\u201cAfter the Bite,\u201d directed by Ivy Meeropol, focuses on the interactions between people, sharks, and seals in the waters around Cape Cod, Massachusetts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Meeropol, who is from Massachusetts, wanted to create a film focusing on the Cape\u2019s shifting ecosystem as great white sharks \u2013 and human encounters with them \u2013 have become more common in recent years.<\/p>\r\n Levin, who is an associate research professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, and his collaborators have been working with grey seals in the waters around Muskeget Island and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, for over a decade.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Seals can contract diseases that also affect humans like influenza and COVID-19. And scientists want to better understand how infectious diseases impact these animals and how they spread.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to understand how these pathogens circulate through the ecosystem,\u201d Levin says.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Levin\u2019s group evaluates if there is a connection between exposure to contaminants, like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), and immune functions in grey seal pups.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Meeropol interviewed Levin\u2019s colleague, Wendy Puryear, a researcher at Tufts University, about the group\u2019s research for the documentary.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n When Meeropol and her team were unable to obtain permits to film the researchers at work, she asked Levin if he could provide footage for the film.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Levin routinely collects photos and videos to document his team\u2019s work<\/a>. He sometimes uses them in talks or to show new team members what they can expect out in the field.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cI don\u2019t make a lot of that public,\u201d Levin says. \u201cI usually just keep it in the academic setting, so it was nice to see it on the big screen.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In January 2022, Levin and his team went out to Monomoy to conduct their annual field work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe went out and we did our research as we normally do, but we put a little more effort in to filming what we do,\u201d Levin says.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Due to COVID restrictions, the team only had five researchers, as opposed to their usual 10. This created a challenge as Levin was trying to capture high-quality footage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cMy priority was to make sure everything was safe for everybody,\u201d Levin says. \u201cBecause I mostly handle the seals, my attention had to be on the seals.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Meeropol sent Levin and his team an early cut of the clip including the interview with Puryear and Levin\u2019s footage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cAlmost everything we saw in the initial edit made it into the final film, so we were all excited about that,\u201d Levin says.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Levin and the other researchers attended the film\u2019s premiere at the Provincetown Film Festival in June.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cI don\u2019t think a lot of people understand the science with the seals,\u201d Levin says. \u201cAnd I think [Meeropol] did a good job of highlighting that there\u2019s a lot of science going in to understanding seal health, which is reflective of ecosystem health.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cAfter the Bite\u201d will premiere July 26 on Max, HBO\u2019s streaming service.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This work relates to CAHNR\u2019s Strategic Vision area focused on\u00a0<\/em>Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/After-the-Bite_4-198x300.png\")
![\"Researchers](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/After-the-Bite_2-300x216.jpg\")