IceSharks.org :: About Us

Senior Principal Investigator | Co-Principal Investigator | Filmmakers

George Benz, Ph.D., Senior Principal Investigator

A biologist specializing in parasitology, Benz is Director of the Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute, Chief Research Scientist at the Tennessee Aquarium, and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Benz's research on the parasites of fishes has taken him from the Arctic to the tropics, and he has authored and co-authored over 50 research papers and review articles. Recently he co-edited volumes on imperiled aquatic animals of the southeastern U.S. and on the conservation of sturgeon and paddlefish. Some of George's current research projects include studies of Greenland sharks and Pacific sleeper sharks, and investigations of the parasites of cartilaginous fishes of the Sea of Cortez, northern Australia, and Japan.

Benz and his research have been the focus of articles in Discover and National Geographic magazines as well as in popular books. In 2000 he presented and narrated a 1-hr television special on parasites for National Geographic Explorer and his collaborative Greenland shark research in 1999 was the focus of a segment for a television special, Jurassic Shark, that aired in 2000 on the Discovery Channel.

Greg Skomal, Co-Principal Investigator

Skomal specializes in tracking large oceanic fishes and stress physiology. He is a Biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the Director of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program (MSRP), which he established in 1987. The MSRP conducts valuable research on the biology, ecology, and physiology of New England sharks. Skomal is involved in shark management at state, federal, and international levels, as well as in several additional collaborative research projects.

Skomal has studied sharks for 20 years, a career that began when he was an undergraduate at the University of Rhode Island. In 1982, Skomal joined the scientific team at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Apex Predators Program in Narragansett, RI. For the next five years, Skomal studied the natural history of sharks with notable scientists Jack Casey and Wes Pratt.

Since moving into his current position with the DMF, Skomal has continued to collaborate with scientists in the NMFS shark program. He has conducted numerous life history and behavioral studies on sharks in New England, including studies of the definition of shark nursery areas in Massachusetts, age and growth of blue sharks, acoustic tracking of porbeagle sharks, and satellite tagging of basking sharks. During the last ten years, Greg has investigated the physiological effects of capture stress in a number of shark species to determine the survival of sharks subjected to catch and release fishery.

Skomal's shark research has taken him to Johnston Atoll in the tropics as well as to South Australia where he tagged, tracked and dove with White Sharks.

In 1999 he was in the Arctic, collaborating with George Benz on Greenland shark research. Their work with the Greenland shark resulted in the first tracking of Greenland sharks under Arctic ice. This was documented on film as part of a television special, Jurassic Shark, that aired in 2000 on the Discovery Channel.

Nick Caloyianis and Clarita Berger / Nick Caloyianis Productions, Inc.

Nick and Clarita are filmmakers with a zeal for finding what makes the natural world tick. This talented team has spearheaded several significant media-research projects with field scientists. Through their work, they bring fresh insights into the processes of nature allowing others to more fully appreciate underwater life.

Nick and Clarita have directed, produced and, filmed for numerous documentary projects that have appeared on many popular media venues, including National Geographic Television and Channels, Discovery Channels, BBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, as well as Canadian, British, Dutch, German and Japanese television. Their past projects include "Shark Trackers," "The Sponge Divers," "Quest for the Atocha," "A Biting Kind of Love," "America's Endangered Species: Don't Say Goodbye," "Captain Kidd," and "Mystery of Sable Island."

They are also sought after for their skills in shooting for features as seen in "Spy Kids," Movie of the Week, "Homicide: the Movie," Disney Touchstone's, "In the Line of Duty" as well as their skills in shooting commercials for IBM, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Ogilve Mathers.

Their interest in Greenland sharks was sparked by the fact that very little is known about these polar creatures. Results from their first filming expedition to document these mysterious sharks living in frigid Arctic waters, were included in their highly acclaimed production, "Ultimate Guide: Sharks", that aired on the Discovery Channels.

Among the leading underwater filmmakers in the world today, their artistry has been recognized with numerous awards, including Primetime Emmys, the Oscar, Worldfest Gold awards, Cine Gold awards, and CINDY awards. More recently, their company's production of the hugely popular "Realm of the Lobster," was honored with a Cine Gold Award, a Gold Special Jury Award from Worldfest and, the Earthwatch Award.

They will utilize High Definition filming to document the upcoming Greenland shark expedition.