After hearing the title of last night's special -- Shark Rebellion -- and learning that it was an investigation into the unusually high number of shark attacks off the Brazilian port city of Recife, I was wary. (Especially after I squirmed through the abysmal garbage of Sharks: Are They Hunting Us? the night before.) Shark Rebellion sounded like the perfect recipe for a reckless night of chum for the brain.

However, much to my surprise, Shark Rebellion featured <Gasp!> actual scientists using <Gasp! Gasp!> actual science to investigate Recife's recent slew of shark attacks. After analyzing everything from winds speeds, to salinity levels, to fish populations, to the contour of the coast, their conclusion was ridiculously simple. So why are sharks killing Recife's beach-goers with increasing frequency? Because we've given the sharks no other choice.

Fifty years ago, shark attacks in Recife were unheard of. However, in the past decade, sharks have attacked more than 40 people and killed 16. Consequently, Recife has attracted experts -- like Dr. Dan Huber, a shark "bite scientist"; Dr. Otto Gadig, a shark researcher; and Dr. Fabio Hazin, a computational modeling expert who has surveyed the entire Recife coastline -- from around the world. In addition to using forensics, the researchers interviewed several shark attack victims, including Charles Veras, Mario Carneiro, and Wolmir da Silva (who survived an attack by two sharks simultaneously!). Ultimately, they determined the attacks came largely from bull sharks, although a tiger shark had been implicated in at least one death. But that didn't explain why Recife was witnessing these attacks.

Enter underwater filmmaker Lawrence Wahba, who had also developed an interest in Recife. After noting that tiger and bull sharks in other places come in contact with people, yet fail to attack, he decided to investigate. Traveling to the Bahamas with Jim Abernathy, Wahba discovered the tiger sharks at "Tiger Beach" were not at all interested in humans. Later, Wahba headed to Cuba, where local divers had begun feeding bull sharks with fish -- sometimes, right out of their mouths! Why weren't the sharks in the Bahamas or Cuba attacking humans? What was different about Recife?

To understand the problem, researchers looked at Recife's history. In 1984, a huge industrial complex, Port Suape, was constructed an hour south of Recife. During construction, wide swaths of mangroves were destroyed. Since freshwater mangroves serve as nurseries for bull shark pups, the fish were forced to seek new shelter. Upon leaving their original nursery grounds, the bull sharks headed into the Atlantic and followed the currents north to the next freshwater estuary -- just south of Recife.

In conjunction with the researchers, Wahba surveyed the underwater ecosystem off Recife. Unlike the Bahamas and Cuba -- which had clean, clear water and abundant, healthy marine life -- the area off Recife had cloudy water, high levels of pollution, and very little marine life. In other words, development and pollution had devastated the ecosystem, and the bull sharks were literally starving to death. Their only means of survival: go hunting. Sadly, their choice of food was the only thing that was readily available: beach-goers.

Considering the level of development in Recife, it seems unlikely that the city can reverse the ecological disaster it has already foisted on the marine ecosystem. In other words, resurrecting the ocean for the benefit of the bull sharks is impossible; Recife just has to live with the fact that hungry bull sharks live in the water just of the beach.

The show ends with a vital message: "When we declare war on the environment, nature bites back." While we may not see the effects tomorrow of the damage we cause today, Recife is a lasting example of how humans can alter their environment and suffer the consequences for decades to come.

Personally, I was thrilled that Discovery showcased real science to explain what was happening, as opposed to sending some jackass into the water. Discovery needs to promote this kind of thoughtful programming as opposed to stooping to the lowest common denominator. People will watch smart shows, Discovery; people like using their brains. Did you watch? What did you think?

(And by the way, tonight is Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite Harder. I really enjoyed Sunday night's Jobs That Bite, so I'm looking forward to watching!)