Welcome

I am a published Zoologist and Behavioural Ecologist.  My research interests are predator-prey systems and their relationships with climate change, trophic cascades, and migration channels.  I am also a scientific communicator and a consultant for scicomm projects with NGO/NPOs, universities, and institutes.

Contact me via email (at the bottom of the page) if you have any queries.

Michelle Jewell penguins of Antarctica
Michelle Jewell collecting blood from a red knot
Michelle Jewel with Cape fur seal pup
Michelle Jewell at sea
Michelle Jewell with shark Stanley
Michelle Jewell ringing cormorants on Dyer Island
Michelle Jewell birding
Michelle Jewell with stranded leatherback turtle
Michelle Jewell with sea turtle hatchlings
Michelle Jewell
Michelle Jewell with white shark dissection
Michelle Jewell with white shark jaws
Panel 1

Publications

Please visit my Google Scholar page.

Huveneers, Charlie, et al. (2018) “Future research directions on the ‘elusive’ white shark.” Frontiers in Marine Science 5:455.

Wcisel, M., O’Riain, J.M., de Vos, A., & Chivell, W. (2015) The role of refugia in reducing predation risk for Cape fur seals by white sharks. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 69(1): 127-138*

*This publication was listed on Springer’s “Top Mentioned Articles of 2016”

Jewell, O. J. D, Wcisel, M. A., Towner, A. V., Chivell, W., Van der Merwe, L., & Bester, M. N. (2014) Core habitat use of an apex predator in a complex marine landscape. Marine Ecology Progress Series 506:231-U542

Wcisel, M. (2013) The effects of great white shark presence on the behavior of Cape fur seals at Geyser Rock, Gansbaai, South Africa. University of Cape Town M.Sc. dissertation

Towner, A., Wcisel, M., Reisinger, R., Edwards, D., & Jewell, O. (2013) Gauging the threat: The first population estimate for white sharks in South Africa using photo identification and automated software. PLoS One 8(6):e66035

Jewell, O. J. D., & Wcisel, M. (2012) Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) stranding at Danger Point, South Africa. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 42.2: 147-150

Jewell, O. J. D., Wcisel, M., Genarri, E., Towner, A., Bester, M., Johnson, R. & Singh, S. (2011) Effects of SPOT-tag deployment on white sharks in South Africa. PLoS One 6(11):e27242

Wcisel, M., Chivell, W., & Gottfriend, M. D. (2010) A potential predation attempt by a great white shark on an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 40(2): 184 – 187

Panel 2

Research Projects

Note – I am not currently able to supervise students. 

Title: “Arctic meltdown tropical seagrass meadows via migrant shorebird”
Role: Researcher

Title: “Ethology of Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena Australis).”  M.Sc. by Petra Neveceralova. [PDF Download:Diploma thesis_Neveceralova]
Role: Academic Supervisor

Title:  “The effects of white shark presence on the behaviour of Cape fur seals”
Role: Researcher (M.Sc. thesis)

Title: “Population estimate of white sharks at Gansbaai, South Africa.” The Dyer Island Conservation Trust.
Role: Collaborator

Title: “Habitat use of white sharks established with manual acoustic telemetry.” The Dyer Island Conservation Trust.
Role: Collaborator

Panel 4

In the news

Great White Shark Babies. Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
High fins:  Shark Week is finally featuring female scientists.  International Business Times.
Injured great white shark swims free after mishap in shallow water (Video). Earth Touch News.
Crafty orcas take down white sharks and float their livers like tasty buoys. Earth Touch News.
Meet ‘Gums,’ the great white shark with an adorably toothless grin. Earth Touch News.
Bullied out of research.  Science.
Foolish human does ‘The Worm’ on a dead whale. EarthTouch News.
Seagulls Have a Gruesome New Way of Attacking Baby Seals. National Geographic.
Shark Week is once again making things up.  Vox.
Meet a shark scientist this Shark Week: Predator/prey expert Michelle Jewell. EarthTouch News.
The Best Shark Biologists and Conservationists to Follow During Shark Week. Scientific American.
Sexist comments spark “distractingly sexy” tweets from female scientists. CBS News.
Great white sharks are really spastic poopers (yes, we have video). EarthTouch News.
How seals use subsurface structures to sneak by white sharks. Gills Club.
Behind the Fins: Michelle Jewell. Fins United.
Meet Shark Biologist Michelle Wcisel. Sharks4Kids.
Graphic Content Warning: Six seals found in one shark stomach.  EarthTouch News.
SHARK WEEK SPECIAL: MEET SHARK HERO, MICHELLE WCISEL! Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
Gills Club Science Team Member – Michelle Wcisel [VIDEO]
Before They Were Scientists: Michelle Wcisel. Your Wild Life.
The Best Shark Dive In The World: Michelle!