Beastcam Brings Reef Sharks to Times Square

What if you could walk beside a shark swimming through Times Square? What would you learn about how it moves, survives, and thrives in the ocean? 

In February 2019, OceanX explored that question by bringing together cutting-edge technology, marine science, and public education. At the Cape Eleuthera Institute in The Bahamas, OceanX hosted and supported researcher Duncan Irschick of The Digital Life Project. Working together with Irschick’s Bahamian scientists, the teams captured imagery of a living reef shark using Beastcam, a revolutionary 30-camera system that creates lifelike 3D models of living animals. The technology works much like the tools used in video game design: Cameras capture an animal from every angle, generating a detailed 3D model that scientists can measure, analyze, and revisit over time.  

A Walk With a Shark in Times Square

This technology allows scientists to capture precise data models of living animals without harming them. Traditionally, to collect the level of anatomical and locomotion data scientists need, animals often must be captured or, in some cases, killed for measurement. Beastcam changes this. By digitally reconstructing animals in motion, researchers now gather precise data while leaving sharks exactly where they belong, alive in their natural ecosystems. 

Beastcam Model 54A - Caribbean Reef Shark

This approach has opened new doors for shark research. By digitizing reef and tiger sharks, scientists can study body shape, swimming mechanics, and energy reserves to better understand migration, health, and performance. These insights help connect physical form to ecological function and support more informed conservation strategies. 

Since 2019, the Digital Life Project has continued to use Beastcam to digitize animals across marine and terrestrial environments. The team has released additional shark models and expanded partnerships with research and conservation organizations. The models are shared publicly through platforms like Sketchfab, where they can be explored, downloaded for study, or used in classrooms and exhibitions.  

Beyond research, digitizing ocean life creates powerful educational opportunities. The same shark scanned for science can appear in AR/VR or as a 3D printed model, bringing ocean discovery to classrooms and communities far from the sea. By transforming data into experience, digital exploration helps inspire curiosity, understanding, and the next generation of ocean stewards.