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Sharklife Marine Research Station

Supporting long-term marine research through local infrastructure, field capability and collaborative partnerships.

The Station’s Vision

The Sharklife Marine Research Station is based in Sodwana Bay, alongside the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area. The station supports conservation-driven marine science by providing local infrastructure, field capability, operational support and long-term site knowledge. Through collaboration with universities, research institutions and conservation partners, Sharklife helps make well-designed marine research more practical, efficient and locally grounded.

Focal Research Platforms

Sharks and Rays

The Sharks & Rays Platform supports research on elasmobranch occurrence, movement, habitat use and population structure. Core approaches include stereo-BRUVs, acoustic telemetry, visual surveys and environmental data collected across long-term monitoring programmes.

Reef Ecosystems

The Reef Ecosystems Platform supports long-term assessment of coral reef communities and environmental change. Methods include underwater video, habitat classification, temperature monitoring, water sampling and passive acoustic monitoring.

Coastal Ecosystems

The Coastal Ecosystems Platform links intertidal, nearshore and environmental monitoring. Current approaches include photo-quadrat surveys, long-term temperature logging, turtle observations and environmental datasets used to understand change across connected coastal habitats.

Latest Research

Primary Research Methods

at the marine research station Bruvs are used to study sharks, here is a juvenile tiger shark

Stereo-baited remote underwater video systems

Stereo-baited remote underwater video systems (Stereo-BRUVs) are invaluable tools for conducting marine research, providing high-resolution data on species abundance, distribution, behaviour, and biomass.

the marine research station uses RUVs to capture images or Ragged-tooth sharks, like this pregnant female

Remote Underwater Video Systems

The RUVS (Remote Underwater Video Systems) use GoPro cameras to capture images every 30 seconds for 10 days, providing a standardized view of aggregation sites and collects abundance data on spotted ragged-toothed sharks.

hydrophones are used to collect information on reef soundscapes

Passive Acoustic Monitoring Systems

Passive Acoustic Monitoring Systems (PAMS) capture a broad spectrum of localised underwater sounds through the device’s omnidirectional hydrophone.

acoustic receivers like this one are deployed by the marine research station

Acoustic
Telemetry

The Vemco VR2W acoustic receivers are utilized in an array for monitoring ragged-tooth sharks and to detect tags from sharks that have been tagged outside of the park, providing
valuable data on shark migration patterns.

marine biology researchers capture images of turtles and other megafuna during field trips

Underwater
Visual Census

Underwater visual census (UVC) methods are used to gather data on turtles, spotted ragged-toothed sharks and manta rays. This non-invasive approach allows for direct observation of animals in their natural environment.

data is collected using photo quadrats of rocky shore habitats

Intertidal
Zone surveys

Intertidal Zone Surveys. A systematic approach to long-term monitoring of the intertidal zone will be implemented at selected sites within the Marine Protected Area (MPA), utilizing standardized photo-quadrat sampling in intertidal zone surveys.

Field Station Facilities & Equipment

  • Stereo-BRUV systems, for non-extractive biodiversity monitoring and calibrated size measurements
  • Access to an extensive VR2 acoustic receiver network through Sharklife and research partners
  • EventMeasure calibration cube and software licenses for accurate length and abundance analysis
  • Field access to research-capable RIB vessels through operational partnerships
  • Specialist support equipment for VR2 rollovers, hydrophone deployment, water sampling, and RUV servicing
  • Data processing and dry lab space, with AV-enabled workstations for video analysis and collaboration

Research Governance & Collaboration

Sharklife works with universities, research institutions and conservation partners to support defined research programmes in and around Sodwana Bay. Principal Investigators and academic institutions retain responsibility for scientific leadership, research design and institutional approvals, while Sharklife contributes local field capability, logistics, equipment access and operational support.

Any research conducted within the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area requires prior approval from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority through the appropriate Research Agreement process. Additional requirements may include DFFE research permits, university ethics approval or other project-specific authorisations depending on the species and methods involved.

The station is not a public-access research facility and research participation is not sold through Sharklife’s student programmes. Training programmes and formal research activities operate under separate roles and approval pathways.

Research Milestones