Oceans Research and Conservation in South Africa

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Reel ‘em in 🎣

Our ethical fish biodiversity assessments are all about getting students involved in real fieldwork. Using handlines, they help catch, identify and measure fish and sharks before releasing them back into the water.

For every catch, we record important information such as the species, sex, pre-caudal length and other measurements. Over time, this gives us a better picture of the fish and shark communities in the area and helps us keep track of the biodiversity we’re finding.

It’s a practical part of the programme that takes students from learning about field methods to actually putting them into practice on the water.

#marineresearch #fishbiodiversity #marineeducation #marinescience #ori

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Eyes in the sky 🚁

Every student starts by learning the fundamentals on land, from flight planning and safety to building confidence with the controls. These practical skills prepare them to use drones as a research tool in the field.

From monitoring marine wildlife to documenting habitats and collecting aerial imagery, drones give researchers a unique perspective that supports a wide range of marine conservation projects.

#marineresearch #marineeducation #conservation #oceansciences #fieldwork

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From our land-based survey site, we spend hours watching the ocean for whales and dolphins. Once an animal is spotted, we use binoculars to keep track of it before recording its exact position with a theodolite.

We also record what the animals are doing, whether they’re travelling, feeding, resting, socialising, or changing direction. Combined with their locations, these behavioural observations help us build a better picture of how cetaceans use the coastline over time.

By collecting these observations year after year, we can track changes over time and provide the information needed to better protect these species and the habitats they rely on.

#marineresearch #marineeducation #conservation #fieldwork #oceanscience

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Our intertidal surveys are all about seeing what’s living along the shoreline. Students work their way through the pools, identifying and recording the different species they find while collecting data that helps us keep track of these coastal ecosystems over time.

Every visit is different. Some days it’s packed with sea stars, crabs and anemones, and if we’re lucky, we might even come across an octopus tucked away between the rocks.

#intertidal #marineresearch #marineeducation #marinescience #conservation

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The ocean is full of sounds that we can’t hear from the surface. Bioacoustics uses those sounds to learn more about marine life. By recording underwater noise with a hydrophone, we can detect the presence of animals, study how they communicate, and better understand their behaviour without disturbing them.

During one of our surveys, a humpback whale passed right in front of the vessel, giving us the opportunity to lower our hydrophone into the water and capture its song. The recording will be analysed at a later date, adding another layer of information alongside our visual observations.

By combining what we hear with what we see, we can build a more complete picture of these animals and the environments they rely on.

#oceanresearch #bioacoustics #marineeducation #marinescience #conservation

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From the pool to the ocean.

Once our students are comfortable in the pool, it’s time to put those skills to the test in the ocean. Open water is a completely different environment, with currents, changing visibility, and natural obstacles, making it the closest experience to real ROV fieldwork.

Each dive gives students the chance to build confidence behind the controls while exploring beneath the surface and collecting footage from the seafloor.

#rov #marineresearch #oceanconservation #fieldwork #marineeducation

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Getting the perfect photo isn’t always as easy as it looks.

During our White Shark Population Dynamics surveys, every encounter is an opportunity to photograph a shark’s dorsal fin. Since each fin is unique, much like a fingerprint, these images allow us to identify individual sharks without needing to tag them.

The challenge is that sharks don’t always cooperate. They surface for only a few seconds; lighting and sea conditions can change in an instant, and the fin needs to be photographed from the right angle to capture the notches, scars, and markings we use for identification.

Once we have a clear identification photo, we can recognise that shark if it returns in the future. Over time, this helps us see which individuals regularly use the area, which ones move on, and how the population changes over the years.

#whiteshark #sharkresearch #marineconservation #oceanscience #marineeducation

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Meet Triton.

We’re taking a break from Shark Sunday to introduce someone you probably recognise, even if you don’t know her name.

Long days on the water are all part of the job, and Triton is there for every one of them. She gets us to our research sites so we can carry out everything from our White Shark Population Dynamics Project to our Ethical Fish Biodiversity Assessments and everything in between.

Every trip out gives us the opportunity to collect valuable data that helps us better understand and protect South Africa’s marine life. None of that would be possible without a reliable boat to get us where we need to be.

She might not be the focus of many photos, but she’s behind every successful day on the water.

#oceansresearchinstitute #marineresearch #fieldwork #conservation #marineeducation

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That’s a wrap for our July students! 👋

Over the past few weeks, they’ve joined us in the field, collected data, learned new research techniques, and experienced first-hand what goes into marine conservation. Every survey, sample, and observation contributes to a better understanding of our marine ecosystems.

Thank you for all your hard work and enthusiasm throughout the month. We wish you all the best for what’s next, and we hope this is just the beginning of your journey in marine science.

#marineresearch #marineconservation #fieldwork #oceanscience #marineeducation