Welcome to Oceans Research

Marine and terrestrial research and conservation organisation in Southern Africa.

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Field Research Program

The Oceans Research's Field Research Program provides unparalleled research training opportunities for aspiring marine scientists and researchers

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Marine and Terrestrial Research in Southern Africa

Oceans Research provides and facilitates innovative and dynamic marine research
relevant to the management and conservation of Southern Africa’s wildlife.

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Oceans Research is now the VEMCO agent for the entire Africa

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Latest research news

Our interview with one of Shark Week’s leading ladies: Alison Towner

Written by Esther Jacobs on September 21, 2020

Following the recent Air Jaws: Ultimate Breach Off episode we were involved in for Shark Week 2020, we caught up with the leading lady, Alison Towner, to ask her a few questions about Shark Week and current issues facing researchers...

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Another stunning smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna ...

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Jan 14

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Another stunning smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) cruises along the surface, close to our coastline. What's your favourite hammerhead fact? One of ours is its reproduction: they are viviparous and produce litters of up to 50 pups! Sadly, this vulnerable species' populations are declining. Many are caught as bycatch by commercial fishing vessels, such as demersal longliners. Some are targeted through IUU fishing for their fins, which are lucrative within the shark fin market. #oceansresearch #hammerhead 🎥 Bernardino Marques

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Guess what did our director of research, Dr Enrico...

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Jan 11

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Guess what did our director of research, Dr Enrico Gennari, spotted on a recent dive along our coast? An albino ragged-tooth shark! A.k.a. sand tiger shark, or grey nurse shark, depending on where you are in the world. What an incredible sighting. This 2.5m shark also had a nasty injury, with an amputated dorsal fin. #oceansresearch #raggedtoothshark

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Great capture off of our coastline, in front of ...

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Jan 4

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Great capture off of our coastline, in front of the popular Hartenbos beach, by @i.am.jollies #oceansresearch #sharks

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We're nearing the end of the year, providing ...

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Dec 29

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We're nearing the end of the year, providing a great opportunity to reflect on our follower support in 2020, and share our top posts. We've had over 21,000 likes on instagram, and our Facebook posts have reached over one million people. It is amazing to have your continued support, despite these difficult times where some our field research projects have had to be put on pause. However, we've still managed to successfully retrieve and deploy the @atap_za acoustic receivers, providing valuable data on tagged species. We've filmed for documentaries, including the ever popular @sharkweek Air Jaws episode. We've also driven awareness for the plight of our shark populations due to demersal longliners, and continued the work with our community youth program, Sea the Change. We are thankful to have still seen white sharks around, and remain one of the only white shark aggregation sites in South Africa. Some of our top posts have been 2020 sightings, and some were from our intern post series showing off our past intern's favourite photos. 2021 brings a new year of possibilities. The marine life have not been on lockdown, and unfortunately commercial fishing has not ceased, so our conservation and research efforts are still necessary. We wish everyone a very Happy New Year for when it comes. #oceansresearch #marineresearch

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Another smooth hammerhead cruises along our coast,...

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Dec 23

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Another smooth hammerhead cruises along our coast, as captured by local drone photographer, Bernardino Marques. With a preference for shallower waters, this species is often caught in gillnets, longlines, and as bycatch in driftnets. They are classed as vulnerable by the @shark_specialist_group. Their fins are in high demand within the shark fin market, which adds to their vulnerability. #oceansresearch #hammerheadshark

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2020 has been an unexpected flood of emotions, ...

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Dec 16

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2020 has been an unexpected flood of emotions, with a lot of time being lost on our Sea the Change program. However, through their hard work, and our perserverance, we were able to catch the students up with their qualifications. We are now looking forward to 2020, with thanks to Isuzu South Africa for their incredible generosity. They are sponsoring 60 young woman, who will be selected next year to take part in our Sea the Change program. The 16-18 years olds, from disadvantaged backgrounds, will be gaining their first-aid certification. Eight will then be selected to participate in lifeguard training, and a further six will be chosen to undertake a pre-sea introduction. A final two will get the opportunity to gain their skippers ticket. With unemployment rates in South Africa remaining high, having strong employability traits, to show off to perspective employers, is a huge advantage. Our Sea the Change program not only gives youth the chance to gain skills that boost their CV, but also opens their eyes to the many opportunities in the conservation sector, they can pursue as careers. #OceansResearchFoundation #SeatheChange

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