Nico Smit is the co-ordinator of the Water Research Group. He is also the Director of the Environmental Research Unit. His research specialisation is in aquatic ecology and focus on the role of keystone species in aquatic ecosystems and the anthropogenic impacts on them. He plays an active role in postgraduate student supervision. His areas of expertise are aquatic ecologist and ecotoxicologist, specialising in aquatic ecology, fish biology and ecology, marine and freshwater parasitology. He acts as project leader of two multi million rand project on the conservation of southern Africa’s iconic tiger fish, as well as a project on the Phongola river and flood plains.

Corrie Wolmarans is busy with studies regarding the ecological health of selected river systems in the North-West Province. He and co-workers evaluate the macroinvertebrate biodiversity and selected abiotic factors which could have an influence on their spatial and temporal distribution. They are currently focusing on selected sites in the Marico, Crocodile and Mooi River catchment areas. He is also involved in a project, recently initiated, to do DNA barcoding of aquatic macroinvertebrates. He, Prof De Kock, Prof Wepener, postgraduate students and colleagues from Water Affairs and Geo-Sciences are in collaboration with regard to the above mentioned projects.

Glyn Howatson is the Director of Research and Innovation, and Professor in Human and Applied Physiology at Northumbria University in the UK and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science. He received his Doctoral degree from Kingston University, London, in muscle damage and extends these interests to neuro-muscular adaptation and recovery from strenuous exercise.

Niel Bruce is a world expert on marine isopod crustaceans, a group of small sized, abundant and diverse crustaceans related to crabs and shrimp. His research began with an Honours thesis on the taxonomy of isopod crustaceans from the Red Sea. That interest in tropical crustaceans has continued to the present day.

Niel has written more than 150 scientific papers, numerous reports and popular articles including five monographs and two edited books. He has worked at the Smithsonian Institution, Australian Museum, Zoological Museum in Copenhagen as Curator of Crustacea and most recently at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand as head of the Marine Invertebrate Biodiversity and Collections programs. Niel joined the Queensland Museum in 2007 as Senior Curator at the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville. Niel's research continues to focus on the taxonomy, systematics, biogeography and biodiversity of tropical marine isopods, both free living and parasitic forms. He has described or redescribed more than 400 species, 40 new genera and three new families of marine isopod. Present research focuses on Great Barrier Reef isopods, using this work as the basis for higher level revisions of Australian isopods. The recent prime focus of work has been the systematics of the Asellota (a group of small isopods) from Australian coral reefs, funded by ABRS and CReefs–BHP Billiton. The other primary research focus, through graduate students, is revisions of fish parasitic isopods of Southern Africa and Australia Queensland Museum research collections of coral-reef isopods have been built from extensive field work on the Great Barrier Reef, and throughout the Indo-Pacific from Fiji and Papua New Guinea, the Great Barrier Reef, Western Australia and the Western Indian Ocean at South Africa, Mauritius, Zanzibar and Kenya.

Kenné de Kock is a member of the team that studies the ecological health of selected river systems in the North-West Province. They evaluate the macroinvertebrate biodiversity and selected abiotic factors which could have an influence on their spatial and temporal distribution. They are currently focusing on selected sites in the Marico, Crocodile and Mooi River catchment areas. He teaches the post-graduate students involved in these projects the skills to collect, identify and classify the aquatic macroinvertebrates and also to identify the marginal and aquatic vegetation encountered at each sampling site. These students are also trained to process and interpret their results and to write scientific publications. A considerable amount of his time goes towards the identification of the macroinvertebrates collected in their surveys and in the evaluation of the results in order to generate articles, in collaboration with the rest of the team, for submission to accredited scientific journals. He is also involved in a project, recently initiated, to do DNA barcoding of aquatic macroinvertebrates. He has already identified and screened samples of several freshwater mollusc species for the presence of parasites in order to prepare them for these analyses. He processes and report on samples of freshwater molluscs sent to him for identification and is also responsible for updating the database of the National Freshwater Snail Collection.

Just two dates separated by a line.  During this short lifetime line Stephen has had a profound influence on the lives of many people.  In the three years that Stephen was associated with the North-West University he became a dear friend, valued colleague and a true mentor to our ecotoxicology postgraduate students. Stephen will be sorely missed. Our prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues.

Luc Brendonck is head of the laboratory and research professor with 25 years of experience within aquatic ecology, taxonomy, ecotoxicology, sustainable development, evolutionary ecology and ecological biogeography. Mainly, temporary wetlands and their invertebrate communities were used to assess diversity patterns in relation to environmental conditions (e.g. land use) and as models to analyze ecological and evolutionary processes. The involvement of Prof L. Brendonck as the Flemish project leader is premised on his extensive involvement with VLIR-UOS projects in Africa (see below). He has led about 20 multidisciplinary field excursions with staff and students in Zimbabwe and South Africa. He also has vast experience in monitoring of water quality and in aquatic ecology in Southern Africa and in integrated water resources management. He is therefore aware of the vast needs of the region. He is currently also participating as Flemish UNESCO expert in aquatic ecology in arid and semi-arid regions and is UNESCO advisor within FET-water (framework for education and training in water) in South Africa.

Yoshinori Ikenaka is an associate professor at Hokkaido University, Japan. He specialises in Environmental Toxicology Work. Subjects of research include:

1) Study on mechanism of species differences in sensitivity to toxicological chemicals.

2) Toxicity evaluation and monitoring of environmental pollutants in wild animals in Africa.

Kerry Malherbe began her post-doctoral fellowship in September 2012 studying the parasitic isopods from the family Cymothoidae. This project aims at completely revising the cymothoid isopods from around the world. These isopods can cause skin damage, lesions, anaemia and may even lead to the death of the host in extreme cases. Thus, an in-depth study on the biodiversity of these parasites is necessary to compile data on their taxonomic placements, occurrence, distribution, and hosts to determine effects these parasites are having on fish populations. This work is a continuation of her PhD work where she reviewed three cymothoid genera (Ceratothoa Dana, 1852, Cinusa Schioedte&Meinert, 1884, and CymothoaFabricius, 1787) known from southern Africa. The current project continues with this taxonomic and systematic revision, including descriptions of new species from South Africa and abroad. Furthermore, the molecular typing of these genera from South Africa will also be done for accurate identification and more insight into the phylogenetic relationships of these isopods. This genetic work on the South African species would also be the first for these isopods in the country and could provide valuable information for future research.

Courtney began her postdoctoral research at the NWU in September 2012, after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Johannesburg in the field of tortoise apicomplexan parasite biodiversity and multi-element metal fingerprinting with the utilisation thereof in the conservation of South African tortoises. The postdoctoral research in which she is currently involved entails the apicomplexan biodiversity of different research fields involving members of the fishes from around the world, reptiles, amphibians and birds from South Africa, with the aim of the taxonomic and phylogenetic positioning these animals’ parasites. Phylogenetics is a field of biology concerning the identification and elucidation of evolutionary relationships, or evolutionary history, such as among genera and species. Parasites such as apicomplexan parasites display very few morphological or life-cycle traits that differentiate them on a morphological scale. However, on a genetic scale, differentiation is possible by the use of conservative and non-conservative gene fragments, such as that of the 18S rDNA and Cytochrome b mtDNA genes respectively. Current research projects include an international collaboration with the department of Biological Sciences of Arkansas State University, USA, researching the apicomplexan biodiversity of fishes of the eastern Caribbean, US and British Virgin Islands, and a collaboration with Kingston University, UK, researching population genetics of apicomplexan parasites parasitemic to South African herpatofauna; also a national collaboration with the University of the Free State, researching the taxonomy and phylogeny of neglected and new apicomplexans of reptiles and birds, and an intradepartmental collaboration with the African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, describing novel species of herpatofaunal apicomplexans respectively with the use of both morphological and molecular tools. Such research has led to a number of publications of international standards, with further output anticipated. For more information about Courtney, her research and publications please visit her ResearchGate profile:

Sarel Brand did his PhD in Pharmacology, following his undergraduate degree in B.Pharm. He has expertise in translational neuroscience, animal model development, in vivo microdialysis. During his postdoc he will be testing aquatic ecotoxicity of nanomaterials in Danio rerio as a model of the aquatic environment. 

Tarryn Lee Botha completed her PhD at the University of Johannesburg under the supervision of Prof Victor Wepener with a thesis entitled “The aquatic toxicology of gold nanoparticles (nAu)”. The project followed a tiered research approach: Particle distribution and agglomeration in the reconstituted water medium was evaluated using several microscopy techniques as well as characterization tools which included dynamic light scattering and Fourier transform infrared spectrometery; acute testing of standard international species (bacteria, algae, Daphnia spp. and Danio rerio- zebrafish) following OECD protocols; chronic testing of Daphnia magna using a reproduction test protocol; D. rerio was used as a model organism for in vivo nanoparticle uptake and biodistribution; DNA microarray analysis and Real Time Polymerase Chain Reactions using the liver was used to determine gene expression; and whole body samples to determine circulating protein levels of biomarkers of response and oxidative stress. Tarryn has undergone training at the Fraunhofer IME Institute in Schmallenberg, Germany and the Veterinary Medicine School at the Hokkaido University in Japan. This year she attended three national and three international conferences. Tarryn has joined the North-West University as a Postdoctoral Fellow and is also part of the Department of Science and Technology Nanotechnology's Health, Safety and Environmental Risk Research Platform (Nano-HSE Risk Research Platform).

Wynand joined the Water Research Group as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in 2013 after completing his Ph. D in Aquatic Health. His doctoral thesis involved the ecological risk assessment of pesticides used at an agricultural water scheme in the arid part of South Africa. This research has enabled Wynand to become skilled in aquatic ecosystem and ecological risk assessment. He has published several peer reviewed articles in accredited journals, presented papers at national and international conferences, and is registered as professional natural scientist (Pri Sci Nat). As part of his Post-Doctoral Fellowship he is the principal investigator of a Water Research Commission project studying the aquatic biodiversity of selected Ramsar sites in South Africa. The main aim of the project is to support South Africa’s requirements in terms of the Ramsar Convention to provide up to date information on the aquatic biodiversity at the currently declared Ramsar sites.

Iva is a postdoctoral fellow from Masaryk University. Her research is focused on molecular and classic taxomony, diversity and phylogeny of monogenean parasites of freshwater and marine fishes. Since her first field trip on the African continent in September 2004 in Senegal, she has been working mainly on the African parasites as a part of her research she visited and collected material in several African countries as were Senegal, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Burundi and South Africa. After completing her PhD at the Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Iva continued her research there working on her three years post-doctoral grant “African gyrodactylid parasites – white spots on the map of the current knowledge: search for the diversity of monogenean parasites and their phylogenetic relationships” funded by Czech Science Foundation.  Since March 2012, she has been intensively collaborating with Prof. Wilmien Luus-Powell from University of Limpopo and in July 2015 joint North-West University Water Research Group as a postdoctoral fellow. She continues in a part time at Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno. As a part of her postdoctoral fellow at North-West University she works on identification of various group of monogenean using several techniques, finding a great opportunity to explore understudied diversity of these small parasites in the African continent. Currently she is also involves in the study of parasites of invasive fish in South Africa.

Dr Ruan Gerber is a post-doctoral research fellow. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Johannesburg and was awarded the HJ Schoonbee medal for his thesis. Broadly his interests include studying the ecotoxicology of aquatic ecosystems with a focus on how humans are affecting aquatic biota from the cellular to the ecosystem level. Currently his research is focused on how freshwater systems found within South Africa’s premier conservation are impacted by human activities and the management of these systems.

Rachel Welicky is a postdoctoral fellow from Arkansas State University. Her research interests are in understanding the interactions between coral reef fish and the parasites that infect them. During her PhD research, she examined the effects of Anilocra infection on the behavior and physiology of Caribbean reef fish. Like many other scientists, her dissertation research only left her with more questions, and the questions that most interest her require a better understanding of the biology of Anilocra. There is very little actually known about Anilocra, and that’s where the WRG and her current research comes into play! As part of the WRG, she is learning as much as she can about Anilocra using both taxonomic and molecular approaches. By gaining a better understanding about how Anilocra species vary with respect to morphology and genetics, she will be able to conduct more informed ecological studies about Anilocra-host interactions.

She is a PhD student at the Unit for Environmental Science and Management and a part of the Water Research Group at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. She enrolled for her PhD in January 2013, under the supervision of Professor Corrie Wolmarans, Professor Victor Wepener and Professor Kenne de Kock. This is currently the final year of the project. Her project entails a comparative study of the aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity and selected physico-chemical parameters in the Marico River in the North-West Province of South-Africa.

Objectives are to: