OUR OBJECTIVES
SASC works together with Shark Academy to bring you a range of skills development opportunities and internships that are all focused on marine conservation and shark science.
THE SHARK LAB
The SASC Shark Lab is the central hub of all our work. The Shark Lab is home to the Shark Academy: our skills development and training division. It houses experimental tanks, a student office, education center, and an administrative office. To ensure our research and collaborative science is robust and meaningful, research conducted by the Shark Lab is subject to peer-review.
MEET OUR TEAM
Our dedicated staff are passionate about shark science and marine conservation. These are the pioneers in all that the South African Shark Conservancy does in this field. The team use 20 years of shark science and diving experience to provide a unique experience, all with the aim of getting you up close and personal with Africa’s diverse sharks.
The beginning of 2013 was a very important point in my life. I had an opportunity to fulfil my true passion for marine life, especially sharks, when I first visited South Africa and began studying great white sharks on a volunteer program. After returning to London, I decided to pursue my Marine Biology studies with Oxford College, and received my qualification later that year. Early in 2014 I came back to South Africa for an internship with the South African Shark Conservancy and, due to my enthusiasm and hard work, I was offered a position on the team. I have been in South Africa ever since and am now the Operations Manager of the SASC team. I am responsible for managing daily research and outreach activities, overseeing the Shark Academy skills development training for interns and volunteers, liaising with stakeholders, and managing our large ecological databases.
I was born and raised in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) where I spent most of my childhood in various National Parks around the country. After school, I moved to South Africa to study at Rhodes University where my passion for the outdoors and water led me to an MSc. Degree in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science. Since then I have worked in various aquaculture-related positions and consulted on a broad range of fisheries projects in African countries such as Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. I eventually found myself in Hermanus where I joined the SASC team, initially as the Field Operations Manager and most recently as the Shark Academy Program Manager. It is great to be part of such a motivated team of people and I really enjoy spending time with the interns and volunteers from around the world who come to experience all that SASC and the Shark Academy has to offer.
Meaghen has been studying sharks around the world for the past 20 years. She has a Masters Degree in Fisheries Science, where she specialized in the stock assessment and fishery management of commercially fished sharks in South Africa. She founded the research and conservation NGO, the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) in 2007, and currently manages research programs at SASC and oversees the training of early career scientists and conservationists through the Shark Academy. Meaghen has co-authored scientific papers on sharks and serves as a specialist scientist on a number of international committees. Her expertise in sharks has led her on numerous adventures, and her work has been featured on Animal Planet, BBC Earth, Discovery Channel, Forbes Women Africa, and more. She has also acted as the shark scientist on thrilling expeditions for Land Rover and Discovery Channel. Meaghen’s desire to share sharks with the world in a unique, responsible and interactive way, led her to start The Shark Company in 2018.