach them what it has taught him: patience, humility, resilience, discipline, adaptability and respect. “In many ways, sharks embody these same qualities. Their success for more than 400 million years is rooted in their strength, adaptability, resilience and ability to evolve with changing conditions. Perhaps their greatest lesson is that to survive you have to keep moving forward.”