Degree: MSc

This project has its foundation in the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP) and will focus on assessing the extent of the shark bycatch in the tuna and swordfish long-line fisheries of the SWIO region which will include sampling of long-liners operating out of Richards Bay. With assistance from the KZN Sharks Board, samples of shortfin mako and oceanic whitetip sharks will also be processed to gain insight into the age, growth, reproduction and prey of these two important pelagic shark species.

The main aim of this MSc is to provide information to SWIOFP (and other RFMOs) that will be useful in the development of regional management strategies for pelagic sharks. Activities will include:

• Sampling commercial long-liners and wet-leased vessels operating in the SWIO
• Access historical information from the region to determine the catches - by species -  of pelagic sharks by weight and number, as well as sex ratio and size frequency distribution;
• Compare trends in catches and catch rates by species according to fishing method, area and season;
• Conduct a biological study, of I. oxyrinchus and C. longimanus, to assess growth rate, size/age at maturity, reproductive biology and distribution.

Degree: MSc

The high (30°S) latitude reefs of southern Africa, namely those in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, are not considered to be true coral reefs but rather coral communities growing on late Pleistocene sandstone. While the coral communities which occupy the reefs are diverse and illustrate growth rates comparable to those in tropical accreting coral systems, they are non-accretive on the Maputaland reefs. In this regard, an assessment of the state of the Maputaland reefs is of particular importance. The tourism industry in the area is thriving; the site provides a biologically diverse and unique habitat in local marine waters; and the reefs are expected to provide an important indicator of global climate change.

Degree: MSc

Maputaland reefs constitute the southernmost coral-dominated reefs of Africa. Coral research has been conducted on these reefs since the early 1970s; however a clear understanding of several important reef processes still remains to be achieved. Coral recruitment has been identified as one of the core processes involved in the maintenance of reefs and is the focus of my research. I aim to determine the extent of coral recruitment within the core coral community on Two Mile Reef (TMR). Furthermore, I will be investigating the spatial distribution of coral recruits, the influence that different settlement surfaces have on levels of recruitment, and the effectiveness of fluorescent photography as a method to detect coral recruits.

Ceramic, marble, and ceramic tiles conditioned with Crustose Coralline Algae (CCA) have been placed on TMR and monitored with fluorescent photography every second month. The surrounding natural substratum is also being monitored to determine how representative recruitment onto artificial tiles is compared to that found on the natural substratum. Tiles are removed and replaced with new tiles after six months and analyzed to determine the identity, size, density and relationships between recruits with surrounding biota on settlement tiles. Preliminary results obtained from 17 of the 135 tiles have shown that coral settlement has been highest on tiles treated with CCA. Furthermore fluorescent photography has successfully detected 98% of live recruits.

Degree: MSc

The oligotrophic KwaZulu-Natal Bight relies on varying amounts of nutrient inputs from the Thukela River and two main oceanographic features; the St Lucia upwelling and the Durban lee eddy. These inputs may have a significant impact on macrobenthic community’s spatial and temporal structure.

Little is known about the KZN shelf community dynamics and therefore the aim of this project, which is part of a larger multidisciplinary programme, is to examine changes in macrobenthic community biodiversity and population dynamics relative to direct and indirect important process drivers (e.g. the Agulhas Current). Ultimately, we hope to understand the relative importance of the three main nutrient inputs in maintaining ecological function across the Bight.

Three replicate substrate grab samples will be taken at numerous stations within and between the three areas of perceived elevated nutrient input. A CTD cast will be deployed at each station to measure relevant water characteristics. Sediment samples will be cored from each grab replicate for the analysis of sediment characteristics.

Sampling will be done during a “wet” (February) and “dry” (August) season. By means of stereo and compound microscopy techniques, all fauna will be counted and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Community diversity will be determined using metrics such as dominance, species richness, diversity, evenness, etc. to distinguish biodiversity changes over space and time.

Degree: MSc (Economics)

This project’s range is the Maputaland Coral Reef system which extends from Kosi Bay in the north to Leven Point in the south, along the KwaZulu-Natal north coast and forms part of ORI’s Coral Reef Programme.

The project seeks to determine the value of the reef both financially and, as far as possible, ecologically. The result of this process would be that the information and values attained could be used for policy-making and to assist in guiding management decisions.

Degree: MSc

King mackerel or couta/cuda as it is locally known, is one of the most important gamefish to recreational ski-boat fishermen off the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coastline. However, while it is primarily targeted as a sport fish in South Africa, a much larger proportion of the catch in other African countries of the South Western Indian Ocean (SWIO) is taken by artisanal and semi-industrial fishery sectors through the use of gill nets, beach seines and linefishing.

The aim the study is to evaluate the fishery and biology of king mackerel in the SWIO and improve our understanding of the stock status of this species in order to ensure its effective management. The project will focus on six countries within the SWIO region namely South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar and Comoros. This project is being funded through the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP).

Sampling will be undertaken on a monthly basis between April 2011 and May 2012, covering a one year period. In South Africa, the sampling area will include the entire KZN coastline from Port Edward in the south to the Mozambique border in the north. Field-based data will be collected from recreational fisherman by sampling at a number of boat launch sites along the coast. Additionally, samples will be collected at ski-boat fishing and spearfishing tournaments to enable the collection of large quantities of data over a relatively short time period.

Degree: PhD

Coral recruitment and sexual reproduction are major processes in the maintenance and development of coral reef ecosystems. In particular, they can ensure recovery and replenishment of coral reefs following disturbance.

These processes are very sensitive to disturbance and recent studies have demonstrated that they may provide a more accurate view of coral population dynamics. Recruitment and reproduction constitute a major part of the coral life cycle and can be divided into numerous steps, including gametogenesis, spawning, fertilisation, settlement, metamorphosis and growth of the juvenile colony. Environmental conditions and local anthropogenic pressures may affect each of these steps, influencing coral reproductive strategy, fecundity, time of spawning, recruitment rate and settlement preference.

Degree: PhD

Marginal reefs along the south-eastern African coast, from Bazaruto Island in Mozambique to Leadsman Shoal in South Africa, have drawn the attention of reef scientists and managers as these coral communities are said to illustrate the future of true, tropical coral reef communities under current trends of climate change.
Therefore, studies on southern East African marginal reefs provide predictive insights to the dynamics and processes that may dominate tropical reefs in the near future. Accordingly, coral population genetics is being examined in the present study to assess the levels of contemporary, small-scale connectivity between the reef systems.

This is being achieved using both assignment testing and parentage analysis, making it the first study to use these methods on southern East African reefs. The level of inter- and intra-population connectivity observed will be used to evaluate current coral conservation measures in the region.

Present diving and fishing pressure coupled with climate change-related coral reef disturbances could translate into a reduction of South African coral populations unless proper management is instituted, supplemented with monitoring studies of larval retention within (self-recruited) and dispersal among (connected) populations.

Degree: MSc

This project is funded by the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP) and focuses on assessing the abundance trends and biology of the pink prawn and langoustine caught by commercial trawlers operating out of Durban harbour. Information on these two species is outdated as the previous studies were done in the 1970's and 1990's.

Biological data will be collected during quarterly sampling trips onboard commercial trawlers. This data will be used to determine size and sex composition, depth, area and season, maturity and reproduction of the two species. A detailed retrospective analysis of all available data from the South African fishery, from the 1990's to date, will also be done. The results of this will be integrated with data available from other SWIOFP countries, particularly Mozambique, in order to compare current and historical fishing trends.

The aims of this project are to fill the gap in knowledge on the biology of the two species, as well as contributing to the development of national / sub regional management strategies for deep-water crustacean fisheries targeting M. mozambicus and H. triarthrus in the southwest Indian Ocean.

Degree: PhD

Coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean are among the most productive, diverse and complex ecosystems in the world and support almost one third of the world’s marine fish species. In the western Indian Ocean, approximately thirty million people depend directly or indirectly on the coastal environment for goods and services. However, they are impacted by anthropogenic factors, climate change and natural disturbances. These stresses, acting alone or in synergy, could alter the resistance of corals and stimulate the growth of pathogenic organisms.

During the past two decades, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases have caused substantial declines in the biodiversity and abundance of reef-building corals. These diseases are known to generate a progressive tissue loss and affect the coral growth rate, reproductive capacity, recruitment, species diversity, and abundance of reef-associated organisms.

Degree: MSc

Estuaries are complex ecosystems that, for many reasons are among the most rapidly deteriorating environments worldwide. According to past water quality assessments, a quarter of all temporarily open/closed estuarine systems (TOCEs) in KwaZulu-Natal are in a ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ condition. With recent unprecedented increases in coastal development it is probable that more estuaries will fall into these categories.

Macrozoobenthos comprises various benthic invertebrates living in, and at the sediment-water interface. They are preferable biological indicators because of their sensitivity to changes in habitat quality and are thus used in anthropogenic impact studies on estuaries. This study aims to address aspects of ‘change’ inherent in the macrozoobenthic communities of 32 subtropical estuaries. ‘Change’ as measured in temporal and spatial community differences using various community metrics, namely species composition, abundance, diversity and feeding guild structure.

Standard and widely published quantitative sampling techniques were undertaken, with simultaneous measurements of ambient physico-chemical conditions, including sediment characteristics. Long-term decadal-type changes in community structure are being investigated using historical data (1998/9) compared with currently sampled data (2009/10). The recolonisation of two urban and two peri-urban estuaries by macrozoobenthos after episodic flood disturbance is being examined, to describe short-term community changes in the recovery process.

Degree: MSc

This project is part of a larger programme investigating Natal Bight ecosystem functioning, under the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP).

The main hypothesis of the Natal Bight project is that nutrients that are either land derived (Thukela River) or from local oceanographic features (St Lucia upwelling, Durban lee eddy), drive the structure and functioning of biological communities on the Natal Bight.

This macrobenthic project will contribute to our understanding of the Natal Bight ecosystem by investigating the relationship between seafloor habitat and macrobenthic trophic guilds in three focus areas of the Natal Bight. Mooring and CTD data will be used to understand how hydrodynamic agents shape the benthic habitat and in turn determine macrobenthic community structure.

It is hypothesised that macrobenthic trophic guild abundance and spatial distribution will be different within and between the three focus areas. Transects set along different sediment distribution and depth related gradients will be sampled during a wet (February 2010) and a dry (August 2010) season to determine changes in communities in space and time.