Stay Updated with Oceans Research News & Insights
Stay updated on the latest marine research and conservation news with Oceans Research. Explore our insightful articles and discoveries.
Mangroves and Seagrasses: Key Players in Carbon Sequestration
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 22, 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 8, 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 3, 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 29, 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 11, 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 27, 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 Zurike Marais on April 8, 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 Enrico Gennari on June 17, 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 Enrico Gennari on June 4, 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 Enrico Gennari on May 19, 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 Enrico Gennari on May 1, 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 17, 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 31, 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 16, 2023
Photographing dorsal fins of great white sharks helps contribute to population assessments. Read more...
Are sharks warm-blooded?
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 28, 2023
Explaining regional endothermy in Lamnidae sharks Read more...
Choosing a Path in Marine Biology
Posted by Maria Geoly on February 11, 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 10, 2022
The Importance of Shark Tagging Explained
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11, 2022
Discover the World of Tiger Sharks
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 17, 2022
All About Great White Sharks: Facts, Myths, and Conservation
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 14, 2022
Benefits of the Drone Fishing Ban
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 12, 2022
Why South Africa Should Be Your Next Marine Biology Internship Destination
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 24, 2022
Types of Volunteer Programs: How to Pick the Right One
Posted by on January 3, 2022
4 Ways To Tackle Ghost Fishing Gears
Posted by on November 16, 2021
Why do We Need Sharks for Our Ecosystem?
Posted by on September 20, 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 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. Read more...
5 Steps to Choose a Marine Research Internship Program
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 29, 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 Esther Jacobs on October 30, 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 Esther Jacobs on September 30, 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 Esther Jacobs on September 13, 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 Esther Jacobs on
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 Esther Jacobs on March 12, 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 Esther Jacobs on March 11, 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 Esther Jacobs on April 11, 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...
Interview: Gibbs Kuguru, Shark Geneticist
Posted by Esther Jacobs on February 4, 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 3, 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 Esther Jacobs on October 31, 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 Esther Jacobs on September 25, 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 Esther Jacobs on August 29, 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 Esther Jacobs on April 18, 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 Esther Jacobs on April 14, 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 Esther Jacobs on March 19, 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 Esther Jacobs on December 15, 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 Esther Jacobs on November 20, 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 Esther Jacobs on November 13, 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 Esther Jacobs on November 6, 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 Esther Jacobs on August 30, 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 Esther Jacobs on July 6, 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 1, 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 10, 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...
Minilog-II-T
Posted by on September 23, 2016
VFR : Field Reader
Posted by on
Two new publications of Oceans Research
Posted by Dr Enrico Gennari on July 24, 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 Esther Jacobs Overbeeke on July 15, 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 Esther Jacobs Overbeeke on July 6, 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 Esther Jacobs Overbeeke on
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 Esther Jacobs Overbeeke on
Interview with Dr Paul Cowley, Principal Scientist, SAIAB (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity). Read more...
Character Interview: Dylan Irion (M.Sc.)
Posted by Esther Jacobs Overbeeke on
Interview with Scientist in Residence, Oceans Research, Dylan Irion MSc. Read more...
Oceans Research Reviews
Posted by Dr Enrico Gennari on April 18, 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 Dr Enrico Gennari on March 27, 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 Dr Enrico Gennari on March 11, 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 Esther Jacobs Overbeeke on February 29, 2016
...studying the origins of modern humans Read more...
Oceans Research at the Southern African Shark and Ray Symposium
Posted by on
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 Dr Chi Hin Lam (Tim) on
you may download all the videos for free Read more...
Published paper on humpback dolphin study in Mossel Bay
Posted by on January 27, 2016
Congratulation to Bridget James for the published paper Read more...
Dissection of a smooth-hound shark
Posted by Jamie Halkyard, Megan Peterson & Claudia Bucher on
Dissection of a smooth-hound shark and its findings Read more...
Seven gill shark tagging and use of accelerometer
Posted by Jamie Halkyard and Megan Peterson on
Catch, tag and release alive sevengill sharks (cowsharks) with accelerometer Read more...
3rd Southern African Shark and Ray Symposium
Posted by Dylan Irion on December 8, 2015
Oceans Research scientists presented at the 3rd SASRS Read more...
Oceans Research hosts workshop on Animal Social Analysis
Posted by Dr Enrico Gennari on
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 Dylan Irion on November 7, 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 Dylan Irion on August 14, 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 Lauren Peel on December 5, 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 Lauren Peel on
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 Jo Fourie on August 14, 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 Jordie Ricigliano on July 31, 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 Dylan Irion on July 2, 2014
2nd annual 'Sharks International' conference held in Durban, South Africa Read more...
Wildlife Research Unit kicks off
Posted by Jo Fourie on June 13, 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 Lauren Peel on April 29, 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 Alan Jardine on June 13, 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 Andrea dell'Apa on April 2, 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 Alan Jardine on
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 Braham Smith on March 28, 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 Enrico Gennari on March 4, 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 Monica Betts on January 5, 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 Jack Hollins on November 27, 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 Blair Bentley on November 9, 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 Mike Barron on September 18, 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 31, 2013
Animal movement is a very large and interesting topic. Read more...
Winter’s Bounty: As ‘breach season’ rolls in…
Posted by Rabi'a Ryklief on May 5, 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 Tristan Scott on April 9, 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 Ben Southall on March 29, 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 Edwin Cruz-Rivera on March 1, 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 Alan Jardine on
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 Dylan Irion on January 8, 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 Bridget James on December 3, 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 31, 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 Renae Logston on September 20, 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 Bree Curran on March 2, 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 Brenna Padgett on February 13, 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 Brittany Wald on January 1, 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...