Oceans Research and Conservation in South Africa

oceansresearch

📡 Old-school tools, next-gen scientists

Our field specialists teach students how to use one of our favourite pieces of equipment — a vintage theodolite.

Why vintage? Because precision never goes out of style.
This classic instrument is incredibly accurate, stable, and perfect for teaching the fundamentals of angle measurements, tracking wildlife movements, and understanding field surveying from the ground up.

Instead of relying only on modern digital tools, our students learn how the data is actually created — reading the instrument manually, aligning sight lines, and calculating bearings the way researchers have done for decades.

This builds:
✅ Strong foundational skills
✅ Better situational awareness in the field
✅ An appreciation for scientific history and craftsmanship
✅ Confidence before moving on to more advanced tracking tech

There’s something inspiring about watching students master a tool that’s been trusted by researchers long before GPS and lasers — and realising that good science doesn’t always need to be brand new.

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🦈 Save the Maldives Shark Sanctuary!

The Maldives is one of only 17 shark sanctuaries in the world — and the only one in the Indian Ocean.
But right now, its future hangs by a thread.

The Maldivian government plans to reopen gulper shark fishing, targeting species that give birth to only 1–2 pups every few years and take over two decades to mature.
When this fishery last opened, gulper shark populations collapsed by more than 90% — and have never recovered.

Reopening it could devastate deep-sea ecosystems, local livelihoods, and a thriving shark tourism industry worth over US $65 million annually.

🕐 There’s still time. The government is accepting public feedback — you can help keep shark fishing banned and protect the Indian Ocean’s only shark sanctuary.

🔗 link in story https://only.one/act/save-the-sanctuary?insEmail=1&insNltCmpId=1323&insNltSldt=10080&insPnName=onlyone&ins_iid=MTlmYzBkYWItNWNjZS00ZWQ4LTllOWQtYmEwYWViY2Q2YzZm&isIns=1&isInsNltCmp=1

Together, we can defend these deep-sea survivors.

#SaveTheSharks #Maldives #SharkSanctuary #OceanConservation #GulperShark #StopSharkFishing #BlueMarineFoundation #OceansResearch

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🦈 South Africa’s sharks are in trouble — and we saw it with our own eyes.

This week’s Mongabay article highlights the ongoing crisis in the management of the Demersal Shark Longline (DSL) fishery.
At the centre of it all is a permit allowing direct targeting of species like the smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus) and the soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus), both already in steep decline and classified by South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment as Endangered and Critically Endangered, respectively.

🚨 And this isn’t just something we’ve read about.
Dr. Enrico Gennari and a team of our students went out to sea and caught the vessel in the act, operating in areas where these threatened sharks are most vulnerable.

We documented:

Sharks are being targeted under a permit that allows unlimited catch.

Heads removed before landing — making it nearly impossible to verify species (whether allowed or not) or size (within permitted limits).

Fishing activity in protected areas.

📉 These aren’t isolated incidents. Soupfin shark numbers have plummeted by up to 90%, and smoothhound populations by around 30% since the 1990s. Yet, no specific catch limits exist — only a “total allowable effort” system (a maximum number of permits, regardless of how much each boat fishes) that fails to protect these species.

🌊 Our work goes beyond theoretical research — it’s about assessing the effectiveness of management and conservation measures, and ensuring accountability.
By being on the water, our team gathers first-hand evidence to support stronger management, enforcement, and protection for these threatened species.

👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 And our students? They’re not just learning science — they’re witnessing and participating in real-world conservation challenges and becoming part of the solution.

💬 “It’s not enough to talk about conservation and protection on paper. You can’t just judge from behind a computer desk — you have to go to the field and see what’s happening in the real world.” — Dr. Enrico Gennari

#OceansResearch #SharkConservation #SoupfinShark #Smoothhound #EnricoGennari #MarineScience #StudentResearch #DemersalSharkLongline #Zanette #SouthAfrica

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Guess who’s back? 👀🦈
After months without white sharks, one of our old friends has returned — seen two days in a row around the boat!
Welcome home, Apex Legend.

#GreatWhiteShark #WelcomeHome #OceansResearch #SharkSighting #SharkConservation #MosselBay