Shark researcher who brings tourists on board
Ornella Weideli paints pictures of the beaches of this world. During an expedition on the Red Sea, she is now directly engaging participants in data collection.
From Bern to the Seychelles: Marine biologist Ornella Weideli with a small reef shark.
Photo: Claire Daly/Save Our Seas Foundation
No, she would not describe herself as a Swiss abroad, as Ornella Wedley denies. But the fact that she has her own apartment in Zurich and her regular income is actually somewhat unusual. It may be due, to some extent, to the epidemic. In fact, Bernese prefer to stay in the coastal waters of tropical islands, such as the Seychelles or French Polynesia. This 35-year-old from Bern – his accent is filled with English expressions that indicate an international research routine – is a marine biologist.
Training experience in the Bahamas
It’s the sharks that Weideli are attracted to. To be more precise: the eating behavior of baby sharks and their role in their respective ecosystems. “During my training at Bimini, I learned, among other things, how to examine the stomach of a juvenile shark. This is done through what is called a gastric lavage. What resulted… which completely amazed me,” she recalls the main experiment at the famous Bimini Biological Field Station. in the Bahamas.
While many in landlocked Switzerland are discouraged from becoming a marine biologist – apart from not having access to the sea, there is no set course – the Bernese national has made her way to her dream job and has dedicated the past 12 years to shark research. She accepts that it’s always at odds because work or research (or as she calls it: life) happens somewhere other than where you actually live at home.
A vacation destination for some, a shark researcher’s workplace: the Seychelles from a bird’s-eye view.
Photo: Michael Schull/Save Our Seas Foundation
“It’s amazing how many people find what I do exciting,” she says, commenting on the interest she sees in her home country. “Especially when there are children involved,” perhaps primarily because she works with animals. And they are not just animals, but precisely those that are able to fascinate people like only a few. Often the question arises whether its function is not dangerous.
‘Fear is unfounded’
“I can understand this fear of sharks to some extent,” Weideli says. “Unfortunately, the media is still promoting them.” But, according to the researcher, despite everything she knows, they are unfounded. Accidents are extremely rare, but they are exaggerated. And: “There are over 500 species of sharks. Most of these are found in deep water. So it’s not where we humans are. Most of them are no more than a meter long.”
Less than five minutes later, the animals’ ghost was over – and the researchers got important data.
Photo: Michael Schull/Save our Seas Foundation
With a body length of 40-65 cm, Weideli searchers, small lemon sharks and black-headed sharks, also fall into the quieter variety. It also makes working with them easier. “Baby sharks” are caught with so-called gillnets, where – as the name implies – the animals are caught in the area of \u200b\u200bthe gills. Then competence is required: “We have to free the young animals very quickly, otherwise they can suffocate,” the Swiss explain. The experienced researcher and her team never need more than five minutes for subsequent data collection and sampling. And according to Weideli, not harming the sharks is extremely important to them.
The animals are caught using nets.
Photo: Rainer von Brandis / Save Our Seas Foundation
Locals and tourists care
As the Bernese native conducts research where others go on vacation, her work in coastal waters does not go unnoticed. Tourists, as well as locals, care about what happens when a marine biologist and her team do their work on the beach. Rather than being stung by curiosity, Weideli is pleased with this interest and allows people to participate in what is happening.
Ornella Weideli loves to let people participate in her work.
Photo: Hugo Bischoff
At this point at the latest, the fear of predators at sea usually ends: “Especially with the local kids in French Polynesia, I sometimes had to be careful not to get cocky,” says the marine biologist. “They would love to scratch the heads of animals,” she continues with a laugh. “Even if these baby sharks are very small and cute, they still have sharp teeth,” he points out.
Anyway, I noticed a great interest in sharks in the community. Perhaps also because marine organisms are becoming more and more present in the debate on climate change. And this is exactly where Weideli comes in with her research goals, but also with her work in public relations. Through her research, she wants to show how important healthy nature is. She receives support from the Save Our Seas Foundation, a marine conservation organization that promotes research and innovative initiatives – especially when sharks and rays are a focus.
Children in particular are very interested in baby sharks. Like here in French Polynesia.
Pictured: Hendrik Jorsen
in the doctoral thesis Show Weideli Among other things, the stomachs of young sharks in Saint Joseph Atoll in Seychelles are often full and grow rapidly in the first months of their lives. “In Moorea, French Polynesia, on the other hand, where animals grow in less protected coastal areas, stomachs were often empty and growth rates were correspondingly lower.” And in Bimini, the Bahamas, where there is extensive construction in some areas, the destruction of mangroves is depriving the baby sharks of their primary food source.
“Seeing the effects of environmental destruction on such a small scale clearly impressed me,” said the Bernese. By telling a wide audience of her work – even outside of specialist conferences and research circles – she can demonstrate relationships. Above all: how does the human factor affect it.
Participants in the expedition support the research
Now there is a project that blurs the boundaries between vacation and research. In May, the 35-year-old will lead a one-week event with the Sail & Explore Association in Bern diving trip in the Red Sea. Participants will do more than “just” diving: specialist lectures and discussions about sharks and rays – eg on biology, ecology and current research findings – take place on board the exploration vessel every day.
Participants also support the research with their underwater observations, which is why carrying a camera is a requirement for participation. The images are then made available to the Red Sea Project, a local non-profit organization dedicated to marine conservation. Weideli explains: “This way, we allow participants to participate in the ‘citizen science’ initiative.
Do something meaningful during the holidays
The concept of citizen science, of which there is no truly happy translation in German except for “Bürgerwissenschaft” or “Bürgerforschung”, describes a movement in which non-scientists also support research by observing, documenting or collecting samples.
Holiday guests also find it exciting that Weideli and her team do their work on exotic beaches – like here in the Seychelles.
Photo: Michael Schull/Save Our Seas Foundation
According to the marine biologist, this is an approach that she sees great potential – especially in Switzerland. “Our level of education is very high, many Swiss travel a lot and speak languages. In addition, many professional cameras carry them underwater. This fits perfectly with the idea of citizen science.” Unfortunately, there are only a few corresponding initiatives.
Additionally, the approach will not only benefit science; She is convinced: “If you are going to travel, you want to try something exciting.” “I think a lot of people would like to do something meaningful during their holidays,” he adds.
www.ornellaweideli.com
Did you find an error? Report now.