White shark tracking 2025: first 7 months
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 2nd, 2025
Follow the live tracks of the white sharks tagged by the Oceans Research Institute Read more...
Author: Enrico
Ocean Dead Zones: The Growing Crisis Beneath the Waves
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 15th, 2025
Beneath the ocean’s shimmering surface, a hidden crisis is spreading. Oxygen-starved waters where marine life suffocates—also known as dead zones—are transforming vibrant ecosystems into underwater graveyards. Read more...
Deep-Sea Mining: A Hidden Threat to Ocean Ecosystems in 2025
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 9th, 2025
The deep ocean contains delicate ecosystems that scientists currently understand the least. Read more...
The Silent Killer: How Noise Pollution Is Affecting Marine Animals
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 3rd, 2025
Present beneath serene ocean waters is a very cunning killer: noise pollution. Most people envision sea pollution in terms of plastics or chemical waste Read more...
Protecting the Oceans: 10 Easy Ways You Can Contribute
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 8th, 2025
Oceans comprise over 70% of the earth's surface and play an essential role in the viability of life on our planet. They regulate weather, manufacture oxygen, and serve food to billions. Read more...
Marine Conservationists: Who They Are and What They Do
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 16th, 2024
Marine conservationists are essential in ensuring the ocean remains healthy. Their effort embraces every marine ecosystem Read more...
Mangroves and Seagrasses: Key Players in Carbon Sequestration
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 22nd, 2024
Carbon sequestration is the capture and long-term storage of atmospheric CO₂. Read more...
The Importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 8th, 2024
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated regions of the ocean where human activities are restricted to safeguard vital ecosystems and preserve marine biodiversity. Read more...
The Future of Sustainable Aquaculture
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 3rd, 2024
As human populations increase, food demands shoot up accordingly. Since immemorial, the biological systems and diversity of oceans, covering more than Read more...
How Overfishing Threatens Ocean Sustainability
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 29th, 2024
Human actions significantly impact the fragile harmony of marine systems, with overfishing being a prominent danger to ocean endurance. Read more...
How Can Technology Help in Monitoring Ocean Health
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 11th, 2024
Ocean pollution has severely affected marine life, and according to Condor Ferries, almost 1,000 species of marine animals are impacted by ocean pollution. Read more...
How Climate Change Affects Marine Life
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 27th, 2024
Climate change in marine life will profoundly affect our earth, with enormous effects on sea life. Oceans all around the globe are essential for Earth's weather stabilization—enormous storehouses of extra warmth and carbon dioxide taken in from the air above us. Read more...
Empowering Communities: Citizen Science Evolution in South Africa
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 8th, 2024
Citizen science, defined as the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge, has emerged as a powerful tool for fostering inclusive engagement with science. Read more...
South African Tide Pooling Guide, Part 1
Posted by Maria Geoly on June 17th, 2023
Part 1 of our comprehensive guide to tidepooling in Mossel Bay Read more...
7 Ways Citizen Scientists Can Contribute to Marine Biology
Posted by Maria Geoly on June 4th, 2023
Citizen scientists can actively participate in the field of marine biology in several ways: Read more...
Orcas in Mossel Bay: A community conservation effort
Posted by Maria Geoly on May 19th, 2023
How to participate in orca conservation in Mossel Bay, South Africa Read more...
C. Springbok in the Mouths of South African Fish: A Mouthful
Posted by Maria Geoly on May 1st, 2023
Exploring the biology of parasitic isopod Ceratothoa springbok after observing one in the wild. Read more...
How is marine life affected by plastic?
Posted by Maria Geoly on April 17th, 2023
A brief overview of how marine life is affected by plastic pollution. Read more...
Lacey Williams: A Woman in Marine Biology
Posted by Maria Geoly on March 31st, 2023
Get to know the helm of Oceans Research Institute through our fun and heartfelt Q&A session. Read more...
How to Photo ID a Great White Shark
Posted by Maria Geoly on March 16th, 2023
Photographing dorsal fins of great white sharks helps contribute to population assessments. Read more...
Are sharks warm-blooded?
Posted by Maria Geoly on February 28th, 2023
Explaining regional endothermy in Lamnidae sharks Read more...
Choosing a Path in Marine Biology
Posted by Maria Geoly on February 11th, 2023
A simple guide for choosing a career path in marine biology Read more...
Pajama Sharks: Fascinating Facts & Insights
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 10th, 2022
The Importance of Shark Tagging Explained
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11th, 2022
Discover the World of Tiger Sharks
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 17th, 2022
All About Great White Sharks: Facts, Myths, and Conservation
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 14th, 2022
Benefits of the Drone Fishing Ban
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 12th, 2022
Why South Africa Should Be Your Next Marine Biology Internship Destination
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 24th, 2022
Types of Volunteer Programs: How to Pick the Right One
Posted by Max on January 3rd, 2022
4 Ways To Tackle Ghost Fishing Gears
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 16th, 2021
Why do We Need Sharks for Our Ecosystem?
Posted by Max on September 20th, 2021
Sharks are not just one of the most charismatic top predators but are also an essential part of the marine ecosystem. In fact, sharks play a central role in maintaining a healthy sea ecosystem. Today let's take a closer look at sharks and their role in the marine environment. Read more...
Interview: Shark Week’s Leading Lady, Alison Towner
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 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. Read more...
Ascent™ Acoustic Release
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 24th, 2020
V7TP – 180 kHz
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 23rd, 2020
V9TP – 180 kHz
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 23rd, 2020
V5D 180-kHz Predation Tag
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 23rd, 2017
V7D / V7DT 69-kHz Predation Tag
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2020
Acoustic Data Storage Tag
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2020
5 Steps to Choose a Marine Research Internship Program
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 29th, 2019
How work-ready are you? Potential employers look at, besides your degree, your job-specific skills. The marine employment market is very competitive. To gain an advantage in this field, you will need to have clear employability traits, to show off to perspective employers, which can set you ahead of your peers. Read more...
Why is Being Employable so Important?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 30th, 2019
These days, it is simply not enough to get your degree and think you will walk straight into a job after university. What recruiters really look at, is how employable you are. Read more...
Interview: Marine Action Research Director, Nakia Cullain
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 30th, 2019
Nakia Cullain heads up MAR (Marine Action Research), a small conservation organisation, which she founded in 2016, after taking over direction of the Zavora Marine Lab in Mozambique. For 10 years, the lab have been researching the movements and abundance of marine animals in the area, while working alongside the local community, to create awareness and protection of Zavora Bay. Their mission is to conserve the marine biodiversity of Southern Mozambique, and secure a sustainable future for local communities through research, diving, and ocean education. Read more...
New Research Concludes Worrying News for Sharks
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 13th, 2019
In a paper Oceans Research contributed to, the conclusion shows worrying news for sharks. Industrialised fishing overlaps threatened shark hotspots worldwide... Read more...
Research: Cape Fur Seal Behavior Changes with Lunar Conditions
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 13th, 2019
Observations presented in our research paper "Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) adjust traversing behaviour with lunar conditions in the high white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) density waters of Mossel Bay, South Africa" suggest that white sharks may pose a bigger threat to Cape fur seals under the light of a full moon. Read more...
Oceans Research: Shark Deterrent Fail
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 12th, 2019
Electronic Shark Defense System (ESDS)TM did not hold up in tests carried out on our Oceans Research vessels. Read more...
Interview: Oceans Research Officer Sophumelela Qoma
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 11th, 2019
Sophu Qoma was an intern with Oceans Research for most of last year, as part of her Diploma in Nature Conservation. She has now returned to us as an outreach officer, with big plans for community education projects. She’s also an ambassador with conservation campaign, Keep Fin Alive. Read more...
Interview: Lauren Peel, Project Leader at The Manta Trust
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 11th, 2017
Lauren Peel has a BSc (Hons.) in Zoology from University of Western Australia. She is currently a PhD candidate in marine biology at University of Western Australia and project leader for The Manta Trust and Save Our Seas Foundation's Seychelles Manta Ray Project. Read more...
V9D / V9DT 69-kHz Predation Tag
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2019
Interview: Gibbs Kuguru, Shark Geneticist
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 4th, 2019
Gibbs Kuguru is a molecular geneticist and his studies primarily focus on the population dynamics of smooth hammerhead sharks. Gibbs spent six years researching sharks with White Shark Africa, a white shark cage diving company in Mossel Bay, in tandem with Stellenbosch University. Our director of research, Dr Enrico Gennari, was one of the supervisors for his research. Read more...
Where Are Air Jaws? What’s Happening to White Shark Capital?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 3rd, 2018
Our director of research, Dr Enrico Gennari, writes about the changes to white shark populations along the Western Cape, and the disappearance of the species in some of the white shark hotspots of South Africa. Read more...
Interview: Marine Biologist Melissa Cristina Márquez
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 31st, 2018
Melissa Cristina Márquez is a marine biologist from Puerto Rico and Mexico, who studies sharks and other chondrichthyans. She is also a past Oceans Research intern. Melissa has always had an interest in misunderstood predators, and think that sharks are the most misunderstood. Currently in Sydney (Australia) and in-between MSc and PhD, she is looking at chondrichthyan (shark, skate, ray, and chimaera) depictions in folkore and myths. She is interested in how people form attitudes towards predators (land vs marine), whether or not the larger region's public opinion matches the local folklore/myth, and if that perception of these animals sways conservation initiatives. Read more...
Interview: Rebecca Walker, Senior Marine Mammal Specialist
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 25th, 2018
Rebecca Walker, from the UK, is the Senior Marine Mammal Specialist for Natural England and has recently been conducting research in marine mammal disturbance. We were lucky to have Rebecca join us for a research trip, and took the opportunity to interview her about her career history. Read more...
Interview: Photographer and Conservationist Emma Casagrande
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 29th, 2018
We are lucky to meet some incredible and passionate people in our business. Swedish born Emma Casagrande is a photographer and conservationist with a passion for animals, the ocean and travel. We were lucky to get the chance to spend time with Emma, her husband Andy Brandy Casagrande and her kids recently and are very grateful that she took the time to do an interview for us. Here’s what Emma has to say… Read more...
Interview with Erin Slattery, Marine Conservation Student
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 18th, 2018
Read our interview with Nelson Mandela University marine conservation student, Erin Slattery. Erin spent a year with Oceans Research as an intern and field specialist, and here’s what she has to say about her experience… Read more...
Interview with Sasha Dines on the Brydes Whale Beaching Incident
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 14th, 2018
Oceans Research staff are trained to respond to marine mammal strandings... training that is extended to our interns. We also respond to marine mammal beachings to try to get an understanding of the cause of death. Recently, a whale washed up on a nearby beach, so we interviewed our Head Field Specialist, Sasha Dines, to find out more about what happened. Read more...
Oceans Research Featured in South African Marine Research Compendium
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 19th, 2018
Oceans Research is honoured to be one of the few NGOs in the Compendium of South African Marine Research in the Western Indian Ocean. Read more...
Scientist Interview: John D. Filmalter, South African Aquatic Biodiversity
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 15th, 2017
Our interview with John D. Filmalter, post-doctoral fellow at South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. His work focuses on coastal movements of adult estuarine dependent fish species. In the interview you can read more about Dr Filmalter’s research into fisheries and effective management solutions for sustainability. Read more...
Our Latest Publication on the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 20th, 2017
Read our recent research publication: Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) movement patterns along the South African coast Read more...
Auditory and Visual Stimuli’s Effect on Shark Feeding Behavior
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 13th, 2017
Read our our recent publication following a study on the the influence of light and sound on shark behaviour. Read more...
Scientist Interview: Laura Ryan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Macquarie University
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 6th, 2017
Dr Laura Ryan is a shark sensory biologist from Australia, who focuses on vision in sharks, and more specifically how they perceive potential prey. She completed her PhD at the University of Western Australia and has begun her first postdoctoral position at Macquarie University. Laura recently worked with Oceans Research to collect data for her project, so we took the opportunity to interview her about her career. Read more...
Interview with Dr. Nathan Hart, Associate Professor, Macquarie University
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 30th, 2017
Dr Nathan Hart is an expert in comparative neurobiology and specialises in animal sensory systems. He completed his PhD on colour vision in birds at the University of Bristol, UK, before moving Australia in 1999. He’s since worked on the visual systems of various animals, and more recently has been working with sharks. We interviewed him about his very interesting career history. Read more...
Necropsy: A Fight to The Finish
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2017
High stress and large degree of physiology impairment linked to mortality. Read more...
Workshop: Marine Mammal Stranding Response and Collaboration
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 1st, 2016
Representatives from MARS (Marine Animal Rescue Society) traveled from Canada to deliver the very informative presentation and practical course. Read more...
Interview: Dr. Enrico Gennari on Mike Horn’s Young Explorers
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 10th, 2016
Our director Enrico Gennari shares his experience on Mike Horn's vessel and the impact on him by the Young Explorers Program Read more...
VEMCO Training Videos
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 26th, 2016
VEMCO Downloads
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 26th, 2016
VMT Optical Reader
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VR4-UWM – Benthos Deck Box
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VHTx : Transponding Hydrophone (69 kHz)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VHTx : Transponding Hydrophone (180 kHz)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 30th, 2020
VH165 & VH180: Omni-directional Hydrophones (69 & 180 kHz)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VH110 & VH180-D : Directional Hydrophones (69 & 180 kHz)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VR2C – Communication Kit
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VR2AR – Flotation Collar
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VR2W – PC Communication Kit
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
VTA : Tag Activator
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
V9 to V16 – Continuous
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
V7TP to V16TP – Temp/Depth
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
V7AP, V9AP, V13AP and V16AT – Accelerometer
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
V5 – 180 kHz
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
V9 – 180 kHz
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
V7 to V16 – 69 kHz
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
VPS : Positioning System
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
VR100 : Receiver and Deck Box
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
VR2W : 69 kHz Receiver
Posted by edna on August 21st, 2016
VR2W : 180 kHz Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
HR2 : High Residence Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
VR2AR : Acoustic Release Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
VR2AR-X Long Life Acoustic Release Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2020
VR2Tx : Transmitting Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
VR2C : Cabled Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
VR4-UWM : Underwater Modem Receiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
VMT : Mobile Transceiver
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
Two new publications of Oceans Research
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 24th, 2016
Two new Oceans Research publications on white sharks behaviour and shark deterrent Read more...
Interview: Dr. Ryan Kempster (University of Western Australia)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 15th, 2016
Interview with Dr Ryan Kempster, University of Western Australia and Save Our Sharks NGO Read more...
Character Interview: Paul von Blerk (KZNSB)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Paul von Blerk, Project Specialist, Kwazulu-Natal Sharks Board Read more...
Interview: Andy Hinrichs, Senior Aquarist at Omaha Zoo & Aquarium
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Andy Hinrichs, Senior Aquarist at the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Read more...
Character Interview: Dr Paul Cowley (SAIAB)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Dr Paul Cowley, Principal Scientist, SAIAB (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity). Read more...
Character Interview: Dylan Irion (M.Sc.)
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Scientist in Residence, Oceans Research, Dylan Irion MSc. Read more...
Oceans Research Reviews
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 18th, 2016
Feedback from past interns and current field specialists: find out what our past interns, current field specialists and post grads have to say about their experiences with us. Read more...
Workshop Report on Hidden Markov Models for Animal Movement Data
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 27th, 2016
The workshop was held by Prof. Roland Langrock and PhD student Théo Michelot (Universities of Bielefeld, Sheffield, and St Andrews) in Mossel Bay, 7-9 March 2016. Read more...
Workshop on the use of HMMs on movement data
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 11th, 2016
Oceans Research hosted a workshop on the use of HMMs on animal movement analysis Read more...
Oceans Research part of a prestigious group…
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 29th, 2016
...studying the origins of modern humans Read more...
Oceans Research at the Southern African Shark and Ray Symposium
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 29th, 2016
talks from our Director of Research, Enrico Gennari and our Scientist in Residence, Dylan Irion Read more...
Workshop on Electronic Archival Tag Data Management
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 29th, 2016
you may download all the videos for free Read more...
Published paper on humpback dolphin study in Mossel Bay
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 27th, 2016
Congratulation to Bridget James for the published paper Read more...
Dissection of a smooth-hound shark
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 27th, 2016
Dissection of a smooth-hound shark and its findings Read more...
Seven gill shark tagging and use of accelerometer
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 27th, 2016
Catch, tag and release alive sevengill sharks (cowsharks) with accelerometer Read more...
3rd Southern African Shark and Ray Symposium
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 8th, 2015
Oceans Research scientists presented at the 3rd SASRS Read more...
Oceans Research hosts workshop on Animal Social Analysis
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 8th, 2015
Mauricio Cantor (Dalhousie University, Canada) provided a 5-day workshop on how to analyse animal social structures Read more...
White Shark Population and Conflict with Water Users in Southern Africa
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 7th, 2015
Our director Dr Enrico Gennari was interviewed by Africa Geographic on the problematic co-existence between white sharks and water users. Read more...
Oceans Research at the 3rd International Fish Telemetry Conference
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 14th, 2015
Oceans Research Director, Dr Enrico Gennari, together with other world-experts, presented at the 3rd International Conference on Fish Telemetry (ICFT), in Halifax, Canada, the past July. Read more...
Understanding the Elusive: Conservation in a Changing World – Part 2
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 5th, 2014
Deciding which species “deserve” the most resources and attention in terms of conservation can be a contentious issue at the best of times. Read more...
Understanding the Elusive: Conservation in a Changing World – Part 1
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 5th, 2014
Deciding which species “deserve” the most resources and attention in terms of conservation can be a contentious issue at the best of times. Read more...
To fence or not to fence, that is the question!
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 14th, 2014
Conservation is the responsibility of the state, but Africa is a poor continent, and as a consequence conservation in Africa has unique challenges, as Governments can’t fulfill the role of funding the conservation efforts. National parks and reserves have to find a way to get an income to support their conservation efforts. Read more...
Wildlife Research Unit – a lifestyle
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 31st, 2014
Imagine a typical day in the life of a Wildlife Research Intern at Ocean’s Campus... Read more...
Sharks International- Durban 2-6 June 2014
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 2nd, 2014
2nd annual 'Sharks International' conference held in Durban, South Africa Read more...
Wildlife Research Unit kicks off
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 13th, 2014
Oceans Research has evolved and crawled out on land, and so we have started with land based research with one intern and five projects. Read more...
Research with Bite: Project Great White Shark in 2013
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 29th, 2014
It was another exciting year in 2013 at Oceans Research for Project Great White Shark where research continues in the beautiful Mossel Bay. Read more...
Small aquarium… wide research niche
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 13th, 2014
The Shark Lab and Research Aquarium initially functioned as both a public aquarium and a unique research facility, offering South African and International students alike the opportunity to advance their academic careers. Most recently, this facility has realigned its focus and functions primarily as a research unit. Read more...
The Science Behind Shark Conservation: Not All That Glitters is Gold
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 2nd, 2014
The international exploitation of elasmobranch species (sharks and rays) has increased consistently over recent decades, mainly to satisfy the Asian market demand for shark fin. Read more...
Can sharks be taught?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 2nd, 2014
Sharks have traditionally been considered to be mindless killing machines, designed exclusively for hunting, but current scientific research is showing that these perfectly adapted cartilaginous fish are indeed intelligent and are capable of exhibiting problem-solving skills. Read more...
Fishing to Conserve: Researchers and Fishermen Unite for Conservation
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 28th, 2014
Over the past 3 years I have seen some amazing things take place in this lovely bay. Read more...
Welcome to the New Oceans Research Website
Posted by edna on March 4th, 2014
It has been six years now since Oceans Research was born. 2014 signs an important benchmark for our research organisation as we are expanding into terrestrial research. Read more...
Cetacean Survey: A New Approach to Surveying Cetaceans
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 5th, 2014
The Mossel Bay Cetacean Project has been running since 2010 and has previously looked at movement patterns, human impacts and the impact of environmental factors. Read more...
Shark Finning. Will a ban stimulate population growth?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 27th, 2013
An article about an issue of global importance - the act of Shark Finning. This not only threatens the species involved, but has overarching implications on the well-being of all marine life and ecosystems. And since our (humans) survival depends, to a very large extent, on the ocean – also a very real threat to us. Read more...
Intertidal Community Studies: Where Ocean Meets the Land
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 9th, 2013
When we think of marine biology or zoology our minds more often than not wander to the large, charismatic animals – the white sharks, the humpback whales, the giant squids. Read more...
Mimicry – Survival through deception
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 18th, 2013
Human–shark interactions have become more and more common over the last 10 years due to an increase in human population, and a higher number of ocean users. Read more...
An introduction to our animal movement studies
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 31st, 2013
Animal movement is a very large and interesting topic. Read more...
Winter’s Bounty: As ‘breach season’ rolls in…
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 5th, 2013
As we move from the end of autumn towards the beginning of winter in South Africa, we are also drawing ever nearer to “breach season”. Read more...
Under pressure
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 9th, 2013
In the United States on February 2nd every year, if a groundhog sees its shadow then there will be 30 more days of winter, if not then spring follows immediately. Read more...
Research on shark anatomy
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 29th, 2013
The first thing I notice when picking up the Short Nose Spurdog Shark is the roughness of its skin. Read more...
Life and Death in the Intertidal from a Flatworm’s Perspective
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 1st, 2013
For the past month, I have had the pleasure of sharing thoughts and experiences with a group of interns at the Oceans Research’s Campus spanning 10 countries around the world. Read more...
The Shark Lab
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 1st, 2013
The “Shark Lab and Research Aquarium” could easily be marketed as “One of The Smallest Aquariums” in the world. Read more...
The Ups and Downs (or Side to Sides) of Shark Research
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 8th, 2013
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re well versed in the fate of the modern shark. Read more...
Did you say humpback dolphin?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 3rd, 2012
Even armchair animal enthusiasts have heard of bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales - but few people have heard of humpback dolphins. Read more...
Tag and Release
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 31st, 2012
After a short recess, the benthic catshark tag and release program is up and running again! Read more...
Oceanography in Mossel Bay, South Africa
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 20th, 2012
Since November 2010 Oceans Research has been performing Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) scans focusing in the general vicinity of Seal Island. Read more...
An Experience of a Lifetime!
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 2nd, 2012
During my time as an intern at Oceans Research so far, I have been able to experience a whole range of exciting and challenging tasks associated with various marine animals and their environment. Read more...
A First, Second, and Eighth Encounter
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 13th, 2012
The ocean is an amazingly beautiful and complicated place where creatures great and small have evolved amazing adaptations difficult to understand for Homo sapiens. Read more...
It was December…
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 1st, 2012
I had been interning at Oceans Research for five weeks the first time I saw a great white shark do a full breach. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 094 – Is this a dream?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 16th, 2011
We were driving in the back of a truck bed, six of us stuffed under blankets and sweatshirts, bundled up with our beanies and gloves, wind whipping our hair as we drove the winding mountain side watching the African sun set behind the snow capped mountains. “Is this a dream?” was all I could think. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 093 – 3m Great White Shark breaches into Research Boat
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 19th, 2011
Mossel Bay, 18 July, 2011 Read more...
Shark Chronicles 092 – What is Oceans Research for me
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 12th, 2011
If I were given the opportunity to live through December 2010 again, I honestly do not know if I would have signed up for the Oceans Research Internship. It’s not that I dislike the experience – to the extreme contrary! Read more...
Shark Chronicles 091 – What is a great white for me
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 29th, 2011
After almost a month here at Oceans, I have learned that there is absolutely nothing about working with sharks that will ever get old. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 090 – I don’t wanna leave!
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 8th, 2011
So far I have only been here for six days and it has been an absolutely life changing experience for me. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 089 – First impact with Mossel Bay
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 12th, 2011
After being accepted as an Oceans Research intern I was thrilled that I would have the opportunity to work with leading field experts in marine research and, more specifically, having the opportunity to work in close proximity with Great White sharks. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 088 – Olivia
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 25th, 2011
A couple of weeks ago an Italian film crew came to Mossel Bay to make a documentary on the research that Oceans does. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 087 – Testimonials
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 1st, 2011
Some snippets from the January 2011 Interns Read more...
Shark Chronicles 086 – Pills
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 12th, 2011
Let's hear from some of our interns: Read more...
Shark Chronicles 085 – Passion, inspiration and determination
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 3rd, 2011
I never knew it was possible for one single experience to define your life until now. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 084 – What is research about at Oceans Research?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 24th, 2010
On our day of arrival we were met by a friendly bunch of people of all different nationalities but with a common interest, the conservation and public awareness of marine life. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 083 – Not only chumming
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 26th, 2010
As with any research project, there are factors that cannot be controlled. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 082 – A Day At The Breach
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11th, 2010
As we boarded Cheetah, we immediately fell into our “pre-chumming” routine. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 083 – A strange new month
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11th, 2010
The month of October started off with a lot of big changes, switching from 12 interns to 4 in the house. Things have quieted down a bit but there is still a lot of work being done. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 081 – Beach Clean-up Day in Mossel Bay
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 1st, 2010
The day started with an early morning wake up, quite tough on a Saturday but we were all keen to help out! Read more...
Shark Chronicles 081 – Beach Clean-up Day in Mozambique
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 30th, 2010
September 25th was International Beach Clean-up Day. Meeting time was 8:00 AM, which apparently translates to 11:00 AM Mozambican time -- when the young kids from the local school finally arrived. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 080 – This is Sparta!
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 30th, 2010
Pinocchio was the first shark that we tracked, so it was exciting to see where she went when she was not at Seal Island trying to steal our bait, whilst chumming. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 079 – Dusky Aliwal
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 30th, 2010
Having been in Scottburgh for 3 weeks now, we have managed to get 13 dives in, 6 baited dives and 7 reef dives. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 078 – One of our own
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 23rd, 2010
For the first time in my career as a marine mammal biologist, I saw one of my study animals dead. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 077 – What is the sound of one manta breaching?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 23rd, 2010
Even though Zàvora isn't the place to see whale sharks – tourist haven Tofo a couple hours up the coast is – they do come sometimes. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 076 – A brand new first month
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 8th, 2010
As our ten-person car stuttered along the beautiful coastline of Mossel bay towards the Ocean’s Office & House, feelings of excitement and nervousness began to set in. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 075 – Life in Zavora: the small adventurous Lab in Mozambique
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 5th, 2010
You wake up around 7AM from the sunshine beaming through your window and make the decision of whether you want to make breakfast or not. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 074 – Etosha National Park… a small taste of Eden
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 2nd, 2010
Although we enjoy greatly the aquatic fauna of Walvis Bay (Namibia), we were quite happy when Simon accepted to let us have 3 days off in a row, which allowed us to visit the one of the world’s greatest wildlife reserves: Etosha National Park, 20 000 sq km of inland protected habitats, around the Etosha Pan, a huge flat and saline desert that is transformed in a lagoon during the rainy season. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 073 – First Shark Lab’s experiments
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 27th, 2010
It’s been an active week at the aquarium. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 072 – Stranding season continues
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 26th, 2010
It seems to be a season of many strandings. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 071 – Skeleton Coast Marine Lab
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 26th, 2010
Hello! My name is Caroline and I am currently an intern at the Namibia Dolphin Project. I arrived here on the 1st of July from the UK. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 71 – Raggies at Aliwal
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 23rd, 2010
Since the last time we blogged, the weather has greatly improved and we were able to go back to diving! Last Saturday and Wednesday, we did two “shark” dives. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 070 – Aliwal Marine Lab
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 16th, 2010
Since arriving in Scottsburgh, we have gone on seven dives in about 10 days. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 069 – The longest white shark manual tracking ever done
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 30th, 2010
Last week (22-26 June) we tracked Pinocchio, a 2.3m female great white shark with two continuous tags providing us information on her swimming depth, water temperature at that depth and muscle temperature, every second. After a lot of cold nights and long days we managed to break the current record for continuous manual tracking of a great white. Our new record is 106 hours. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 068 – Seal surveys and late-night predations
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 29th, 2010
Not every moment spent at the Oceans research station in Mossel Bay can be devoted purely to the chumming and tracking of great white sharks. In order to fully understand the hunting and feeding behavior of these sharks, it is necessary to spend some time looking at the driving factor behind their actions; the seals (actually sea lions) of Seal Island. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 067 – Tracking Pinocchio
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 12th, 2010
Having arrived in Mossel Bay just a couple of days previously, Monday morning found our group of new interns chumming for white sharks just off Seal Island. Having been prepared to spend an hour or two waiting for our first glimpse of dorsal fin, we were almost unprepared when, within 10 minutes, the first shark appeared at our bait. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 066 – Road trip
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 19th, 2010
Last weekend, April 10th and 11th, the four interns got their first weekend off of the month. Jethro, Leisbeth, Rodney and I, Renae, decided to go for a road trip to Cango and the surrounding towns. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 065- We love you Pasella
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 12th, 2010
Working with Oceans here in Mossel Bay is an amazing experience. We are currently a group of four interns, Rodney, Rachel, Jethro and myself, Nick. I flew directly from my cold country to the warm and more attractive climate of South Africa. I have only been here for two weeks and I already made a lot of wonderful experiences. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 064 – A brand new year!
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 17th, 2010
The first two weeks of February have been a week of arrivals of departures of personnel. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 063 – Final week of November
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 10th, 2009
The final week of November was also the final week for several of the interns. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 062 – A brand new day
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 16th, 2009
Mossel Bay had turned into a ghost town with no sharks to be seen for about one month. The Oceans Research team were starting to get worried, with the occasional 2.5m passing through Grootbrak but no sign of shark activity at the island since September 29th; where have they gone?! Read more...
Shark Chronicles 061 – Ups and down of OCEANS daily lives
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 2nd, 2009
Slow week for sharks, but we are getting plenty of exercise in elasmobranch anatomy. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 060 – A day at sea to remember
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 9th, 2009
On October 1, 2009 a new, green lot of interns arrived at Mossel Bay eager to get to work. Wasting no time, the program leaders got us out on the boat and down to business, chumming for sharks around Seal Island. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 059 – Different fauna
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2009
During the beginning of the week two of us went at sea with Simon Elwen and Ryan Johnson, to make a whale survey offshore. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 058 – Echoes in science forever
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 20th, 2009
This story really begins 2 weeks ago with a crazy Italian man, a spear gun, 3 tags and one promiscuous shark.....tracking had begun! Read more...
Shark Chronicles 057 – One month in Mossel Bay… Not enough!
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 24th, 2009
It is the beginning of my last weekend here... Read more...
Shark Chronicles 056 – 80% more Science
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 14th, 2009
Here in Mossel Bay we have 80% more Science! Read more...
Shark Chronicles 055 – A Swiss in SA
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 9th, 2009
There are a lot of things to discover and to learn when you arrive for an internship at Oceans. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 054 – Tracking week
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 21st, 2009
The week began with an introduction to tracking from Oli for those of us who hadn't done it before. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 053 – Cold seal survey
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 14th, 2009
Nights on seal survey are amazingly interesting (counting seals, creating bioluminescence, watching Enrico do charades, looking out for sharks, and wondering if the southern hemisphere is ever going to get its seasons right). Nights on seal survey are amazingly cold, too. And having people forget to bring sleeping bags certainly does not help. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 052 – Gale force weeks
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 8th, 2009
“The National Weather Service in Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa has issued a gale warning for the entire coast of the Western Cape- Winds are expected to reach 70-80km/h and waves are expected to reach over 15m. Ocean going vessels, especially small craft are urged to seek immediate safe harbour.” Read more...
Shark Chronicles 051 – Port control Port Control
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 25th, 2009
“Port Control, Port Control, coming from Cheetah, over!” Read more...
Shark Chronicles 051 – Alek 28-29 May
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 29th, 2009
Our adventure of tracking Alek in Mossel Bay, like everything in doing research, had its ups and downs and in the last 3 days we have fully experienced it. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 050 – Alek 26 May – shift 9-18
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 26th, 2009
We change over at 9 am and surprise surprise... Read more...
Shark Chronicles 049 – Alek 26 May – shift 1-9
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 26th, 2009
During the 1-9am shift (which is pretty brutal hours on the sleep but very exciting none the less!) Alek the Great White headed back to the Island after we took over from Ryan and his team and went about its sharky business swimming in circuits round and round, possibly on the look out for lone seals. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 048 – Alek 25 May – shift 18-01
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 26th, 2009
Alek decided to leave Seal Island as soon as we took over the shift. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 047 – Alek’s adventure begins
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 25th, 2009
Five interns went chumming in the morning with Oceans director Enrico with the intention of tagging a white shark to track it at least for the next 48 hours. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 046 – A month of change
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 14th, 2009
The beginning of each new month is always a busy and exciting time at Oceans, the beginning of May has been no exception. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 046 – Good bye summer
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 6th, 2009
As summer draws to an end and winter sets in, we believe big sharks to be coming into the area. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 045 – How a research project starts
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 19th, 2009
With the new year comes new projects and goals for the Oceans team. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 044 – Just another day at the office
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 11th, 2009
This week was a week of excitement and change here at Oceans. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 043 – Tracking a shark in the river
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 25th, 2009
This past week afforded the Oceans interns a very special opportunity to get experience researching marine life other than Great Whites. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 042 – 2009: A brand new year
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 24th, 2009
The new year got off to a fabulous start at Oceans Research (previously known as SAMPLA). Read more...
Shark Chronicles 041 – Reflections
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 2nd, 2009
As exciting as it is to wake up every morning to the familiar smell of frozen fish, hurl blood and fish guts by the bucket load on a nearly daily basis, and occasionally be rewarded by a lucky glimpse of a out-of-water breaching white shark or attempted seal predation, It is the passion and dedication of the team of SAMPLA directors, that is a joy to watch and an honour to work alongside with. Read more...
Oceans Education & Sharklife – talk at the Dias Museum
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 11th, 2008
Local school children were captivated by The Oceans team the past couple of weeks when we invited them to educational talk hosted by Oceans Education in conjunction with Sharklife, at the Diaz Museum in Mossel Bay. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 040 – Retrospective
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 29th, 2008
As a 3-monther, SAMPLA has not only become my home, it has become a way of life. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 039 – The ocean, the other SAMPLA director
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 25th, 2008
SAMPLA crew were still feeling the flip side of exciting research this week. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 038 – A slow week at SAMPLA
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 16th, 2008
It was a slow week at SAMPLA. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 037 – Another busy week in a SAMPLA intern’s life
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 12th, 2008
This new week started quite slowly for SAMPLA interns with a day-off in order to rest from the previous weekend spent at sea with a filmmaking crew. Tuesday was dedicated to chumming and monitoring Great White Sharks in Mossel Bay. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 036 – A very busy week
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 4th, 2008
The main focuses this week were the arrivals of new interns and sorting out a new home for our adopted green turtle, now nicknamed Crush (like the Turtle in Finding Nemo). Read more...
Shark Chronicles 035 – The Unpredictability of SAMPLA
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 3rd, 2008
For incoming interns, present interns and leaving interns the experiences gathered at SAMPLA are never the same. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 034 – Turtle and Tiger
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 21st, 2008
Shark Chronicles 033 – Big sharks at Seal Island
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 9th, 2008
The week started full of anticipation of finding and hopefully tagging one of the 5m sharks seen on Friday evening. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 032 – New beginnings
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 6th, 2008
After many heartfelt goodbyes and promises of reunions from the departing September interns, the remaining three interns (Victoria, Beverly and Simone) welcomed the next batch of interns to the SAMPLA family Wednesday afternoon. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 031 – Shark night
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 29th, 2008
It was another eventful week for the SAMPLA team. With the majority of the interns back in action after a bout of illnesses, attempts were once again made to relocate our runaway shark, now renamed Xena. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 030 – A for Effort
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2008
The theme for SAMPLA’s progress this week is A for effort. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 029 – Seal in a box
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2008
On Sunday September 14, 2008, a stranded seal thought to have come from the Southern Antarctic islands washed up in Mossel Bay. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 028 – Bitey
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 15th, 2008
The SAMPLA team set out on another tracking adventure on Thursday. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 027 – The “Cheetah” runs again
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 12th, 2008
After being out of action due to engine problems, there was news that Cheetah (the other SAMPLA boat) was finally repaired and ready to hit the water again. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 026 – The power of the ocean
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 9th, 2008
With the onset of cold and particularly windy conditions over the 1st weekend of September, SAMPLA operations temporarily ceased after an eventful, shark-filled week. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 025 – Night Time Hunting
Posted by edna on August 26th, 2008
For one of the first times since “Sharkville” was released, SAMPLA crew members were able to witness a night time predation of a white shark on a seal near Seal Island. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 024 – The ups and downs of research
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 25th, 2008
This week, the SAMPLA team’s objective was to tag a shark and track it for 48 hours. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 023 – Stable Isotope Sampling
Posted by edna on August 14th, 2008
On Monday 11th August, a SAMPLA team including Ryan, Ed, Christine, Nico and Amy anchored by Seal Island to do some chumming. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 022 – A hunting Great White Shark
Posted by edna on August 8th, 2008
One of the most magnificent sights to witness in the natural world is a great white shark breeching on and successfully killing a seal. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 021 – Aquarium rescue
Posted by edna on August 7th, 2008
Until recently the main reason for the interns to visit ‘the Point’ area after a day at sea was to unwind in ‘Big Blu’, a laid back bar with spectacular views over the ocean. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 020- 24 hour seal survey
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 4th, 2008
Never before has any research group attempted to observe seal movements for a 24 hour period. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 019 – Following a white shark in unknown waters
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 30th, 2008
SAMPLA team managed to tag a large 3,8 meter white shark (which was previously tagged with a satellite tag) following it for a day and an half inside and outside Mossel Bay. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 018 – White shark dissection
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 28th, 2008
SAMPLA scientist Enrico Gennari went to the Natal Shark Board last week to dissect some white sharks for his PhD. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 017 – Seal Scat Collection
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 27th, 2008
The first time you cruise around Seal Island and get a good smell of the 4,500 seals your nose wrinkles but eventually you get used to the smell. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 016 – Seal Survey
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 22nd, 2008
Cape fur seals are readily abundant here in the chilly waters off the coast of South Africa. In the heart of Mossel Bay lies an island that 4400 seals have colonized and made their resting spot. Unfortunately for the fur seals, there is a constant patrol of great white sharks. The seals have to be extremely agile and quick to avoid the stealth and teeth of the white sharks and therefore watching their behaviour as they travel to and from the island can be quite difficult. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 015 – Tracking Kiddo
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 19th, 2008
SAMPLA reached another new milestone when they tagged another white shark on the outskirts of Seal Island. The 2.9 meter female was tagged on the South African holiday, Youth Day, which inspired the shark’s name, ‘Kiddo’. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 014 – Breach festival
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 18th, 2008
Watching a shark jumping completely out of the water in a full attack is impressive enough, but witnessing it, two days in a row, a few meters behind the boat was just stunning. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 013 – Tracking Zulu – 3rd team
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 1st, 2008
Enrico's team: Read more...
Shark Chronicles 012 – Tracking Zulu – 2nd team
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 31st, 2008
Stephen’s team: Read more...
Shark Chronicles 011 – Tracking Zulu – 1st team
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 30th, 2008
This is a report of the most exciting moments from the recent 72 hour-tracking straight from the interns’ mouths. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 010 – Zulu tagged
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 24th, 2008
Today, SAMPLA launched its second major tracking effort of 2008. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 009 – The interns and their first impressions
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 4th, 2008
These are the first impressions of two interns who arrived just few days ago: Read more...
Shark Chronicles 008 – 24 hrs tracking
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 3rd, 2008
We successfully completed a twenty four hour tracking session of Sampla, our first tagged shark. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 007 – Following the paths of the Great White Shark
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 29th, 2008
As anticipated in the last blog episode, SAMPLA has tagged its first white shark, a female of 2.7-2.8 meters (around 9 feet) long, which we named “Sampla”. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 006 – The 2008 SAMPLA internship program
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 14th, 2008
Here at SAMPLA, we like to be called “dirty” scientists – perhaps a little ambiguous but it basically refers to us getting our work done in the field, with the smell of rotting fish and the ocean swell, rather than in an office (which is sometimes required, too!) Read more...
Shark Chronicles 005 – The endeavour of the RV Heraclitus
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 6th, 2008
The world is still full of challenges. The main thing is you have to look for them, things just don’t happen all by themselves… So seek out adventures, as long as you can find them, as long as you can tackle them with energy and all of your effort, you’ll succeed on them.” SIR EDMUND HILLARY Read more...
Shark Chronicles 004 – Megalodon: the Prehistoric Predator
Posted by edna on March 6th, 2008
The Megalodon, Meg, (Carcharodon megalodon), is a prehistoric shark, amongst the largest and most formidable of the extinct marine predators. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 003 – The elusive Zambezi (bull) shark of the Breede River
Posted by edna on February 20th, 2008
This week saw SAMPLA travel to the Breede River in the Western Cape Province to search for South Africa’s most southerly population of Zambezi (bull) sharks. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 002 – Launch of the SAMPLA white shark research project
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 16th, 2008
SAMPLA’s inaugural week has arrived and gone, leaving an air of excitement amongst SAMPLA’s team of scientists, photographers and explorers. Read more...
Shark Chronicles 001 – The beginning of a new era…
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 15th, 2007
Welcome to the beginning of SAMPLA. Read more...
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