PINE KNOLL SHORES, N.C. – Bring your love of fins to Suds for Sharks, a fundraiser for shark conservation and research.

The event will be held 5:30 – 8 p.m. May 19 at Crystal Coast Brewing Company, 219 West Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach.

 The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and Crystal Coast Brewing Company are hosting this free, family-friendly event, bringing awareness to the importance of these charismatic animals. Learn about the threats that sharks face globally and how research off our own coast is helping to better understand shark behavior.

Brush up on your shark facts because the event will feature shark-themed trivia. A silent auction will feature shark-themed items donated by local artists and all donations will go to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conservation program SAFE: Sharks and Rays for shark field research, outreach, and conservation.

 The brewery will have a shark-themed beer available, and Nacho Shack of Havelock will have a food truck onsite for the event.

 “Events like Suds for Sharks is a way that we can bring the community together for a great conservation cause,” said Emily Fessler, Aquarium education curator. “The more we can learn about and understand sharks, the better we’re able to protect these animals and their habitat to help them not only survive but thrive for future generations.”

 Sharks like sand tiger sharks, a species that is found in abundance off the North Carolina Coast, are considered critically endangered in other parts of the world. Decades of mismanagement of the sand tiger shark around the world combined with one of the slowest reproductive rates among sharks, reduced populations by as much as 90 percent from historical numbers and have caused sand tigers to be listed as a species of concern by the National Marine Fisheries Service and listed as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

 “We’re grateful for community partners like Crystal Coast Brewing Company who are able to get involved in conservation efforts and help make events like Suds for Sharks a fun experience,” said Fessler.