Unique Experiences

Item Description

Jennifer V. Schmidt, Ph.D. — Whale Shark Population  and Reproductive Genetics

Meet for lunch or dinner in Galveston or Houston, Texas, and learn much more about whale sharks.

Jennifer is Director of Science and Research at the Shark Research Institute.

A molecular biologist, she has spent the past 15 years studying the population genetics of the whale shark. DNA sequences, called microsatellites, were isolated from the whale shark genome, and along with mitochondrial DNA sequencing, these markers are used to produce genetic “maps” of individual animals sampled at different sites around the world.

In one of her recent studies, Jennifer looked at DNA from whale sharks from the Caribbean to the Indian and Pacific oceans. Results of her study showed little genetic variation between the different populations, indicating the big fish migrate across oceans and breed with other whale shark populations thousands of miles away. This work sheds new light on the behavior of the polka-dotted, filter-feeding giants that can reach 50 feet in length and weigh more than 20 tons.

She also studied the only known litter of whale shark embryos, a sample of the more than 300 pups found inside a female whale shark caught in Taiwan in 1995. A genetic "paternity test" allowed her team to determine that all the embryos had the same father, a finding unexpected given the multiple paternity observed in many other shark species.  This study provided baseline information that helped to counter the almost complete lack of knowledge of whale shark reproduction.

Jennifer has dived with and studied whale sharks in Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and the Arabian Gulf, and works closely with shark researchers around the world.

In 2016, she chaired the Scientific Program Committee that organized the 4th International Whale Shark Conference in Doha, Qatar, which was attended by over 100 whale shark researchers, conservation scientists, government officials, and ecotourism providers, representing more than 20 countries.

                                                                  www.sharks.org

Item Special Note

The objective of this auction is to spotlight individuals and organizations working effectively for ocean conservation, and raise funds for field research, education and conservation projects.

Being auctioned is dinner or lunch with one the world’s foremost shark experts or celebrities. This is a unique opportunity to “talk shark” face-to-face, one-on-one, with a real authority on sharks. 

How it works:

1. Bid on a celebrity, shark scientist or conservationist that lives or works in your area, unless you are willing to drive or fly to meet them in their area.
2. The winning bidder pays for the lunch or dinner and may bring guests.
3. We will introduce the winning bidder to the celebrity, scientist or conservationist. The two of you then set a mutually agreeable date, time and place to meet within one year of the close of the auction.

All winning bids are deductible from US Federal 2017 income taxes as Charitable Donations.