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Institute for Coastal and Marine Research
Affiliation: Department of Botany; African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience (ACCP)
Email Address: alastair.potts@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Phylogeography; Species Distribution Modelling; Statistics; Ecology & Evolution; Palaeoclimate
Description of Research: Dr Potts’ research focuses on various aspects of South African ecology: palaeovegetation distributions; plant phylogeography; drivers of biome boundaries; and Albany Subtropical Thicket ecology. He explores the interface between phylogenetic trees and networks.
Affiliation: Chair Holder – Identities and Social Cohesion in Africa
Email Address: andrea.hurst@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Philosophy; Complexity Thinking
Description of Research: Professor Hurst focuses on including complexity-thinking in philosophy in other disciplines. She examines the interface between complexity thinking, psychoanalytical theory, and philosophy as a way of life. She develops notions of ethical responsibility within the contemporary paradigm shift from simplicity to complexity.
Affiliation: Engineering Director – Marine Robotics Unit (MRU)
Email Address: andrew.young@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Engineering; Marine Robotics
Description of Research: Mr Young's research involves the development of robotics equipment and software for application and deployment in the marine environment.
Affiliation: Head – Department of Computing Sciences
Email Address: Brenda.Scholtz@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Business Analysis; Information Management & Technology; Sustainability; Information System Management
Description of Research: Professor Scholtz's research focuses on data analysis and business intelligence, with an interest in applications towards environmental sustainability.
Affiliation: Department of Geosciences
Email Address: callum.anderson@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Paleolimnology; Water Chemistry
Description of Research: Mr Anderson investigates geochemical aspects of microbialite/stromatolite systems, as well as mineralogical, geochemical and structural characteristics of geological features in the Eastern Cape.
Affiliation: Department of Development Studies
Email Address: danai.tembo@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Ocean Governance and Security; Science to Policy Transfer; Environmental Education
Description of Research: Dr Tembo's research focuses on the governance of marine living resources (with specific emphasis on the legislation governing these resources and the associated implementation challenges), IUU fishing and the operational synergies with crime, and capacity building in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region (with a specific focus on the transfer of science to policy and the associated challenges).
Affiliation: Department of Botany; Curator – Ria Olivier Herbarium at the Department of Botany
Email Address: eileen.campbell@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Coastal Zone Management; Phycology; Sandy Beach Ecology; Vegetation Ecology
Description of Research: Professor Campbell's research investigates the biology and physiology of surf-zone diatoms, the ecology of Bontveld, and conservation. She has an interest in the flora of the Nelson Mandela University Nature Reserve, and in Red Data plants of the Eastern Cape.
Affiliation: Department of Zoology
Email Address: gavin.rishworth@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Marine Ecology; Ecology & Evolution; Geobiology; Palaeoecology; Stable Isotope Ecology
Description of Research: Dr Rishworth's research considers ecosystem dynamics and features of modern supratidal microbialites compared to analogous extinct habitats. He investigates the functional drivers that promote the formation of these benthic lithified biofilms. He also studies benthic macroinvertebrates and their role in several estuarine and shallow coastal ecosystem services.
Affiliation: Department of Public Law; Director – FishFORCE Academy & Director – Centre for Law in Action under the Faculty of Law
Email Address: hennie.vanas@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Law Enforcement in the Marine Environment; Drafting and Implementation of Legislation; Constitutional Law; Human Rights; Governance
Description of Research: Professor Van As focuses on transnational organised crime in the fisheries industry, access to justice, local government law and ocean governance.
Affiliation: Acting Director – Sustainability Research Unit (SRU)
Email Address: herve.fritz@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Conservation Biology; Invasive Species; Behavioural Ecology; Biodiversity; Climate Change
Description of Research: Professor Fritz focuses on predator-prey interactions, invasive alien plants in coastal fynbos and thicket shrublands, anthropological constraints to social-ecological systems, and environmental research development.
Affiliation: Department of Applied Accounting
Email Address: houdini.fourie@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Audit; Management Audit; Finance Management; Corporate Governance; Financial Accounting
Description of Research: Professor Fourie researches internal auditing, governance, public finance, accounting scholarships and Information Systems Assurance. He is involved in environmental accounting research.
Affiliation: Director – African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience (ACCP)
Email Address: jan.devynck@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Archaeology; Ichnology; Human Behavioural Ecology; Ethnobotany; Marine Biology
Description of Research: Dr De Vynck's work constitutes human origins research and studying Pleistocene trace fossils in the Cape. He investigates early human existence and interactions with the natural environment.
Email Address: janet.cherry@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Political Participation; Sustainable Development
Description of Research: Professor Cherry researches sustainable development, economic and social history, and development policy using Participatory Action Research.
Affiliation: Department of Computing Sciences
Email Address: jean.greyling@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Teaching; Programming; Software Development
Description of Research: Professor Greyling's work entails software and programme development and education. He leads student teams in the development of mobile apps and games that introduce coding concepts to learners, using tangible tokens and image recognition.
Affiliation: Business School
Email Address: jessica.fraser@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Operational Management; Logistics; Supply Chain Management
Description of Research: Dr Fraser's work focuses on operations management and logistics and extends into research on supply chain management (including shipping and ports management) integrated with e-business.
Affiliation: Department of Statistics
Email Address: kirstie.eastwood@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Mathematical & Applied Statistics; Statistical Modelling & Analysis
Description of Research: Ms Eastwood's research focuses on various aspects of statistical modelling and analysis.
Affiliation: Department of Architecture
Email Address: magda.minguzzi@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Action Research; Community Engagement Projects
Description of Research: Dr Minguzzi's research focus is on tangible and intangible First Indigenous Heritage in the Eastern Cape, and specifically on the fish traps. She conducts research in collaboration with the First Indigenous People of Southern Africa.
Email Address: nadine.strydom@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Coastal Fish Ecology; Ichthyoplankton Ecology; Planktology; Biodiversity & Conservation; Fisheries Ecology; Aquatic Pollution
Description of Research: Professor Strydom works on the ecology of coastal fishes with a speciality on the early life history stages, in marine, estuarine and riverine habitats. Emphasis on ecology, reproduction, threats, conservation and management.
Affiliation: Business School, Acting Director – CMR
Email Address: nomtha.hadi@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Maritime Development; Long Term Strategic Planning
Description of Research: Dr Hadi's work constitutes shipping and ports research, stakeholder analysis and management, integrated strategic planning, and public participation processes. She is also involved in coastal development and municipal planning and performance.
Affiliation: Dean – Faculty of Humanities
Email Address: pamela.maseko@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Translation Studies; Language Learning; Intercultural Communication
Description of Research: Professor Maseko works towards developing and building partnerships for humanities focused knowledge exchange. She is interested in linking humanities research to ocean sciences.
Affiliation: Department of Environmental Health
Email Address: paulaezinne.melariri@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Communicable Diseases; Public Health; Ethnopharmacology
Description of Research: Professor Melariri's expertise field is in Pharmacology, with a focus on disease control using natural and synthesised products. Her current research interests are in the following fields: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs); Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); influence of WASH and the environment on water quality; waterborne diseases; and nanomaterials and the environment. She is interested in linking environmental health to human health.
Affiliation: Department of Botany
Email Address: paul.steyn@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Marine Ecology; Macroalgae; Seaweed Mariculture
Description of Research: Dr Steyn's research focuses on macroalgal communities of shallow reefs in the Eastern Cape, and abalone ranching and seeding. He is involved in environmental impact assessments and management, and botanical and ecological assessments.
Email Address: phumelele.gama@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Aquatic Plant Ecology; Phytoplankton Ecology
Description of Research: Dr Gama's work entails various aspects of aquatic plant ecology and phytoplankton ecology.
Affiliation: Manager – Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU); Department of Zoology
Email Address: pierre.pistorius@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Marine Top Predators; Conservation Biology; Biodiversity Monitoring; Behavioural Ecology
Description of Research: Professor Pistorius is involved in various aspects of marine apex predator research, including (amongst others): time-activity budgets; foraging ecology; behavioural ecology and linking changes to climate change; improvements to conservation and marine ecosystem management; and habitat preferences.
Affiliation: Department of Economics
Email Address: ronney.ncwadi@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Economic Development; Entrepreneurship; Econometric Analysis
Description of Research: Professor Ncwadi's research focus is on Public Finance, small business development, informal sector economics, and applied economics. He is involved in Blue Economy research.
Affiliation: Department of Private Law
Email Address: tanya.wagenaar@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Intellectual Property; Legal Theory; Legal Analysis; Ocean Governance
Description of Research: Ms Wagenaar investigates intellectual property consequences of marine bioprospecting, focusing on the integration of the governance regimes which apply to the main aspects of marine bioprospecting. These include law applicable to biodiversity, the sea and intellectual property rights.
Affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences
Email Address: timothy.pittaway@mandela.ac.za
Research Interest(s): Food Security; Organic Farming; Rural Development; Sustainable Agriculture
Description of Research: Dr Pittaway's research focuses on sustainable agriculture, using aquaculture and hydroponic systems to contribute towards food security initiatives.