Jens Paulsen
Project Scientist – Tanzania
jens.paulsen[@]marinemegafauna.org
Biography
Jens has always had a special bond with water, despite growing up in a busy urban area of Germany, far from the ocean. His fascination with marine life, especially sharks, came from the pages of books and countless documentaries. Early on, he knew he wanted to turn this passion into a career in marine biology.
Jens first joined MMF in 2016, when he traveled to Tanzania for his master’s thesis research. It was there that he experienced fieldwork firsthand and developed a profound admiration for whale sharks.
Although he initially aimed to pursue a PhD to continue his research, life took him on a different path for a while. To make ends meet, Jens shifted gears to work as a GIS analyst focusing on flood risk management for the District Government of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.
After a few years away from marine science, Jens made his return to the field in 2024, rejoining MMF’s whale shark team as a volunteer scientist. Now equipped with valuable skills in Geographic Information Science & Systems from his second master’s degree and his previous work experience, he is eager to dive back into shark research.
When he’s not exploring the ocean, Jens enjoys immersing himself in video games and board games. Jens has also practiced and taught martial arts since his teenage years.
Current research
Team member
.png)
.jpg)