AOS-SAMOS
Research Thematics
With nine South African universities and two research infrastructures, SAMOS brings together a large diversity of experts in the different fields of Ocean Science. The table below provides an non-exhaustive list of potential research projects to be undertaken by students for their minor dissertation. It aims at illustrating the wide range of thematics covered by the academics and researchers participating in SAMOS, as well as helping students who apply for NRF funding to identify a research project supervisor.
Remember that students applying for NRF bursary must identify and contact a possible supervisor and select a research project prior to their application. Therefore, eligible students are encouraged to contact the main supervisor of the project they would like to pursue before applying.
| Institution | Title | Main Discipline(s) | Main Supervisor | Co-supervisor(s) | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Peninsula University of Technology | Quantifying and comparing microplastic contamination in the surface water and in calcareous and filamentous algal compartments across South African intertidal environments | Marine pollution; Intertidal ecology; Phycology | Dr Jaime Leigh Johnson | Dr Courtney Puckree-Padua; Dr Conrad Sparks | JOHNSONJA@cput.ac.za |
| Cape Peninsula University of Technology | Investigating the Physical and Biological Connectivity of the Amathole MPA Using the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Program Cruise Dataset | Physical Oceanography | Dr Caroline Senjeng | SEJENGM@cput.ac.za | |
| Nelson Mandela University | Blue carbon storage and greenhouse gas fluxes from a mangrove forest | Marine ecology; biogeochemistry | Dr Lucienne Human | Prof Thomas Bornman (SAEON); Mr. Daniel Butner | lr.human@saeon.nrf.ac.za |
| Nelson Mandela University | Does the Agulhas Bank (South Africa) undergo regime shifts and do these impact the squid fishery? | Physical oceanography | Prof Mike J. Roberts | Dr Steven Herbette (UBO) | Mike.Roberts@mandela.ac.za |
| Nelson Mandela University | Role of Durban Break-away eddies in primary production on the narrow east coast shelf of South Africa | Physical oceanography | Prof Mike J. Roberts | Dr Steven Herbette (UBO) | Mike.Roberts@mandela.ac.za |
| Rhodes University | Critical Thermal Minimum and Maximum Temperatures of Juvenile Cape Stumpnose (Rhabdosargus holubi) Under Varying Salinity Conditions | Marine ecology; fish physiology | Dr Alexander Winkler | Prof Amber-Robyn Childs; Prof Warren Mason Potts | a.winkler@ru.ac.za |
| Rhodes University | Quantifying de facto Marine Protected Areas and natural refugia along the South African coastline | Marine ecology; conservation | Dr Bruce Mann | Dr Matthew Farthing; Prof Warren Mason Potts | bruce.mann@ru.ac.za |
| Rhodes University | Project mud crab SA: A preliminary assessment on the feasibility of establishing a sustainable mud crab Scylla serrata fishery, ranching or aquaculture industry in South Africa | Aquaculture; sustainability | Prof Cliff Jones | c.jones@ru.ac.za | |
| Rhodes University | Assessing seaweed-microbiome interactions in intertidal systems | Marine Biology | Dr Natanah Gusha | n.gusha@saiab.nrf.ac.za | |
| Rhodes University | Post-release mortality of important South African linefish | Blue economy, fisheries | Dr Matthew Farthing | Prof Amber-Robyn Childs; Dr Alexander Winkler; Prof Warren Mason Pots | matthew.farthing.rsa@gmail.com |
| Rhodes University | Effects of contaminant on animal physiology | Marine ecology; biology | Dr Trishan Naidoo | Prof Rayan Wasserman | trishan.naidoo@ru.ac.za |
| South African Environmental Observation Network | Characterising variability in the Southern Agulhas Current | Physical oceanography | Prof Jennifer Veitch | Dr Margaux Noyon (CLS); Dr Steven Herbette (UBO) | ja.veitch@saeon.nrf.ac.za |
| University of Cape Town | Evaluating Eddy Detection Performance Using SWOT and Nadir Altimetry in the Agulhas System | Physical oceanography | Prof Isabelle Ansorge | Dr Björn Backeberg (Deltares); Dr Michael Hart-Davis (TUM) | Bjorn.Backeberg@deltares.nl |
| University of Fort Hare | Optimisation of the culture requirements for the harpacticoid copepod, Tisbe sp. : A livefeed candidate for grey mullet larviculture | Mariculture | Dr Niall Vine | nvine@ufh.ac.za | |
| University of Kwazulu-Natal | Zooplankton assemblages associated with the Ecklonia radiata kelp forests in the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area | Marine ecology | Dr Nicola Carrasco | carrasco@ukzn.ac.za | |
| University of Kwazulu-Natal | Quantifying Biodiversity’s Role in Estuarine Ecosystem Function : a case study on the uMlalazi Estuary, KwaZulu-Natal | Marine ecology; ecosystem modelling; biodiversity | Prof Ursula Scharler | scharler@ukzn.ac.za | |
| University of the Western Cape | Monitoring of seabird behaviour for improved conservation interventions | Biodiversity; conservation | Prof Gavin W. Maneveldt | Prof Peter Barham; Dr Katrin Ludynia; Prof Livio Favaro | gmaneveldt@uwc.ac.za |
| University of the Western Cape | The diversity and connectivity of African Atolla (Scyphozoa: Coronata) | Marine biology; diversity; population genetics | Prof Mark J. Gibbons | mgibbons@uwc.ac.za | |
| University of the Western Cape | Mechanistic characterisation of antibacterial lanthipeptides identified through genome-guided discovery | Marine biology | Prof Marla Trindade | Dr Nompumelelo Ikegwuoha; Dr Lonnie Van Zyl | ituffin@uwc.ac.za |
| University of the Western Cape | Genome-guided discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds from marine invertebrate microbiomes | Marine biology | Prof Marla Trindade | Dr Nompumelelo Ikegwuoha; Dr Lonnie Van Zyl | ituffin@uwc.ac.za |
| University of Zululand | Metal contamination on three seabream species from Richards Bay Harbour and the potential human health risks associated with consumption | Marine ecology, Ecotoxicology | Dr Hannes Erasmus | ErasmusJ@unizulu.ac.za | |
| University of Zululand | Mangrove and Phragmites Associated Meiofaunal Communities in Mlalazi Estuary | Estuarine ecology; benthic ecology | Dr Sazi Nzama | Dr Martin Hendricks | NzamaS@unizulu.ac.za |
| Walter Sisulu University | Gender-based feeding architecture, meat yield and proximate analysis of the red mangrove crab Neosarmatium africanum | Marine biology | Dr Thembinkosi Dlaza | Mr S Mnqotho | tdlaza@wsu.ac.za |
| Walter Sisulu University | Validating the coastal engineering role of co-existing Ecklonia radiata and Anthophycus longifolius canopy species using epiphyte diversity in the South African East Coast | Marine ecology | Dr Thembinkosi Dlaza | Mr N Nkohla | tdlaza@wsu.ac.za |
| Walter Sisulu University | The variable Helcion concolor : a correlative analysis of feed, colour, morphometry, radular structure, and genetic composition | Marine ecology | Dr Oliver Duna | Ms Z Nokwali | oduna@wsu.ac.za |
