South Africa is a global hotspot for shark and ray biodiversity — home to over 200 species, including many found nowhere else on Earth. In this episode of Beyond All the Sharks, Chris & Brendan team up with their friend and fellow Shark Doc, Dr. Alison Kock of South African National Parks (SANParks), to dive into the science, conservation, and management of these incredible animals along South Africa’s ~3,000 km coastline.
From white sharks in False Bay to endemic catsharks and shysharks, Dr. Kock has dedicated her career to protecting species that play a critical role in ocean ecosystems.
Thanks to:
📸 Andy Murch – www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | IG: @bigfishexpeditions
📸 Morne Hardenberg – @mornehardenberg
📸 Mark Van Coller – @AtlanticEdgeFilms
📸 Dr. Alison Kock – @alison_kock
Resources & References
🌍 South Africa National Parks
SANParks – https://www.sanparks.org/?home
👩🔬 Dr. Kock's story
Save Our Seas Foundation – https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/alison-kock/
📊 IUCN Red List Assessment for White Shark
Rigby et al., 2022 – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3855/212629880
📈 Preliminary recovery of White Shark in the NW Atlantic
Curtis et al., 2014 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099240
🌊 White Shark habitat shift towards Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Bowlby et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23008622
🌐 Biodiversity & conservation of sharks in South Africa
Ebert & Van Hees, 2014 – https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1048730
Pollom et al., 2024 – https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306813
🐠 South African marine biodiversity & environment
Griffiths et al., 2010 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012008
🐟 Catsharks / Shysharks of South Africa – Population status
Natal Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161667/124524866
Brown Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39346/124403821
Puffadder Shyshark / Happy Eddie – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39345/124403633
Dark Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161650/124521775
Pyjama Shark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39348/124404008
Leopard Catshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161515/124498131
🦑 Endemic sharks of South Africa
Cliff & Olbers, 2022 – https://sharksunderattackcampaign.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_01_17_WILDOCEANS-endemic-and-threatened-sharks-species-reports.pdf
🛡️ Marine protected areas & catsharks / shysharks
Albano et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109302Cortelezzi et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115691
📖 Select work on White Sharks from Dr. Kock
Klimley et al., 2024 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-024-01584-5
Bowlby et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23008622
Towner et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2022.2066723
Towner et al., 2022 – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10078210/
Kock et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.811985
Kock et al., 2018 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40462-018-0125-5
Hewitt et al., 2017 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-017-0679-x
🔄 Effect of White Shark absence on other species / ecological role
Dedman et al., 2024 – https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl2362
👀 Shark Spotters
Shark Spotters – https://sharkspotters.org.za/
Engelbrecht et al., 2017 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185335
⚖️ Human–shark conflict & conservation
Atkins et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X23002956
Sheridan et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104633
Simpfendorfer et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.692767
📝 South African shark conservation priorities
IUCN, 2024 – Global Shark Status Report (South Africa) – https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-024-En_part_6.pdf
In this episode of Beyond All the Sharks, marine ecologists Dr. Chris Malinowski and Dr. Brendan Talwar join fellow Shark Doc Dr. Heather Middleton on Heron Island—a remote research station nestled into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Together, they explore how this iconic island has evolved from a turtle cannery into a hotspot for shark and ray science and what it teaches us about biodiversity, adaptation, and the urgent need for conservation. From the shallow reef flats to the deep impacts of climate change, this is a deep dive into one of the most vibrant marine ecosystems on the planet.
🦈 In this episode, we cover:
– The transformation of Heron Island from turtle cannery to protected Green Zone
– Ray and shark mating behavior, olfactory communication, and reproductive strategies
– Epaulette sharks and their chemical cues: what pheromones can tell us about courtship
– Research at the Heron Island Research Station and its role in global reef science
– How climate change is affecting shark movement, mating, and survival
– The importance of protected zones in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
🎧 Whether you're a marine biologist, conservationist, diver, or shark enthusiast, this episode offers fresh perspectives and emerging science from one of the world’s most studied reefs.
🎙️ About our guest:
Dr. Heather Middleton is a marine scientist and shark researcher based at the Heron Island Research Station. Her recent work focuses on the chemical ecology of elasmobranchs, including groundbreaking research on pheromones in epaulette sharks. She combines field ecology with behavioral studies to better understand how marine species interact, reproduce, and respond to environmental change.
📸 Special thanks to: Andy Murch – www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | Instagram: @bigfishexpeditions; Dr. Heather Middleton, Dr. Lawson (@_alinya), and Dr. Wheeler for their photos and videos; and Dive Spear and Sport – for supporting our dive team at Heron Reef
📚 Further Reading & Resources
For full references and links to the scientific literature mentioned in this episode, visit our YouTube channel @SharkDocs
🔗 Follow us for more shark science and conservation:
📸 Instagram: @shark_docs
▶️ YouTube: @SharkDocs
🎯 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/shark_docs
🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.
#AllTheSharks #SharkPodcast #SharkScience #Elasmobranchs #MarineBiology #OceanConservation #GreatBarrierReef #SharkWeek #ClimateChange #HeronIsland #BeyondAllTheSharks
Beyond All the Sharks is the official companion podcast to the Netflix series All the Sharks. Want to learn more after watching the show?
Join hosts Dr. Chris Malinowski and Dr. Brendan Talwar as they connect with their new friends and fellow Shark Docs, Arzucan Zuzu Askin and Ahmed Ricky Mohamed from the Miyaru Programme in Fuvamulah, Maldives. Together, they explore shark and ray conservation, dive ecotourism, sustainable fisheries, and the evolving perceptions and uses of sharks in this vibrant region of the Indian Ocean.
🌊 In this episode, we cover:
– Shark and ray research and conservation in the Maldives
– The role of dive ecotourism and sustainable practices
– Deep-sea biology and shark ecology
– Fisheries impacts and community engagement
– Changing local and global attitudes toward sharks
🎧 Whether you're a scientist, conservationist, diver, or curious explorer, this episode dives into the connections between culture, conservation, and research in the Maldives—one of the most important and rapidly changing shark hotspots in the world.
🎙️ About our guests:
Arzucan “Zuzu” Askin is a National Geographic Explorer, conservation scientist, and co-founder of the Miyaru Programme. Trained at Oxford’s Seascape Ecology Lab, she specializes in shark-human interactions and the social dimensions of shark conservation.
Ahmed “Ricky” Mohamed is an underwater photographer, videographer, and dive shop owner based in Fuvahmulah. As part of Miyaru’s media storytelling team, he documents local shark populations and helps share the island’s conservation efforts with global audiences through visual media.
📸 Special thanks to:
– Andy Murch (https://www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | Instagram: @bigfishexpeditions)
– Arzucan Zuzu Askin, Ahmed Ricky Mohamed, and Lorea Dandoy for their photos and videos
– Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah and owner Ahmed Inah (@inah_shark) for supporting our team both underwater and on land (https://www.pelagicdiversfuvahmulah.com/)
📚 Further Reading & Resources
For full references, links, and more scientific resources mentioned in this episode, visit our YouTube channel @SharkDocs.
🔗 Follow us for more shark science and ocean stories:
📸 Instagram: @shark_docs
▶️ YouTube: @SharkDocs
🎯 Linktree: linktr.ee/shark_docs
🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.
#AllTheSharks #SharkPodcast #SharkScience #Elasmobranchs #MarineBiology #OceanConservation #Maldives #SharkWeek #ClimateChange #BeyondAllTheSharks #MarineConservation #SharkResearch #OceanScience #WildlifePodcast #CoralReefProtection
