BY THE NUMBERS
46
EXPEDITIONS
437
TAGGED ANIMALS
200
SCIENTISTS
1
BIG BOAT
TIMELINE
2007
GUADALUPE ISLAND, MX
OCEARCH embarks on its first expedition to Guadalupe Island, Mexico.
2008
RETURN TO GUADALUPE ISLAND, MX
OCEARCH returns to Guadalupe Island, Mexico, and tags nine great white Sharks, including Amy, seen above. At the time of tagging she was 16ft long and estimated at 3395 pounds.
2009
Four Expeditions in the Pacific
OCEARCH embarks on four expeditions: the Shared Offshore Foraging Area (SOFA), Malibu, California, Farallon Islands, and Guadalupe Island, Mexico for the third time.
2010
“Shark Men” debuts on National Geographic Channel
OCEARCH debuts a new TV show on NatGeo called Shark Men that documents its expeditions. OCEARCH launches two expeditions in the Sea of Cortez, and one in the Revillagigedo Islands.
2011
Three Multi-species Expeditions
OCEARCH sets out on three multi-species expeditions - Cocos Islands, Boca Grande, and Boca Grande Pass - and tags Bull, Scalloped Hammerhead, Tiger, Silvertip, Silky, Blacktip, and Galapagos sharks.
2012
Shark Wranglers debuts on National Geographic Channel
The year begins with the start of a new TV show: Shark Wranglers. The show chronicles the team’s efforts to tag 40 sharks in 50 days.
2012
40 White Sharks Tagged in South Africa
OCEARCH holds two expeditions in South Africa and tags a total of 40 great white sharks.
2012
Global Shark Tracker v1 launches
Version 1 of the Global Shark Tracker is launched because Chris Fischer, OCEARCH Founder and Expedition Leader, had the vision that anyone in the world should have access to the knowledge they want in real-time.
2012
Mary Lee tagged in Cape Cod, MA
In the fall of 2012, OCEARCH tags White Shark Mary Lee during an expedition in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This legendary shark put OCEARCH on the map. Everyone followed Mary Lee’s journey along the Eastern coast of the United States. Her tracks are an important part of the data collected as they inspired the Jacksonville and New York Expeditions.
2013
White Shark Lydia tracked across Mid-Atlantic ridge
A few months after Mary Lee’s tagging in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, she appears off the coast of Jacksonville, FL. OCEARCH follows suit and launches an expedition in that same area. On the last day of the expedition, after 20 cold days at sea, the team finally catches White Shark Lydia. Since then, Lydia has made history. She is the first shark to have been documented crossing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
2014
Landry’s STEM Partnership Launched
In 2014 OCEARCH met a teacher who was incorporating the Global Shark Tracker in her lesson plans to teach her students about math and science. Inspired by the possibility to reach thousands of students, OCEARCH partnered with Landry’s, Inc. team of program writers to create an entire K-8 STEM Curriculum. Through this, we are able to offer lessons in physics, math, biology, chemistry, oceanography, social sciences, and geography.
2014
Expeditions to the Galapagos, Chile and Brazil
OCEARCH embarks on three expeditions with a focus on tiger sharks: Galapagos, Chile, and Brazil.
2015
EXPEDITIONS TO AUSTRALIA TO TAG TIGER SHARKS
OCEARCH sets out for two expeditions - one in East Australia, and the other in West Australia - in the hopes of tagging tiger sharks. The expedition in West Australia proved to be one of the most productive in OCEARCH tiger shark tagging history: 20 sharks in 11 days.
2015
EXPLORATION OFF THE COAST OF MEXICO
After 60 days of transit from Australia to the Gulf of Mexico, OCEARCH begins an expedition in the hopes of understanding the interaction between sharks and the oil and gas platforms present in the Gulf, and how this relationship compares to natural reefs and other ocean features.
2016
Jacksonville Expedition
OCEARCH returns to Jacksonville, FL for the first time since tagging White Shark Lydia in 2013. Although the team did not tag any white sharks on this trip, it did tag four Tiger, two Blacknose and one Sand Tiger.
2016
Confirmed White Shark Nursery off Long Island, NY
Following the tracks laid down by sharks like Mary Lee, OCEARCH traveled to Long Island, NY to determine whether the south shore of Long Island may serve as a nursery area for the great white shark. The OCEARCH team partnered with NOAA Fisheries to tag nine young-of-the-year white sharks, thus confirming that the area does serve this purpose.
2016
Expedition Nantucket
During a three-week expedition in the waters off Nantucket, Massachusetts, OCEARCH tagged its first mature male white shark, George. Satellite-tagging a mature male was an important milestone, because now scientists are able to overlap male and female tracks and begin understanding where they meet, eventually helping us determine breeding areas.
2017
OCEARCH partners with Jacksonville University
OCEARCH begins the year by joining forces with Jacksonville University to foster unique opportunities for college student-centric education and promote experiential learning. Not only do students benefit from this collaboration at a classroom level, but they are also involved at the forefront of high-caliber research.
2017
Southern Tide + OCEARCH
Southern Tide and OCEARCH partner to build awareness on the conservation and education of keystone marine species. The two brands’ goals are to collaborate on a co-branded capsule apparel and accessories collection to be sold online and with exclusive retail partners, while also engaging on-ship expeditions to support OCEARCH’s groundbreaking scientific research.
2017
First Mature Male White Shark Tagged
For its 28th expedition, OCEARCH launches an expedition in the Lowcountry - Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina - during which the team samples and tags Hilton, a mature male white shark who had motile sperm ready for fertilization of a female’s eggs.
WHAT WE DO
SCIENCE
Research expeditions are conducted aboard the M/V OCEARCH, which serves as an at-sea laboratory. The M/V OCEARCH offers a 75,000 lb. capacity hydraulic platform designed to safely lift mature marine animals out of the ocean for access by a multi-disciplined research team to gather up to 12+ samples in 15 minutes.
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EDUCATION
The OCEARCH STEM Curriculum enables students to learn STEM skills while following the real-time data on the movements of their favorite sharks. The free curriculum, available for grades K-8, is based on the OCEARCH Tracker and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
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MEDIA
OCEARCH operates in the “Now”, with our team of multimedia storytellers, we are bringing the world along in real time as we chase scientific data. With the help of the OCEARCH Tracker and social media platforms, we are leading the conversation on shark science in the digital space.
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PHOTO GALLERY
THE TEAM
Dave
Stevenson
Stevenson
Co-Captain & Ship Engineer
Chris
Fischer
Fischer
Founder & Expedition Leader
Brett
McBride
McBride
Co-Captain & Fishing Master
Harley
Newton, VMD, Dipl.ACVP
Newton, VMD, Dipl.ACVP
Chief Scientist & Veterinarian
OCEARCH
OCEARCH
Dr. Robert
Hueter
Hueter
Senior Advisor for Science & Academics
John
Tyminski
Tyminski
Data Scientist
OCEARCH
OCEARCH
DJ
Lettieri
Lettieri
Leaderman
Christian
Purcell
Purcell
Leaderman
Heather
Barton
Barton
Chief Financial Officer
Nicole
Ralston
Ralston
CMO
Paige
Finney
Finney
Communications Specialist
Avery
McAlhany
McAlhany
Content Specialist
Alex
Thomas
Thomas
Program Coordinator
ANNUAL REPORTS
FAQ
What does OCEARCH do that is so unique?
OCEARCH is a data-centric organization built to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean while open sourcing our research and explorations. Open sourcing and inclusion at every level, and in real-time, allows the world to participate in our projects while being aware of the developing science.
Why is the research important?
Global conservation and public safety requires data that does not currently exist
What happens with the studies?
Several peer-reviewed papers have been published based on OCEARCH expeditions and resulting studies, and there are more in preparation. The studies, once published, become a basis for informed policy and management decisions.
What happens to the data you’ve collected?
We share the data, including samples collected and tracking data, with collaborating institutions and students who request them for their studies. The tracking data is also open-sourced to the public via the OCEARCH Tracker.
