1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 37 shark and ray species documented in Benin, the result of more than 15 years of fieldwork by fisheries biologist Dr. Houangninan Midinoudewa. He has built Benin’s first dedicated shark and ray research program from almost nothing on the Gulf of Guinea. On this episode of the Beyond Jaws podcast, Andrew Lewin and shark scientist Dr. David Ebert explore what he’s found and why West Africa is the next frontier for elasmobranch research. Houangninan shares how Jacques Cousteau’s films inspired his career, how he recorded shark and ray landings at Benin’s harbors from dawn until midnight, and how he confirmed an angel shark as a new record for the country in 2026. He explains how his Save Our Seas Foundation grant is funding a national species guide and IUCN Red List groundwork for a shark and ray action plan, and why migrant fishing fleets targeting large sharks and guitarfish make that plan urgent. You’ll also hear why he’s shifting his research toward West Africa’s data deficient rays, how speaking local languages shapes fisheries research, and his advice for early career marine scientists in Africa and beyond: stay consistent and leave your comfort zone. Takeaways Benin has 37 documented shark and ray species, with more likely in deeper offshore waters Only one researcher studied sharks in Benin before Houangninan began in 2009 A Save Our Seas Foundation-supported species guide will help policymakers protect threatened sharks and rays Many West African rays and guitarfish are data deficient and need dedicated research Trust and local language skills are essential for fisheries data collection in West Africa Connect with us: Website:&amp;nbsp;https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram:&amp;nbsp;https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube:&amp;nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave:&amp;nbsp; Website:&amp;nbsp;https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram:&amp;nbsp;https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 YouTube:&amp;nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Andrew: Website:&amp;nbsp;https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram:&amp;nbsp;https://bit.ly/37g5WkG YouTube:&amp;nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakUpForBlueTV &amp;nbsp; Beyond Jaws: Exploring Shark Science and Conservation https://beyondjaws.libsyn.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/43248068/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/43248068