Ryan Johnson (marine scientist)
Encyclopedia
Ryan Johnson is a marine biologist specializing in researching sharks. He is best known for the shark documentaries that he features in and hosts.
. At the University of Pretoria
he conducted his honours, masters and doctoral theses. During this time he spent a year living on Dyer Island where he began his research into the Great White Shark's life history. In 2007, he co-founded Oceans Research with three colleagues.
, South Africa
with his partner Fiona Ayerst and son Finn Johnson where he conducts research as a Scientist in Residence at Oceans Research, while also directing the work of other divisions of the Oceans such as multimedia design company Oceans Interactive and great white shark
inspired clothing range Carcharias.
hunting Cape fur seal
at night time, a previously unknown behavior.
Between 2001 and 2005 Ryan conducted research on the controversial practise of chumming great white shark for tourism, often called cage diving, where he discovered evidence of conditioning, however he did not link this to increased numbers of attacks on human beings.11,13
In January 2008 he led a pilot study to Ponto Do Ora (Mozambique
) on the Zambezi shark, also known as the Bull shark
22.
) and After the Attack (Discovery Channel
). Since 2006 he has hosted Shark Tribe with Dave Salmoni
(Discovery Channel
)3, Sharkville (National Geographic)5,6,7,17,18 and Shark Pit Mystery (National Geographic) 24. In 2008, Ryan was a guest on Good Morning America
with Diane Sawyer
, The O'Rielly Factor with Bill O'Reilly
25, Fox and Friends, Inside Edition
and Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
1.
Ryan has appeared locally on South African television in productions such as pasella23, 50/50, Carte Blanche and the Big Question debate show.
While on a study in Sharkville, a shark-infested area off Africa's coast, shark expert Ryan Johnson made the discovery of a lifetime, great whites hunting at night. For the first time on film, witness this remarkable sight
The discovery of what native Mauritian diver and keen naturalist Hugues Vitry calls 'shark pits' is the origin of unanswered questions about the unusual behavior of sharks in underground caves off the coast of Mauritius. Why do dozens of sharks aggregate in these pits? Why do they act so strangely while there? In a bid to answer these questions, Hugues teams up with shark scientist Ryan Johnson. We join them as they enter the underwater world of Mauritius to explore the mysteries of 'The Shark Pit.
Rogue Nature's Dave Salmoni and shark scientist, Ryan Johnson, journey to the wild tribal shores of New Ireland, New Guinea, to unravel the mysterious secrets of the shark whisperers who "call" in sharks without bait and catch them by hand
shark shoots skyward, tackling a herd of seals, as Nat Geo expert Ryan Johnson heads to sea with researcher Alta De Vos. Join the pair as they unravel a mystery surrounding Seal Island. Explore what seals do to avoid the great whites' jaws.
This is the story of two marine giants - the largest toothed predator on Earth, and one of the largest of all squid. One predator. The other prey. And following them, Ryan Johnson and a team of marine biologists who want to attach a remote camera to a sperm whale to record what happens a thousand feet beneath the sea. This high seas adventure will test everything theyve got. Its a mission into the deep, a mission into the unknown. A scientific quest to understand one of the great wildlife mysteries on our plane
Forget the notorious Great White. Today, a different shark is making headlines with stories of sightings and attacks not in oceans but far inland: the bull shark. With its special ability to tolerate freshwater, the bull can take its jaws where virtually no other shark can go: upriver! As human populations grow and bull shark habitats shrink, where and how will people and bull sharks collide? One obsessed team -- a famed marine biologist Ryan Johnson and an expert angler - is determined to find answers and sets out to catch and explore this unique apex predator: fifty miles upriver!
Early life
Ryan Johnson grew up in the coastal town of Mount Manganui, New Zealand. As an avid sailor, rower and snorkeler, his passion for the oceans was established early. Growing up his other passion was Rugby where he gained his provincial age group colours and represented Tauranga Boys' College's 1st IV in 1993 & 1994 as a flanker.South Africa
In 1998 he moved to South Africa, from his native New Zealand, to pursue a scientific career researching the Great White SharkGreat white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
. At the University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
he conducted his honours, masters and doctoral theses. During this time he spent a year living on Dyer Island where he began his research into the Great White Shark's life history. In 2007, he co-founded Oceans Research with three colleagues.
Personal life
At present, Ryan lives in Mossel BayMossel Bay
Mossel Bay is a harbour town of about 130,000 people on the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
with his partner Fiona Ayerst and son Finn Johnson where he conducts research as a Scientist in Residence at Oceans Research, while also directing the work of other divisions of the Oceans such as multimedia design company Oceans Interactive and great white shark
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
inspired clothing range Carcharias.
Research highlights
Ryan was part of the first South African team to successfully attach a satellite transmitters to a great white shark on 24 July 2001.8 His major scientific discoveries have been the satellite tracking of Nicole (a 3.6m great white shark) on a return migration from South Africa to Australia and back21, and documenting the Great White SharkGreat white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
hunting Cape fur seal
Cape Fur Seal
The brown fur seal , also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and the Australian fur seal is a species of fur seal.-Description:...
at night time, a previously unknown behavior.
Between 2001 and 2005 Ryan conducted research on the controversial practise of chumming great white shark for tourism, often called cage diving, where he discovered evidence of conditioning, however he did not link this to increased numbers of attacks on human beings.11,13
In January 2008 he led a pilot study to Ponto Do Ora (Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
) on the Zambezi shark, also known as the Bull shark
Bull shark
The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers...
22.
Television programs
Between 1998 and present Ryan has featured as a marine scientist in numerous documentaries including Naked Science (National Geographic)15, Earth Investigated (National geographic), Animal Camera (BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
) and After the Attack (Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
). Since 2006 he has hosted Shark Tribe with Dave Salmoni
Dave Salmoni
Dave Salmoni is a Canadian animal trainer, entertainer and television producer. He has his own production company, Triosphere, which is based in South Africa and specializes in wildlife films.-Personal life:...
(Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
)3, Sharkville (National Geographic)5,6,7,17,18 and Shark Pit Mystery (National Geographic) 24. In 2008, Ryan was a guest on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
with Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
, The O'Rielly Factor with Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
25, Fox and Friends, Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
and Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld is a late-night/early-morning satirical talk show on the Fox News Channel, airing at 3:00 am ET Tuesday through Saturday. The show features panelists and guests discussing the latest news in politics, pop culture, entertainment, business, sports, and religion...
1.
Ryan has appeared locally on South African television in productions such as pasella23, 50/50, Carte Blanche and the Big Question debate show.
While on a study in Sharkville, a shark-infested area off Africa's coast, shark expert Ryan Johnson made the discovery of a lifetime, great whites hunting at night. For the first time on film, witness this remarkable sight
The discovery of what native Mauritian diver and keen naturalist Hugues Vitry calls 'shark pits' is the origin of unanswered questions about the unusual behavior of sharks in underground caves off the coast of Mauritius. Why do dozens of sharks aggregate in these pits? Why do they act so strangely while there? In a bid to answer these questions, Hugues teams up with shark scientist Ryan Johnson. We join them as they enter the underwater world of Mauritius to explore the mysteries of 'The Shark Pit.
Rogue Nature's Dave Salmoni and shark scientist, Ryan Johnson, journey to the wild tribal shores of New Ireland, New Guinea, to unravel the mysterious secrets of the shark whisperers who "call" in sharks without bait and catch them by hand
shark shoots skyward, tackling a herd of seals, as Nat Geo expert Ryan Johnson heads to sea with researcher Alta De Vos. Join the pair as they unravel a mystery surrounding Seal Island. Explore what seals do to avoid the great whites' jaws.
This is the story of two marine giants - the largest toothed predator on Earth, and one of the largest of all squid. One predator. The other prey. And following them, Ryan Johnson and a team of marine biologists who want to attach a remote camera to a sperm whale to record what happens a thousand feet beneath the sea. This high seas adventure will test everything theyve got. Its a mission into the deep, a mission into the unknown. A scientific quest to understand one of the great wildlife mysteries on our plane
Forget the notorious Great White. Today, a different shark is making headlines with stories of sightings and attacks not in oceans but far inland: the bull shark. With its special ability to tolerate freshwater, the bull can take its jaws where virtually no other shark can go: upriver! As human populations grow and bull shark habitats shrink, where and how will people and bull sharks collide? One obsessed team -- a famed marine biologist Ryan Johnson and an expert angler - is determined to find answers and sets out to catch and explore this unique apex predator: fifty miles upriver!
External links
Scientific articles
- Rodent induced damage to pine plantations
- Delayed response to affrostation impact by small mammals
- Developing techniques and precedures for large shark telemetry
- White shark abundance not a causative factor in shark attack incidence
- White shark cage diving - Cause for concern?
- Seabird predation by white sharks and Cape fur seals
- Transoceanic migrations of a white shark
- White sharks relationship to esturary and river openings