The Scuba News New Zealand

Aquariums have become a normal part of society, in that most of us have visited one at some point or other. The question is do they work as a good educational tool for the ocean and its creatures and do they encourage conservation? What do people take away from a visit and are aquarium’s a positive experience? Here in the UK they are a way for us all to engage with a range of tropical creatures that we might otherwise not be exposed too but does that encourage a more positive and active drive to care for them in the natural World?

Paul von Blerk specializes in electronic shark repellents with the Kwazulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence. He’s worked with the Shark’s Board for 34 years, and for the last couple of decades, he’s dedicated his life to creating and testing an alternative, eco-friendly system that keeps both bathers and sharks safe. Throughout April, Oceans Research assisted Paul in testing an electronic device on our Mossel Bay white sharks, with incredible results.

Dr Ryan Kempster is a shark biologist and founder of the non-profit organisation Support Our Sharks (SOS). He obtained his B.Sc. (2005) and M.Sc. (2007) in marine biology in the UK, and went on to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in the sensory biology of sharks. Dr Kempster recently spent a month with Oceans Research working on his shark deterrent project.