Gibbs Kuguru

Gibbs Kuguru is a shark scientist and National Geographic Explorer. His work combines field ecology, genomics, and storytelling to understand how shark populations survive and adapt in a rapidly changing ocean. He has spent more than a decade working with sharks, from wrangling great white sharks in South Africa to studying the genetics and movement ecology of reef sharks in the Maldives, and beyond. Gibbs’ current research focuses on using modern genetic and ecological tools to support practical shark conservation in oceanic and reef systems. He is especially interested in the hidden lives of sharks: how they use habitats, how connected their populations are, and what their presence can tell us about the health of ecosystems.

As a science communicator, Gibbs has worked with the Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers Discovery, and other media platforms to help audiences move beyond fear of sharks and toward curiosity and stewardship. On board SeaTrek, he will share stories from the field, introduce concepts from his research, and help reveal why places like Raja Ampat matter so deeply for the future of our oceans.