Shark Research Expeditions

Opportunities for students to work with sharks in the field are extremely rare.

The ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research (RQCSR) conducts about a dozen on-going shark research projects around the globe.  Not all of these projects are pursued every year.  But, each year, we hand-pick a few students to join us in the field as full participants in selected projects.

RQCSR Shark Research Expeditions are strictly not-for-profit.  Successful applicants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodations expenses as well as a fair share of the field research expenses.  Costs vary with expedition particulars, such as location, duration, and specific research goals.  Expedition participants receive full credit for their work and are encouraged to share authorship on any scientific papers to accrue directly from their expedition.  Several of our projects are sufficiently rich to serve, under the supervision of RQCSR biologists, as the foundation for graduate theses or dissertations.

Applicants are selected on the basis of academic achievement, background knowledge on the species and/or topic under investigation, research experience, special skills that are deemed useful toward a specific project, and -- last, but not least -- general attitude.  Of these, attitude is the most important (we'd rather work with quality people with little experience than with wankers or prima donnas who have done it all).  As you might expect, we have many more applicants than we can possibly accommodate, so competition for the limited number of spaces available each year is intense.  This is not meant to discourage anyone, merely stating the realities of acceptance aboard one of our field research projects.

In 2005, we are continuing our work on White Shark predatory and social behavior in False Bay, South Africa.  For details on the methods, preliminary results, and costs of participating in the project, see the sidebar menu at left.  To learn more about RQCSR's other field research projects, click HERE.

Ultimately, we are interested in cultivating long-term, collaborative relationships with good people who share our fascination for sharks and our dedication to doing good science.  If you are interested in working with us, please send your CV and a letter of introduction to RQCSR Director, R. Aidan Martin at r.aidan.martin@elasmo-research.org