ORI STAFF PROFILES

Rudy van der Elst - Director: ORI
Michael Schleyer - Deputy Director: ORI
Alison Moor - Project Liaison Officer
Alke Kruger - Scientist
Angus Macdonald - Scientific Officer
Bernadine Everett - Scientist
Brigid Kleu - Senior Librarian
Bruce Mann - Senior Scientist
Catherine Stow - Research Assistant
Desmond Hayes- Scientific Technician
Elinor Bullen - Scientific Technician
Erika Steyn - Assistant Scientist
Fiona MacKay - Senior Scientist
Jade Maggs - Scientific Technician
Jessica Pillay - Receptionist
Kirsten Russell- Research Assistant
Louis Celliers - Senior Scientist
Marius Els - Data Capturer
Musa Khumalo - Data Typist
Pierre Pradervand - Scientist
Paula Pattrick- Research Assistant
Rakesh Mistry- Data Curator
Ramini Naidoo - Personal Assistant
Riaan Boshoff- Field Officer
Renuka Govender - Scientific Technician
Sandile Khoni- Laboratory Technician
Sean Fennessy - Senior Scientist
Tarryn-Lee Winson - Research Assistant


Post-graduate students

PROF. RUDY VAN DER ELST
DIRECTOR: ORI

MSc (University of Natal, 1975)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1969.

Engaged in a diversity of marine resource-use and conservation studies, especially those relating to management problems in small-scale, recreational and artisanal fisheries, including:
Investigations into estuarine fish populations and sustainable resource use.
Stock assessment and biology of linefish, including the development of management strategies and their applications.
Development of long-term monitoring and assessment strategies including the National Marine Linefish System (NMLS) catch and effort programme and the nation-wide fish tagging project, both of which involve thousands of end-users.
Studies have also included elasmobranch fishes and large oceanic predators such as billfish, swordfish and white sharks.
Currently participating in a number of collaborative programmes involving other countries of the West Indian Ocean region.
Provides decision support to conservation managers and government officials and has assisted with environmental and fisheries policy formulation for national and regional government.
 Supervision of post-graduate students.

PROF. MICHAEL SCHLEYER
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: ORI

PhD (University of Natal, 1981)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1973.

DR LOUIS CELLIERS
SENIOR SCIENTIST

PhD (University of Natal, 2001)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1998.

Leader of the ORI Coastal Zone Research Programme.
Research experience includes:
Provides scientific decision support to regional government and undertakes various research activities on coastal zone issues, including the identification of coastal assets along the KZN coastline, development of relational and spatial databases, assessments of off-road vehicle regulations and small-craft launch sites.
Examination of the ecology of the high-latitude marginal reefs of South Africa using GIS and extensive image analysis.
Coordinator and team member of ORI's Reef Biodiversity Programme, which includes co-operative ventures with other organisations in the fields of oceanography, coral larval dispersal and recruitment, long-term monitoring of coral reefs, coral bleaching assessment and coral propagation.
Invertebrate surveys for a proposed heavy mineral mining venture on the coast of northern Mozambique (Caldeira Island).
Coral reef surveys to establish ecological importance, potential for recreational use, baseline information and recommendation for conservation of the reefs at Kosi Bay, South Africa.
Assisted with the taxonomic analysis of corals in the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique.
Supervision of post-graduate students.

DR SEAN FENNESSY
SENIOR SCIENTIST

PhD (University of Natal, 2001)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since April 1989.

Leader of the ORI Offshore Fisheries Programme.
Research experience includes:
Investigation of non-target species (bycatch) of prawn trawlers operating off the coast of KZN, a description of the biology of the major fish species, and an assessment of the impact of trawlers on other fishery sectors.
Investigating methods to reduce the bycatch caught by prawn trawlers on the KZN coast.
Biological investigation and stock assessments of several species of fin fish (Epinephelus spp, Pomadasys commersonnii, Polysteganus coeruleopunctasus).
Surveys of the commercial and recreational hook and line fisheries in the provinces of KZN and the Eastern Cape, involving interviews with fishers and inspections of catches.
Co-ordinates the fisheries science module for MSc and BSc (Hons) students.
Supervises post-graduate students.
Provides decision support to conservation managers and government agencies.

MR BRUCE MANN
SENIOR SCIENTIST

MSc (Rhodes University, 1992)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1992.

Leader of ORI's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Programme and the Linefish Programme.
Research experience includes:
Study of the biology of two reef fish species in the Tsitsikamma National Park.
Investigation of the multiple usage of Lake St Lucia's fish resources aiming to develop a management plan for this large estuarine lake system to ensure sustainable utilisation of its fish resources.
Implementation of a subsistence gill-net fishery at St Lucia.
Surveys of the commercial and recreational line fisheries in the provinces of KZN and the Eastern Cape, involving interviews with fishers and inspections of catches, which formed part of the National Linefish Survey.
Editor of a book on the status of 102 South African linefish species.
Investigations on the age and growth of a number of shore caught fish species.
Marine biodiversity survey along the Pondoland coast with the intention to establish a large MPA in this region.
Shore fish monitoring and tagging study being conducted in the St Lucia Marine Reserve.
Chairman of the South African Marine Linefish Management Association (SAMLMA).
Supervision of post-graduate students.
Provides decision support to conservation managers and government agencies.

MS FIONA MACKAY
SENIOR SCIENTIST

MSc (University of Zululand, 1996)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since March 2005.

Previous experience includes:
Collaborative studies integrating abiotic (water quality and habitat) and biotic aspects (community structure and community metrics) for selected estuarine types.
Investigation of current status, baseline surveys and biomonitoring of estuaries, including comparison of succession trends in similar estuaries and distinguishing anthropogenic from climatic effects as manifested in zoobenthic fauna.
Description of the state of a river - coastal lake - estuarine linked ecosystem, the effect of an intrabasin transfer on selected components of the resident fauna and rapid assessment of Instream Flow Requirements of the invertebrates.
Scenario-based biotic responses and implications to potential freshwater deficits on macrobenthos, macrocrustacea and avifauna of selected estuaries with decision support under different freshwater yield scenarios to the estuarine/marine, coastal lake and river environments.
Importance of northern KZN estuaries as conduits for mass recruitment of Varuna Litterata crab megalopae.
Port of Richards Bay environmental monitoring including development of monitoring programmes and investigation of ballast water introduced marine species (according to CRIMP protocols).
Ecological impacts of dredge spoil disposal on sandy beach, estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystems.
Specialist ecological investigator for various projects (sewage and paper mill effluents, solid structure developments in protected areas etc.) to limit and mitigate negative impacts to coastal aquatic environments.

MS ALKE KRUGER
SCIENTIST

MSc (University of Natal, 1996)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1989.

Research experience includes:
Assistance with studies on the growth rate, reproduction and exploitation of Scylla serrata (mud crabs) and Striostrea (oysters).
Studies on the extent of reproduction and the reproductive strategies of seven South African coral species.
Responsible for ORI's invertebrate catch statistics project (ongoing since 1985) - a long-term monitoring project that estimates the numbers of marine invertebrates harvested along the KwaZulu-Natal coast.
Reproduction of marine organisms (corals, oysters, fish).
Histological processing of tissues of marine organisms.
Sand prawn stock assessments of three KZN estuaries (Durban Bay, Richards Bay, Mgeni Estuaries).
Long-term monitoring of representative coral reefs investigating growth, mortality, recruitment and community structure
Designing of ACCESS databases
Managing the ORI Research laboratory areas and providing advice on laboratory practices such as chemical waste disposal and chemical storage.

MR PIERRE PRADERVAND
SCIENTIST

MSc (University of Port Elizabeth, 1998)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1997.

Research experience includes:
Operator and end-user of the National Marine Linefish System (NMLS) and Boat Launch Site Monitoring System (BLSMS).
Extensive liaison with anglers, angling clubs, angling equipment retailers and nature conservation agencies.
Attending and sampling catches at numerous angling tournaments.
Design and implementation of roving creel and access point surveys for various fisheries sectors.
Originator of first successful short-term monitoring system for the Eastern Cape estuarine fishery.
Carried out an assessment of the small-craft launch sites for the KZN Province.
Undertaking an assessment of the charter boat fishery in KZN.

MS. BERNADINE EVERETT
SCIENTIST

MSc (University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1998.

Research experience includes:
 Database development for large WIO programme on small-scale fisheries involving most countries of the East African coast, including training of users.
 Surveys of recreational and commercial fisheries in the Richards Bay region.
 Specialist input to the EIA process for the Point small-craft harbour.
 Conducted the environmental impact assessment process for the development of the proposed Victoria Embankment Waterfront.
 Monitoring of fish and sand prawns in the Durban Harbour.
 Database design and management for various research projects.
 Production and reproduction of graphics and maps.
UKZN MSc on Richards Bay Fisheries.

MS ERIKA STEYN
ASSISTANT SCIENTIST

MSc (University of Stellenbosch, 2002)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2002.

Research experience includes:
 Invertebrate ecology.
 Food conditioning of sharks.
 Inshore/ offshore migration and larval recruitment of East Coast rock lobster off the KwaZulu Natal coast.
 Small-scale artisanal rock lobster fishery along the Eastern Cape (Transkei) coast.

MR ANGUS MACDONALD
SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

MSc (University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2002.

Research experience includes:
 Longline fisheries observer.
 Benthic reef surveys (SCUBA, underwater video transects; data processing (GIS), data analysis).
 Scleractinian (hard coral) identification; morphological analyses of Scleractinian coral; coral propagation; benthic specimen collection and live transport.
 Invertebrate sampling methods.
 Algal, sponge, tunicate sampling and identification.
 Genetic research (specimen sampling, preservation, extraction of material and relevant analyses)
UKZN - MSc on the speciation of a common species of hard coral (Stylophora pistillata).

MS ELINOR BULLEN
SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1985.

 Operator of the marine linefish tagging database.
 Extensive liaison with researchers, conservation managers and other participants in the tagging project.
 Extensive liaison with anglers who voluntarily participate in the project, including screening of potential participants and providing feedback on recaptures.

MRS RENUKA GOVENDER
SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1992.

 Responsible for accurate data capture on the National Marine Linefish System (NMLS).
 Liaison with officials and programme operators at Marine and Coastal Management (MCM).
 Training of students on operation of the NMLS.

MR DESMOND HAYES
SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2007.

 Heads the fisheries’ observer team.
 He has extensive experience in both project management and maritime matters.

MR JADE MAGGS
SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2006.

 Provides support to research projects in the execution of field sampling and laboratory analysis.
 Provides support for data handling and processing.
 Maintains scientific and field equipment in top condition.
 He is currently studying towards at BSc degree in Zoology and Geography through the University of South Africa.

MR SANDILE KHONI
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2008.

 Assists the Laboratory Manager with the day-to-day running and maintennance of the ORI laboratory.
 Assists with specific tasks such as histological preparations, otolith sectioning, sorting of biological
  samples and genetic preparations.
 Assists with the procurement of laboratory equipment and supplies.
 Contributes to the effective running and maintennance of the research aquarium.

MR RIAAN BOSHOFF
FIELD OFFICER

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2008.

Reponsibilities include:
 Maintennance of boats, dive gear and sampling equipment.
 Planning and executing field activities in collaboration with scientists.
 Assisting with taking and recording scientific measurements including physical and biological data.

MS PAULA PATTRICK
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

MSc (Rhodes University, 2008)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since February 2008.

Research experience includes:
Direction and velocity of ocean currents.
Swimming ability of larval fishes.
She will be spending a year assisting ORI researchers on a number of projects in the fisheries and estuarine programmes.

MS KIRSTEN RUSSELL
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

BSc (Hons) (University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since December 2006.

Responsibilities include:
Assisting with estuarine research projects.
Undertaking field trips and laboratory activities related to estuarine biomonitoring and health studies.
Maintennance of macrobenthic reference collections.
Identification and enumeration of macrobenthic organisms.

MS CATHERINE STOW
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

BSc (Hons) (University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2007.

Research experience includes:
Studied macrobenthos of the Kosi Bay estuarine lake system.

Responsibilities include:
Assisting with estuarine and near-shore research projects.
Undertaking field trips and laboratory activities related to estuarine biomonitoring and health studies.
Maintennance of macrobenthic reference collections.
Identification and enumeration of macrobenthic organisms.

MS TARRYN-LEE WINSON
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

MSc (University of Cape Town, 2005)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2007.

Research experience includes:
 Studies on the Maputaland loggerhead, Caretta caretta, and leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea, turtles.
 Examining endolith infestation intensities of three mussel species found in South Africa.
 The spatial variability in egg volume of three clupeoid species found in the Southern Benguela
 Background research for TRANSMAP project.
 Assistance with coastal research projects.

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 1999.
Professional experience includes:
 Management and maintenance of the David Davies Memorial Library at ORI
 Supervision of Library Staff
 Development and maintenance of systems and procedures, including rerference methods, inter library loans and media collections.

MR RAKESH MISTRY
DATA CURATOR

BSc (Hons) (University of Witwatersrand, 1998)

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2008.

Responsibilities include:
 Development and implementation of policies, practices and procedures for data management.
 Implementing new systems of managing the various forms of historical and current ORI data.
 Analysis of data holdings to assist scientists in generating information products.

MR. MUSA KHUMALO
DATA CAPTURER

BTech (Durban Institute of Technology, 2001)

Responsible for data capture on the BLSMS and the NMLS online system.
Provides ad hoc assistance in the ORI library.

MS ALISON MOOR
PROJECT LIAISON OFFICER

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2005.

 Responsible for co-ordination of research projects.
 Liaison with funding agencies.

MRS RAMINI NAIDOO
PERSONAL ASSISTANT

Employed at the Oceanographic Research Institute since 2001.

 Provides secretarial and administrative support to ORI's team of scientists and support staff.

MRS. JESSICA PILLAY
RECEPTIONIST

 Switchboard operator and receptionist for SAAMBR since 2002.

 Provides administrative assistance where required.