Dr Alejandra Vargas-Fonseca
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Department of Oceanography & Marine Spatial Planning Research Chair
Email Address: ale@earthcollective.net
Research Interest(s): Marine Top Predators; Ocean Health
Description of Research: Dr Vargas-Fonseca’s work focuses on marine top predators, ranging from research conducted on dolphin genetics and distribution, to habitat use in relation to Marine Protected Areas. She is currently involved in the MARISCO Project (Marine Research and Innovation for a Sustainable management of Coasts and Oceans). Her focus is on scenario planning of global environmental change and the resulting cumulative impact on natural systems and the human values dependent on biodiversity, extending to human impacts and the Ocean Health Index.
Dr Bernardino (Dino) Malauene
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Ocean Science & Marine Food Security Research Chair
Email Address: dinomalawene@yahoo.com.br
Research Interest(s): Physical Oceanography; Climate Change and Variability; Marine Ecosystem Functioning and Characterization; Connectivity; Marine Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation; EIA Process
Description of Research: Dr Malauene’s research focuses on the marine ecosystem. He uses applied marine science, combining in situ observations, satellite data and both ocean and biophysical modelling to investigate ocean processes including environmental factors, their role on marine life and ultimately relate these to fisheries population dynamics.
Dr Daniel Lemley
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Shallow Water Ecosystems Research Chair
Email Address: lemleydaniel7@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): Water Quality; Nutrient Analysis; Estuaries; Eutrophication; Microalgae; Phytoplankton
Description of Research: Dr Lemley's work focuses on estuarine ecology, with a particular interest in the process of eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. He investigates the autecology of various harmful algal bloom species in South African coastal and estuarine ecosystems, aiming towards effective mitigation in the future.
Dr Diane Le Gouvello
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Department of Zoology
Email Address: diane.legouvello@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): Conservation Biology; Beach Ecosystems
Description of Research: Dr Le Gouvello's research focuses on sea turtle fitness, sandy beach ecology, and long-term environmental monitoring.
Dr Minke Witteveen
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Department of Oceanography
Email Address: minke.witteveen@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): Conservation; Human-wildlife Interactions; Anthropogenic Impacts; Marine and Freshwater Ecology
Description of Research: Dr Witteveen's research focuses on the ecological functioning of Groenvlei, a paleo-coastal limnetic wetland. Her research will determine the present ecological state of Groenvlei, and how effective current control of the invasive common carp is, and how carp control affects water quality and phytoplankton community composition.
Dr Monique Nunes
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Shallow Water Ecosystems Research Chair
Email Address: mnunes3712@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): Estuaries; Water Quality; Ecological Monitoring
Description of Research: Dr Nunes' work focuses on estuarine ecology, water quality, and diatom autecology and taxonomy.
Dr Sixolile Mazwane
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Ocean Science & Marine Food Security Chair
Email Address: s209010145@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Using satellite and autonomous vehicles (robots) to investigate Chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton net primary production (NPP) and phytoplankton community composition on the western Indian Ocean.
Description of Research: Dr Mazwane’s research aims to fill the knowledge gaps of net primary production, phytoplankton distribution and composition on the Western Indian Ocean.
Dr Tegan Carpenter-Kling
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Department of Oceanography & Marine Spatial Planning Research Chair
Email Address: tegan.carpenterkling@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): Behavioural Ecology; Foraging; Animal Tracking; Habitat Selection; Stable Isotopes; Trophic Ecology
Description of Research: Dr Carpenter-Kling's research investigates general seabird ecology, with expertise on how marine top predators utilise the ocean.
Dr Obinna Nkomadu
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Law of the Sea and Development in Africa Research Chair
Email Address: obinnaveronica@yahoo.com
Research Interest(s): Law of the Sea
Description of Research: Dr Nkomadu’s work focuses on maritime security law, and maritime safety law.
Dr Yanasivan Kisten
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Department of Zoology
Email Address: yanasivan@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): Fish Ecology, Aquatic Animal Ecophysiology
Description of Research: Dr Kisten’s research investigates historical ecology of larval fishes on the South African coast.
Dr Ntombizanele (Zanele) Hartmann
Affiliation: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Ocean Cultures and Heritage Chair
Email Address: zanele.hartmann@gmail.com
Research Interest(s): The interconnectedness of nature and people; and coastal blue spaces and human well-being
Description of Research: Dr Hartmann’s research investigates the nature of identity, community and heritage in coastal communities and villages. Her studies focus on the perceived benefits of exposure to coastal blue spaces to the health and human well-being of diverse actors in the Colchester and Sunday River areas.