Ryan Johnson's Curriculum Vitae

My life as a marine scientist began in 1999, when I moved onto a tiny rock named Dyer Island. Armed with little more than a diminutive boat, I spent the next 16 months fulfilling a simple research brief - learn about the great white shark, and anything else interesting.

Since that stark induction, I have worked continuously to understand the hidden life of the Great White Shark, whilst grabbing any opportunity to assist or collaborate in the many exciting marine programs being conducted throughout Southern Africa, many in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marine and Coastal Management branch.

My white shark research, which formed the basis of my masters and doctoral thesis’s, has been published in local and international journals, and has featured extensively in written and visual media such as National Geographic, Animal Planet, Discovery, and the BBC. My credo as a scientist is to achieve academic excellence through both practical and theoretical skills... To be equally comfortable reconditioning an outboard, free diving to 40 meters, trolling the academic libraries for new research, or performing nested ANOVA’s using Statstica.

Education

• 1995-1997 Bachelor of Science in Zoology, University of Otago, New Zealand
• 1998 Bachelor of Science in Biological Science, University of Wiakato, New Zealand
• 1999 Bachelor of Science (honors) in Zoology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• 2000-2002 Masters of Science in Zoology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• 2003- 2007 Doctorate of Science in Zoology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• 2006 Diploma in Presenting for Television City Varsity, Cape Town, South Africa

Qualifications/Skills

• Commercial skipper’s ticket
• Open, advanced, medical scuba diving (Padi)
• Outboard motor mechanics
• Spearfishing and free diving
• Adobe premier editing
• Satellite and acoustic telemetry
• Statistica, Arcview, Access, Sigma stat, Sigma plot

Theses

• Johnson, R. (1999). The effect of afforestation fragmentation on small mammal assemblages at Groenvaly grasslands. Honous thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
• Johnson, R.L. (2003). Behavioural ecology of the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) at Dyer Island, South Africa. M.Sc Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
• Johnson, R.L. (in process). The behavior and management of white sharks (Carcahadon carcharias) at Mossel Bay, South Africa. Ph.D Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

Selected Scientific writing

• Johnson, R., Ferguson W., van Jaarsveld, A., Chimimba, C. and Bronner G. (2002) The effect of afforestation fragmentation on small mammal assemblages at Groenvaly grasslands. Journal of Mammalogy.
• Ferguson, J.W.H., van Jaarsveld, A.S., Johnson, R., Bredenkamp, G.J., Foord, S.H. & Britz, M. 2003. Rodent induced damage to a pine plantation: a southern African case study. Agri., Eco. Environ. 95: 379-386
• Bonfil, R., Meyer, M.A., Scholl, M.C., Johnson, R.L., O'Brian, S., Oosthuizen, W.H., Swanson, S., Kotze, D. & Patterson M. (2005). Transoceanic migration, long-distance return migration and local movement patterns in the great white shark. Science 301:100-103.
• Johnson, R.L., Venter, A., Bester, M.N., & Oosthuizen, W.H. (2006) Seabird predation by white shark, Carcharodon carcharias and Cape fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus at Dyer Island. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 36(1): 23-32.
• Johnson, R. & A. Kock. (2006) White shark cage diving – cause for concern? (2006) In Nel D.C. & Peschak T.P.(eds) Finding a balance: white shark conservation and recreational safety in the inshore waters of Cape town, South Africa: proceedings of a specialist workshop. WWF South Africa Report Series – 2006/Marine/001
• Kock, A. & Johnson, R. (2006) White shark abundance: not a causative factor in the numbers of shark bite incidents. In Nel D.C. & Peschak T.P.(eds) Finding a balance: white shark conservation and recreational safety in the inshore waters of Cape town, South Africa: proceedings of a specialist workshop. WWF South Africa Report Series – 2006/Marine/001
• Oelofse, G., Kock, A., Johnson, R. and Haskins C. (2006) Is there a relationship between White Shark presence and the management of city estuaries and river mouths? In Nel D.C. & Peschak T.P.(eds) Finding a balance: white shark conservation and recreational safety in the inshore waters of Cape town, South Africa: proceedings of a specialist workshop. WWF South Africa Report Series – 2006/Marine/001
• Johnson, R.L., Keswick, T., Bester, M.N. & Oosthuizen W.H. (in review) Predator – prey dynamics between the white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) at Dyer Island, South Africa. (In review – Marine Mammal Science)
• Johnson, R.L., Staverees, L. & Bester, M.N. (in review) Non-aggressive interactions between white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). (In review - South African Journal of Science)

Selected Scientific Conference Presentations and Posters

• Johnson, R.L., Oosthuizen, W.H., Bester, M.N., Meyer, M.A., Swanson, S. & Kotze, D. (2004). Habitat utilization of the white shark in South Africa, using acoustic telemetry. In Abstract of workshop: Conservation Research of Great White Sharks. 20-22 January (Wildlife Conservation Society, New York)
• Johnson R. (2002) Prey preference in the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). 6th Annual Indo-pacific fish conference. Durban 2002 (poster presentation)
• Johnson, R. (2006) Residency patterns and habitat use of white sharks at Mossel Bay, South Africa. American Elasmobranch Society, New Orleans, 2006
• Johnson, R. (presented by E. Gennari). (2006) Acoustic telemetry offers new insight into the hunting behaviour of white sharks at Seal Island. American Elasmobranch Society, New Orleans, 2006
• Johnson, R. (2005) Attacks by White sharks and Cape fur Seals on seabirds at Dyer Island. Dept of Zoology, University of Pretoria, Annual General Meeting, 2005
• Johnson, R, Oosthuizen, H, Bester, M.N. (2000) The impact of cage diving on the great white shark (Carchardon carcharias). International Association for impact assessment – South African Affiliate. Annual conference, Bloemfontain.
• Johnson, R., Scholl, M.C. Oosthuizen, W.H., Bester, M.N., Sadie, D. (2002). Activity patterns of thei white shark (Carcharodon carchaias) at Dyer Island, South Africa. South African Zoological Society annual conference. Port Elizabeth.

Media Productions

Year	Program	Producer	Role
National Geographic
2000	Diving shark alley	National Geographic	Scientific Talent
2002	Earth pulse	Beyond Productions	Scientific Talent
2004	Naked Science	Pioneer Productions	Scientific Talent
2006	Shark Sonics	National Geographic	Scientific Talent
2007	Earth Investigated	Pioneer Productions	Scientific Talent
2007	Sharkville	Obsessively creative	Scientific host
2008	Shark pit	Off the fence	Scientific host
Discovery Channel
2006	Dirty Jobs – Jobs that bite	Piligian Productions	Scientific Talent
2006	Surviving a shark attack	Piligian Productions	Scientific Talent
2006	After the Attack	Triosphere	Scientific Talent
2007	Shark Tribe	Creative Difference	Scientific host
Animal Planet
2005	Spy on the Wild	BBC Natural History	Scientific Talent
British Broadcasting Company (BBC)
2003	Animal Camera	BBC Natural History	Scientific Talent
Yorkshire Television
2003	Into the deep	Peter Cook	Scientific Talent
SABC
2001	Acoustic tracking the great white	50/50	Scientific Talent
2005	White shark dilemma	50/50	Scientific Talent
2006	The Big Question	The Big Question	Panel expert
MNET
2005	Shark chumming	Carte Blanche	Scientific expert
Independent Distribution
2002	Great white experience	Global Ocean Service	Script/Narration
2002	Hunters at the Cape of Storms	Blue Planet Germany	Scientific Advisor
2004	Mozambican giants – the Humpback	Global Ocean Service	Presenter
2006	White shark adventure	Blue Planet Germany	Scientific Talent/Production Assist
2006	The Hunt for Manta Reef	Blue Planet Germany	Scientific Talent/Production Assist
2007	Tracking the Great White Shark	Global Ocean Service	Writer/Scientific talent
2007	A myth called shark	Steve Lichtag	Writer/Scientific talent
2008	Of Shark and Man	LOOKS Medienprod	Scientific talent

References

• Prof. M.N. Bester (Research Professor)

  Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria

  mnbester@zoology.up.ac.za

• Mr. W.H Oosthuizen (Principle Oceanographer)

  Department of Environmental, Affairs and Tourism

  oosthuiz@deat.gov.za

• Dr. S. Dudley (Senior Researcher)

  Natal Sharks Board

  Dudley@shark.co.za