MAPRU Members
Prof Pierre Pistorius
Head of Unit
Professor, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pierre_Pistorius
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EdhGlBcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
Dr Maëlle Connan
Research Associate, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University
Research interests: Trophic ecology of marine top predators from the tropics to high latitudes
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maelle_Connan
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=VKPX0D8AAAAJ&hl=en
Dr Greg Hofmeyr
Research Associate, Curator: Marine Mammals, Gqeberha Museum
Research interests: behavioural ecology, ecology, demography, human-animal interactions, morphology, pinnipeds, marine mammals, Western Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean
https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?hl=en&user=vs7mZwUAAAAJ
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Greg_Hofmeyr
Dr Stephen Kirkman
Research Associate, Oceans and Coasts, Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Affairs, Cape Town
Research interests: marine mammal ecology, behavioural ecology, marine biodiversity, marine protected areas (MPAs), ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs), Benguela ecosystem, Southern Ocean.
https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=7-FHOPgAAAAJ&hl=en
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen_Kirkman
.jpg)
Prof Mandy Lombard
Research Associate, Marine Spatial Planning Research Chair, Nelson Mandela University
Research interests: conservation planning research, terrestrial and marine protected areas, conservation, animal welfare and ethics, ecosystem-based management
https://oceansciences.mandela.ac.za/Research-Chairs/Chair-in-Marine-Spatial-Planning
Adj Prof Lorien Pichegru
Research associate, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University
Research interests: seabird foraging ecology and life history traits in relation to prey availability and local competition with industrial fisheries
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lorien_Pichegru
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IdEhnXwAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr Ryan Reisinger
Associate member, Centre Etudes Biologique de Chizé, France
Research interests: Foraging ecology of marine top predators, with a focus of those occurring in the Southern Ocean
https://ryanreisinger.wordpress.com/about/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=TDCv4D0AAAAJ&hl=en
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ryan_Reisinger
?width=150&height=128)
Dr Newi Makhado
Associate member, Marine Scientist, DFFE
Research interests: Conservation of marine top predators, especially seabirds and marine mammals and their role as indicators of ecosystem change and functioning.
za.linkedin.com/in/newi-makhado-077b43137?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Dr Malcolm Smale
Research Associate, Curator Emeritus, Port Elizabeth Museum at Bayworld
Research interests: Biology and feeding ecology of marine apex predators, with a focus on sharks. The use of Port Elizabeth Museum fish otolith and cephalopod beak collections for prey identification has allowed specific identification of prey taken by marine predators. The use of ultrasonic and satellite telemetry, and stable isotopes analyses has broadened our knowledge of the movements, ranges and ecological roles of various apex predators.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Malcolm_Smale2
Dr Ralph Vanstreels
Associate member, Instituto de Pesquisa e Reabilitação de Animais Marinhos, Brasil
Research interests: Health parameters as a tool to study the ecology of marine apex predators, especially seabirds. Medicine, epidemiology and pathology of diseases that affect seabirds, especially external and blood parasites. Mass mortality events of seabirds and their impacts for conservation.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ralph_Vanstreels2
https://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=tgDh0tkAAAAJ
Dr Chris Oosthuizen
Research associate, Department of Statistical Sciences, UCT
Research interests: Marine predator ecology, with a focus on seabirds, seals and cetaceans inhabiting sub-Antarctic and Antarctic ecosystems.
?width=150&height=176)
Dr Sibusisiwe Ngqulana
Research associate, Collections Manager, Bayworld Museum, Gqeberha
Research interests: genetics of marine mammals
http://www.bayworld.co.za
?width=150&height=168)
Dr Andréa Thiebault
Research associate, Marie Skolodwska-Curie European Fellow at French National Centre for Scientific Research
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrea-Thiebault
Dr Florian Orgeret
Research associate, PostDoc at the Swiss Ornithological Institute.
Research interests: Movement Ecology, with a special focus on ontogeny and juvenile dispersal of marine top predators in relation to climate change.
https://florianorgeret.github.io/
Dr Alistair McInnes
Research Associate, Seabird Conservation Programme Manager at BirdLife South Africa.
alistair.mcinnes@birdlife.org.za
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr Bridget James
MAPRU/University of Pretoria Whale Unit
Research interests: Incidence and impacts of microplastics on three filter-feeding whale species in South Africa
PhD Students
Eleanor Weideman
"Fine-scale predator-prey dynamics: Towards passive monitoring as a tool for more effective management of African penguin prey resources"
Simone Tava
"Present and future distributions of top predators' communities (whales, seals and seabirds) in the Southern Ocean"
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GcpncUMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
?width=120&height=138)
Tegan Walker
"Tracking endangered Benguela seabirds to inform conservation strategies in a changing climate"
MSc Students
Heath Watkins
"Foraging ecology of king penguins at Marion Island and responses to climate change"
Landi Adendorff
"Vocal repertoires and noise effects on Humpback Dolphins (Sousa plumbea) in Plettenberg and Richards Bay"
Tshegofatso Phukubye
"Evaluating automated mitigation technologies to reduce bird collisions at wind farms"
Chloë Stander
"Assessing humpback dolphin skin diseases, related to pollution hotspots and other anthropogenic threats in South Africa"
Cairestine Lottring
"Fisheries management and African penguin conservation"
Honours Students
Bianca Mairs
"Variations in length-weight relationships of elasmobranchs within South Africa"