The toothy villain of “Jaws” terrified audiences in 1975. Offscreen, the hit film — which is celebrating its 50th anniversary — impacted sharks in unexpected ways.

After 450 million years of evolutionary history, shark populations are collapsing, and more than a third of shark species and their relatives face extinction. Now scientists are trying to use the lure of “Jaws” to advance shark conservation efforts.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat." It's been 50 years since Roy Scheider's Chief Brody uttered that famous line after getting a first glimpse of the deadly shark in Steven Spielberg's "Jaws." The film,