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WHOI, Hollywood, and the Boston Pops

May 25, 2017

Longtime WHOI employee Dick Edwards, a Navy-trained explosives expert, wires dynamite into the mouth of the mechanical shark used in “Jaws,” the 1975 classic movie about a terrifying shark, based on the novel by Peter Benchley. While filming on nearby Martha’s Vineyard, the filmmakers needed an explosives expert with a blasting permit to set up their climactic scene, and tapped Edwards for the job. Now, scientists understand that sharks around the world need protection, and this week, WHOI shark research will be highlighted at the Boston Pops Orchestra in advance of their live performance of the entire film score, composed by John Williams, played in synchrony with the film. (Photo by Cliff Winget, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)