As a recreational snorkeler and scuba diver in California, Stanford PhD student Raksha Doddabele has a healthy mix of fear and fascination for white sharks. Their stealthy attack from behind and beneath involves a forceful bite that inspires horror movies like Jaws, but fear is often rooted in a lack of understanding.

Through the Monterey Bay White Sharks project at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station’s Block Lab, Doddabele is on a mission to demystify white shark behaviours using Ocean Diagnostics' environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling technology. With the ability to detect white sharks in specific areas at specific times, eDNA could increase our understanding of the species and reduce uncertainty about their presence.

“I was drawn to eDNA about six years ago. I had some experiences with wildlife conservation, and I just felt like we're messing with nature too much and that conservation shouldn’t always require over handling animals. eDNA is completely non-invasive. You don't have to interact or see the animal at all to learn about their presence and movement,” Doddabele shared.

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