Enrico Gennari

Gennari was born in Rome in 1977. He has said that he was intending to study the great white shark from the age of six.

He received a master's degree in Natural Science from the Sapienza University of Rome in February 2004, magna cum laude. His degree thesis was on a vertebral ageing study of Etmopterus spinax, a bottom-dwelling shark typical of the Mediterranean Sea, creating a new technique to "read" very difficult vertebra for the first time.

Gennari took a year break in Ustica, near Sicily, working as a scuba diving instructor, then worked for nine months in 2005, studying the behaviour of white sharks including their night time predatory behaviour.

Gennari then enrolled at Rhodes University for his PhD study on the thermo physio-ecology of white sharks, under the supervision of Paul Cowley from SAIAB. Meanwhile he established a non-governmental marine research institute focused on marine megafauna, called the Oceans Research Institute. Gennari got his PhD in 2015.

He is the Director of Research at Oceans Research Institute in Mossel Bay, an Honorary Research Associate of the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), a research associate at the Rhodes University’s Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science (DIFS) and Adjunct Senior Researcher within the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, at the University of Tasmania. He is one of the founding members of the South African White Shark Research Group (SAWSRG). he was nominated by the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment for both the Shark Advisory Group and the Marine Mammal Technical Committee for the Top Predator Scientific Working Group.

He has published 30 peer reviewed papers, including in Nature. He has supervised 3 PhD, 9 MSc and 4 BSc (Hon) students, in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, the University of Cape Town, Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University, University of Tasmania (AUS), University of Brussels (Belgium) and Dalhousie University (Canada).

• 2006 Discovery Channel: After the Attack
• 2007 Discovery Channel: Shark Tribe
• 2007 National Geographic Channel: Sharkville
• 2008: French television show Thalassa (France 3).
• 2008: “Predator X” Discovery’s History Channel.
• 2008: Oceans Research’s scientist Enrico Gennari interviewed for the BBC news channel and the  BBC website about the research that Oceans Research carries on in Mossel Bay and the possible interaction between water users and white sharks.
• 2008: Enrico was interviews for BBC article “How to measure a Great White's bite” by Jonah Fisher:    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7759945.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7759377.stm
• 2009: “The beauty and the Shark” by Florian Guthknecht, ARD, 1. German Public TV (2009 )
• 2009: “Orcas: the sea wolves”, producer “Pangolin”, broadcaster “Discovery Channel”
• 2010: Channel Four: Inside Nature's Giants- Episode: The Great White Shark” producer “Windfall”, broadcaster “Channel 4 UK and National Geographic”
• 2012: “Shark Wranglers” History Channel
• 2015: “The White Shark”. NHK Japanese Broadcasting.
• 2021: The CNN’s Inside Africa featured Oceans Research Institute of Mossel Bay as one of the country’s main marine research, conservation and training hub: link

• Kock A., Johnson R.L., Bester M.N., Compagno L., Cliff G., Dudley S., Gennari E., Griffiths C.L., Kotze D., Laroche K., Meyer M.A., Oosthuizen W.H. and Swanson S., 2006. White shark abundance: not a causative factor in numbers of shark bite incidents. In: Finding a balance: white shark conservation and recreational safety in the inshore waters of Cape Town, South Africa. D.C. Nel and T.P. Peschak Eds. WWF South Africa Report Series - 2006/Marine/001
• Gennari E. and Scacco U., 2007. First age and growth estimates in the deep water shark, Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758), by deep coned vertebral analysis. Marine Biology 152 (5): 1207-1214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0769-y
• Johnson R., Bester M.N., Dudley S., Oosthuizen W.H., Meÿer M., Hancke L. and Gennari E., 2009. Coastal swimming patterns of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at Mossel Bay, South Africa. Environmental Biology of Fish 85: 189-200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-009-9477-4
• Gubili C., Johnson R., Gennari E., Oosthuizen W.H., Kotze D., Meÿer M., Sims D., Jones C.S., Swanson S. and Noble L.R., 2009. Concordance of genetic and fin photo identification in the Great White Shark. Marine Biology 156 (10): 2199–2207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1233-y
• Jewell O.J.D., Wcisel M.A., Gennari E., Towner A.V., Bester M.N., Johnson R.L., Singh S., 2011. Effects of smart position only (SPOT) tag deployment on white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in South Africa. PLoS ONE 6 (11): e27242. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0027242
• Delaney D.G., Johnson R., Bester M.N. and Gennari E., 2012. Accuracy of using visual identification of white sharks to estimate residency patterns. PLoS ONE 7(4): e34753. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034753
• Jewell O.J.D., Johnson R.L., Gennari E. and Bester M.N., 2013. Fine scale movements and activity areas of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in Mossel Bay, South Africa. Environmental Biology of Fish 96: 881–894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0084-4
• James B.S., Bester M.N., Penry G.S., Gennari E. and Elwen S.H., 2015. Abundance and degree of residency of humpback dolphins Sousa plumbea in Mossel Bay, South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 37 (3): 383-394. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232x.2015.1083477
• Kempster R.M., Egeberg C.A., Hart N.S., Ryan L., Chapuis L., Kerr C.C., Schmidt C., Huveneers C., Gennari E., Yopak K.E., Meeuwig J.J. and Collin S.P., 2016. How close is too close? The effect of a non-lethal electric shark deterrent on white shark behaviour. PLoS ONE 11(7): e0157717. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157717
• Findlay R., Gennari E., Cantor M. And Tittensor D.P., 2016. How solitary are white sharks: social interactions or just spatial proximity? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 70 (10): 1735-1744. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-016-2179-y  
• Irion D.T., Noble L.R., Kock A.A., Gennari E., Dicken M.L., Hewitt A.M., Towner A.V., Booth A.J., Smale M.J. and Cliff G., 2017. Pessimistic assessment of white shark population status in South Africa: Comment on Andreotti et al. (2016). Marine Ecology Progress Series (577): 251–25. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12283
• Ryan L.A., Chapuis L., Hemmi J.M., Collin S.P., McCauley R., Yopak K.E., Gennari E., Huveneers C., Kempster R.M., Kerr C.C., Schmidt C., Egeberg C.A. and Hart N.S., 2018. Effects of auditory and visual stimuli on shark feeding behaviour: the disco effect. Marine Biology 165 (11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-017-3256-0
• Vermeulen E., Bouveroux T., Plön S., Atkins S., Chivell W., Cockcroft V., Conry D., Gennari E., Hörbst S., James B.S., Kirkman S., Penry G., Pistorius P., Thornton M., Vargas-Fonseca O.A. and Elwen S.H., 2018. Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) movement patterns along the South African coast. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 28:231–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2836
• Maduna S.N., Van Wyk J.H., Da Silva C., Gennari E. and Bester-Van Der Merwe A.E., 2018. Evidence for sperm storage in common smoothhound shark Mustelus mustelus and paternity assessment in a single litter from South Africa. Journal of Fish Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13565
• Kuguru G., Maduna S., da Silva C., Gennari E., Rhode C. and  Bester-van der Merwe A., 2018. DNA barcoding of chondrichthyans in South African fisheries. Fisheries Research 206: 292–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.05.023
• Gennari E., Johnson R.L. and Cowley P.D., 2018. Performance and reliability of active acoustic biotelemetry to best track marine pelagic species in temperate coastal waters. Marine Biology 165:128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-018-3384-1
• Huveneers C., Apps K., Becceri-Garcia E.E., Bruce B., Butcher P.A., Carlisle A., Chapple T., Christiansen H., Cliff G., Curtis T., Daly-Engel T., Dewar H., Dicken M., Domeier M., Duffy C., Ford R., French G., Francis M., Galvan-Magana F., García-Rodríguez E., Gennari E., Graham B., Hayden B., Hoyos-Parilla M., Hussey N.E., Jewell O., Jorgensen S., Kock A., Lowe C., Lyons K., Meyer L.C., Oelofse G., Oñate-González E.C., Oosthuizen H., O'Sullivan J., Ramm K., Skomal G., Sloan S., Smale M., Sosa-Nishizaki O., Sperone E., Tamburin E., Towner A., Wcisel M., Weng K., and Werry J.M., 2018. Future research directions on the ‘elusive’ white shark. Frontiers in Marine Science, section Marine Megafauna https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00455
• Egeberg C.A., Kempster R.M., Hart N.S., Ryan L., Chapuis L., Kerr C.C., Schmidt C., Gennari E., Yopak K.E. and Collin S.P., 2019. Not all electric shark deterrents are made equal: Effects of a commercial electric anklet deterrent on white shark behaviour. PLoS ONE 14 (3): e0212851. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212851
• Chapuis L., Collin S.P., Yopak K.E., McCauley R.D., Kempster R.M., Ryan L.A., Schmidt C., Kerr C.C., Gennari E., Egeberg C.A. and Hart N.S., 2019. The effect of underwater sounds on shark behaviour. Scientific Reports 9(1): 6924. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43078-w
• Morse P., Mole M.A., Bester M.N., Johnson R., Scacco U. and Gennari E., 2019. Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) adjust traversing behaviour with lunar conditions in the high white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) density waters of Mossel Bay, South Africa. Marine Ecology Progress Series 622: 219-230. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13051
• Queiroz, N., Humphries, N.E., Couto, A., Vedor, M., da Costa, I., Sequeira, A.M.M., Mucientes, G., Santos, A.M., Abascal, F.J., Abercrombie, D.L., Abrantes, K., Acuña-Marrero, D., Afonso, A.S., Afonso, P., Anders, D., Araujo, G., Arauz, R., Bach, P., Barnett, A., Bernal, D., Berumen, M.L., Bessudo Lion, S.,  Bezerra, N.P.A., Blaison, A.V., Block, B.A., Bond, M.E., Bradford, R.W., Braun, C.D., Brooks, E.J., Brooks, A., Brown, J., Bruce, B.D., Byrne, M.E., Campana, S.E., Carlisle, A.B., Chapman, D.D., Chapple, T.K., Chisholm, J., Clarke, C.R., Clua, E.G., Cochran, J.E.M., Crochelet, E.C., Dagorn, L., Daly, R., Devia Cortés, D., Doyle, T.K., Drew, M., Duffy, C.A.J., Erikson, T., Espinoza, E., Ferreira, L.C., Ferretti, F., Filmalter, J.D., Fischer, C.G., Fitzpatrick, R., Fontes, J., Forget, F., Fowler, M., Francis, M.P., Gallagher, A.J., Gennari, E., Goldsworthy, S.D., Gollock, M.J., Green, J.R., Gustafson, J.A., Guttridge, T.L., Guzman, H.M., Hammerschlag, N., Harman, L., Hazin, F.H.V., Heard, M., Hearn, A.R., Holdsworth, J.C., Holmes, B.J., Howey, L.A., Hoyos, M., Hueter, R.E., Hussey, N.E., Huveneers, C., Irion, D.T., Jacoby, D.M.P., Jewell, O.J.D., Johnson, R., Jordan, L.K.B., Jorgensen, S.J., Joyce, W., Keating Daly, C.A., Ketchum, J.T., Klimley, A.P., Kock, A.A., Koen, P., Ladino, F., Lana, F.O., Lea, J.S.E., Llewellyn, F.,  Lyon, W.S., MacDonnell, A., Macena, B.C.L., Marshall, H., McAllister, J.D., McAuley, R., Meÿer, M.A., Morris, J.J., Nelson, E.R., Papastamatiou, Y.P., Patterson, T.A., Peñaherrera-Palma, C., Pepperell, J.G., Pierce, S.J., Poisson, F., Quintero, L.M., Richardson, A., Rogers, P.J., Rohner, C.A., Rowat, D.R.L., Samoilys, M., Semmens, J.M., Sheaves, M., Shillinger, G., Shivji, M., Singh, S., Skomal, G.B., Smale, M.J., Snyders, L.B., Soler, G., Soria, M., Stehfest, K.M., Stevens, J.D., Thorrold, S.R., Tolotti, M.T., Towner, A., Travassos, P, Tyminski, J.P., Vandeperre, F., Vaudo, J.J., Watanabe, Y.Y., Weber, S.B., Wetherbee, B.M., White, T.D., Williams, S., Zárate, P.M., Harcourt, R., Hays, G.C., Meekan, M.G., Thums, M., Irigoien, X., Eguiluz, V.M., Duarte, C.M., Sousa, L.L., Simpson, S.J., Southall, E.J. and Sims, D.W., 2019. Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries. Nature, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1444-4
• Lucrezi S., Ellis S. and Gennari E., 2019. A test of causative and moderator effects in human perceptions of sharks, their control and framing. Marine Policy 109: 103687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103687
• Grusd S.P., Moloney C.L., Distiller G., Watson R.G.A., Cowley P.D. and Gennari E., 2019. Using mark-recapture methods to estimate population size and survival of pyjama sharks Poroderma africanum in Mossel Bay, South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2019.1670263
• Gennari E., Kock A., Smale M., Towner A., Khan N., Bester L., Johnson R., Fischer C., Meÿer M. and Morse P, 2019. Antibiotic sensitivity of bacterial flora isolated from the oral cavities of live white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in South African waters. South African Journal of Science https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2019/5972
• Kuguru G., Gennari E., Wintner S., Dicken M.L., Klein J.D., Rhode C. and Bester-van der Merwe A.E., 2019. Spatio-temporal genetic variation of juvenile smooth hammerhead sharks in South Africa. Marine Biology Research.  https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2019.1695058
• Dines S.F. and Gennari E., 2019. First observations of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) attacking a live humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Marine and Freshwater Research. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19291
• Seakamela S.M., Hofmeyr G., Vermeulen E., Meyer M., Olbers J., Dicken M., Thompson G., Gennari E., Atkins S., Neveceralova P., Versfeld D., Penry G., Harris J. and Findlay K., 2020. South African Cetacean Research. IWC Scientific Progress Report 2019
• van Staden M., Gledhill K.S., Gennari E., McCord M., Parkinson M., Watson R., Rhode C. and Bester-van der Merwe A.E., 2020. Microsatellite development and detection of admixture among three sympatric Haploblepharus species (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3406
• Scarponi V., Gennari E. and Hughes W., 2021. Physiological response to capture stress in endemic Southern African catsharks (Family Scyliorhinidae). Journal of Fish Biology 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14710
• Lucrezi S. and Gennari E., 2021. Perceptions of shark hazard mitigation at beaches implementing lethal and nonlethal shark control programs. Society & Animals no. aop (2021): 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-BJA10046
• Ryan L.A., Slip D.G., Chapuis L., Collin S.P., Gennari E., Hemmi J.M., How M.J., Huveneers C., Peddemors V.M., Tosetto L. and Hart N.S., 2021. A shark's eye view: testing the 'mistaken identity theory' behind shark bites on humans. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2021.0533
• Klein J.D., Asbury T.A., da Silva C., Hull K.L., Dicken M.L., Gennari E., Maduna S. and Bester-van der Merwe A.E., 2021. Shallow genetic divergence and high site fidelity in the common smoothhound shark Mustelus mustelus confirmed by genetic and tag-recapture data. Journal of Fish Biology doi:10.1111/jfb.14926.

• Oceans Research - Director
• SAIAB Research institute - Scientists
• SHARK - The Great White
• How to measure a Great White's bite
• https://programm.ard.de/TV/Programm/Sender/?sendung=287245774139642

• Oceans Research