ALISON TOWNER - MARINE BIOLOGIST
M.Sc. Candidate – University of Cape Town, SA
B.Sc Marine Biology - Bangor University, UK
Alison is believed to have been a great white shark in a previous life. Alison’s love of the ocean first took her to the Mediterranean and then to the Red Sea where she became a dive instructor and helped map and promote conservation of coral reefs.
It was always only a matter of time before she began her life as a great white shark researcher, protector, and educator. Along with Marine Dynamics and Dyer Island Conservation Trust, Alison has also paired up with the South African Shark Conservancy to help track the movements of Zambezi sharks, and is a qualified SAMSA skipper.
Alison and Oliver's latest work on wound-healing rates of great white sharks was featured at the 2010 International White Shark symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her current M.Sc thesis is on the movements of white sharks in relation to environmental parameters in Gansbaai and she is advised by Dr. Malcolm Smale of Bayworld and Les Underhill of the University of Cape Town.
HENNIE OTTO - Skipper/Gen. Manager of Marine Dynamics
B.Sc. Candidate – University of South Africa
Research interests: In 1990, Hennie first came into the world of great white sharks when he fished commercially around Dyer Island and Cape Agulhas. He then became a qualified skipper in 1992 and joined Marine Dynamics/Dyer Island Conservation Trust in 2008. His in-depth knowledge of where reefs lie and where the sharks have been seen when hunting yellowtail provides a key to some wonderful shark trips. He also gained valuable experience as research coordinator for Irvin & Johnson’s abalone culture facility at Danger Point and was subsequently introduced to the field of parasitology. He has attended many International Marine Science and Parasitology Symposia over the years and presented at Texas A&M University as part of a marine development, aquarium and educational programme. He is currently looking into parasites associated with Elasmobranchs.
MICHELLE WCISEL - MARINE BIOLOGIST
B.Sc.(with honors) Zoology – Michigan State University, USA
Research interests: Michelle has traveled the globe in the past three years conducting various education, research, and conservation projects. She began her career as a marine biologist in Antarctica, studying the specialized predatory techniques of leopard seals.
Then, she spent three field seasons studying and protecting sea turtles in the United States and Costa Rica.
In 2009, Michelle had the chance to follow her passion for education as a marine biology instructor for Nature's Classroom in the United States with daily exposure to one of the world's most fearsome creatures – elementary students.
Michelle has also previously served Oceans Research as a great white shark intern in Mossel Bay, South Africa, and has now found her home in Gansbaai with Marine Dynamics/Dyer Island Conservation Trust. Her current project is studying the interaction between great white sharks and resident cetacean populations of Gansbaai.
OLIVER JEWELL - MARINE BIOLOGIST
M.Sc. Candidate – University of Pretoria, SA
B.Sc.(honors) Oceanography – University of Southampton, UK
Research interests: Oliver's first experience with great white sharks was similar to many people's only experience – watching the film Jaws.
Since that day, Oliver has been dedicated to learning all the information that existed about sharks.
This passion fueled him throughout his life, leading to an honor's dissertation conducted here in 2007 concerning behavioural observations of great white sharks from a cage diving vessel. Oliver had also served as an intern and as an intern manager/skipper for great white shark research conducted in Mossel Bay before returning to Gansbaai.
Oliver has been manually tracking the movements of great white sharks extensively since 2008 and is a qualified SAMSA skipper. His current M.Sc. thesis is on a comparison between movement and hunting patterns of great white sharks from Mossel Bay and Gansbaai. He is advised by Dr. Marthan Bester of the University of Pretoria and Ryan Johnson of Oceans Research.
LAUREN WALLER - CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST
BSc & BSc (Hons) & Masters in Conservation Biology- University of Cape Town
Thesis: The regional significance of Dyer Island to the conservation of seabirds
Lauren completed her Masters in Conservation Biology at the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute at UCT. She obtained her BSc and BSc(Hons) at the University of Natal, Durban.
Lauren has been employed by CapeNature since January 2001, based in Hermanus, and her primary focus was initially invasive alien clearing programmes. She subsequently became involved in ecological monitoring, Dyer Island being one of her main areas of responsibility. The outbreaks of Avian Cholera in 2003/04 and 2004/05 led to Lauren registering for a PhD with the ADU to investigate these outbreaks further. Her study has now expanded to consider the regional significance of Dyer Island to southern African breeding seabirds. She is part of a team of scientists and conservation managers, led by MCM (Marine and Coastal Management), who are looking at the impact of temporary fishing closures around African Penguin breeding colonies, and assessing the impact these closures have on penguin breeding success.
