REFLECTIONS ON A RARE BASKING SHARK ENCOUNTER
August 2020
Dr. Simon Berrow narrates his experience with basking sharks in the fall off West Clare. The species is often seen feeding in this area in the spring - but the seasonal timing of this experience was not the only unusual component...
ABOUT US
© Alexandra McInturf
WHO WE ARE
The Irish Basking Shark Group (IBSG) and its regional subgroups (such as the Inishowen Basking Shark Study Group (IBSSG)) are an amalgamation of conservation scientists based on the island of Ireland. Our team is international, comprised of researchers, citizen scientists, and educators in Ireland, the UK, and the United States. Our aim is to educate the public and policymakers on the science, biology, and conservation of the basking shark in Irish waters. We strive to promote responsible and sustainable research, and encourage better understanding and monitoring of this species both in Ireland and on a global scale. To do so, our research projects actively focus on contributing to existing knowledge on basking sharks, and we simultaneously work to promote the development of partnerships with relevant organisations worldwide. We also actively advocate for science-informed protection for basking sharks in Ireland and use community support to further conservation goals on a national scale.
OUR AIM
We are an organisation that facilitates and connects individuals and groups to achieve conservation success for basking sharks. We combine community engagement, advocacy, and research to advance science-based conservation goals for basking sharks in Ireland.
We strive to achieve our aim through:
| EDUCATION: Communicate Irish shark knowledge from the local to the international stage.
| ADVOCACY: Collaborate with researchers, policymakers, and the public to advocate for the needs of basking sharks in Ireland.
| RESEARCH: Work with international researchers to increase knowledge of basking sharks and their conservation needs in Ireland.
THE TEAM
Emmett Johnston, PhD
Co-founder,
Researcher
Divisional Ecologist, National Parks and Wildlife Service;
External Researcher, Queen's University Belfast
Emmett Johnston co-founded the IBSG in 2009 and is involved in all facets of the groups activities, including: conservation policy, research, education, and community liaison. His research is currently focused on the movement, behavior and connectivity of basking sharks in the North Atlantic. He is proponent of integrated coastal zone management and the ecosystem approach to the development of applied techniques for the conservation of vulnerable species and habitats.
Simon Berrow, PhD
Co-founder,
Researcher
Lecturer, GMIT;
CEO Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
It took Simon 15 years to tag his first basking shark; off West Kerry in 2008. Since then he has tagged over 400 and pioneered the technique of obtaining DNA from basking shark mucus. He lectures on the Applied Freshwater and Marine Degree at GMIT and is CEO of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, which validates all basking shark sighting records.
Alexandra McInturf, PhD
Co-coordinator,
Researcher
Research Associate, Oregon State University
Alex McInturf is a research associate in the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. She examines the link between behavior, movement, and conservation in marine apex predators using biotelemetry and biologging. Among her research endeavors, she has studied basking sharks in both ocean basins, from Ireland to the west coast of North America.
Donal Griffin, PhD
Co-coordinator,
Researcher
Policy Officer, Fair Seas Ireland
Donal is a marine biologist who has worked with the IBSG since 2010, and carried out research on the diving behaviour of basking shark in Irish coastal waters. Donal has a keen interest in environmental policy making, and currently works as policy officer with Fair Seas Ireland.
Chelsea Gray, PhD
Researcher,
Science Communicator
Environmental Policy Advisor
Chelsea Gray’s current research is interdisciplinary, incorporating individual-based modeling, social science research, and policy development to advance basking shark conservation goals. Her previous research includes public perceptions of basking sharks and basking shark tourism in Ireland. Chelsea is also dedicated to scientific outreach, with experience in education, writing, and video editing.
Natasha Phillips, PhD
Scientific advisor
Marine Biologist and Documentary Filmmaker, Swimming Head Productions
Natasha Phillips is a marine biologist with a PhD on the ecology of oceanic fishes and has previously been the telemetry & biologging lead on basking shark research projects in UK & Irish waters. She now focuses on creating science and wildlife stories as an independent documentary filmmaker, with her award-winning feature film on basking sharks being selected for three international film festivals.
Caroline Lynam, MSc
Researcher,
Science Communicator
Marine Officer, Marine Management Organisation
Caroline is a marine biologist with a keen interest in spatial ecology of elasmobranchs. From her MSc, she has experience working with social network analysis. She is passionate about shark conservation in Irish waters and scientific outreach.
Ruth Leeney, PhD
Researcher
Teaching Fellow, University College Dublin
Ruth is a marine biologist and science communicator. As well as previous research on basking sharks off the Cornish coast, she has developed projects to collect baseline data on sharks, skates and rays in low-income countries, and the socio-economic and cultural importance of these species to coastal communities. She contributes to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group's working groups on bycatch and the human elements of shark research and conservation, and is the founder and manager of the Namibia's Rays and Sharks project.
Jenny Bortoluzzi, PhD
Researcher,
Science Communicator
Project Coordinator, Irish Environmental Network
Jenny Bortoluzzi is a marine biologist based in Dublin (Ireland) where she completed her PhD at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 2023 using an interdisciplinary approach to study the ecology, biology and conservation of blue sharks and porbeagles. She has since gone on to work for the IUCN Shark Specialist Group on the Important Shark and Ray Project, followed by a position as a Teaching and Research Fellow back in the Department of Zoology at TCD. She is now a Project Coordinator for the Irish Environmental Network working on Offshore Renewable Energy and Marine Biodiversity. She has been an ambassador for Sharks4Kids since 2019 and is a passionate science communicator. Her research interests lay in using transdisciplinary approaches to identifying critical habitats of elasmobranchs to inform policy, management and conservation.
FORMER AFFILIATES
Many IBSG team members have been critical to our success. They include education specialists, environmental managers, and marine biologists:
Rosemary McCloskey
Paul Mayo
Lucy Hunt
Heather Vance
Paul Mensink
Danny McFadden
Karl King
Pádraig Whooley
And many others. If you are interested in collaborating with us, please reach out!