Angela Minnie

Email address: 30488222@mynwu.ac.za

Current research focus: Acanthocephala, Taxonomy, Marine environmental parasitology, Biological indicators.

Overview: Angela Minnie graduated with a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Botany. Thereafter, she pursued a B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Environmental Sciences with the Water Research Group, which was where she found her passion for all things parasitology and intertidal zones. For her Honour’s project, Angie investigated the role of parasites in monitoring metals of parasites, their fish hosts, and their surrounding environment. This sparked the interest in environmental parasitology and other integrated research questions surrounding acanthocephalans. Her Master’s project focuses on evaluating the diversity of acanthocephalan parasites in both marine and freshwater systems using morphological and molecular characterisation, as well their use as bioindicators to answer ecotoxicological questions.

Experience: She interned at a microbiology food testing laboratory, as a junior laboratory technician. This was where she realised that she enjoys laboratory work but also enjoy working in the field, which is possible within academic research, particularly research on marine systems.

Current research focus: Toxicokinetics and biodistribution of nano-scaled copper and gold in the African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

Overview: Armagh is currently a master’s student at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus. In 2018 he obtained his BSc degree in physiology and microbiology. He finished his B.Sc. (Honours) degree in aquatic ecosystem health. His current project focuses on ENM kinetics in fish, with a focus on PBPK modelling as a computational tool to assess the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of ENMs and metals in fish. The model can be used to accurately predict and assess various exposure scenarios.

Experience: Bioaccumulation kinetics and the subsequent behavioural responses of Oreochromis mossambicus using nanogold.

Armagh Cook

Email address: armaghcook3@gmail.com

Calista Cloete

Email address: 36444650@mynwu.ac.za

Current research focus: Ecotoxicology, One Health.

Overview: Calista is currently a Master's student in Environmental Science, focusing her research efforts on ecotoxicology. In 2022, she successfully attained her B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences with Microbiology and Physiology. Calista then furthered her academic career by earning her B.Sc. (Honours) degree in One Health in 2023. During her Master’s degree, she aims to expand her knowledge in the promising fields of One Health and Aquatic ecotoxicology.

Experience: One Health approach to marine ecosystems.

Current research focus: Trypanosomes, blood parasites, Environment, marine and freshwater fish, life-cycle stages, diversity

Overview: Chandra is currently a Master’s student at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus. She obtained her undergraduate B.Sc. degree in Environmental Sciences in 2021 with majors in Zoology and Microbiology. In 2022 she became part of the WRG and finished her Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health. Her current M.Sc. project focuses on the biodiversity, systematics and life-cycle stages of trypanosomes (blood parasites) in marine and freshwater fish. She is working under the supervision of Prof. Nico Smit, Prof. Courtney Cook and Dr Marliese Truter.

Experience: Biodiversity and systematics of marine fish Trypanosomes of South Africa.

Chandra le Roux

Email address: 31978045@mynwu.ac.za

Affiliation: SAIAB

Chelsea Withfield

Email address: 31660967@mynwu.ac.za

Current research focus: Freshwater bivalves, Chambardia, Corbicula, Mercury

Overview: Her research is part of the REFRESH project which aims to address knowledge gaps on selected freshwater biota. Her project focus specifically on the large freshwater bivalve genera Chambardia and Corbicula in South Africa to update and validate species distribution records and morphological information. Furthermore, she aims to investigate the impact of increased mercury concentrations on Corbicula clams and evaluate their potential as bioindicators for mercury pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

Experience: Distribution and revision of the bivalve genus Sphaerium in South Africa.

Current research focus: Otoliths, aging, growth rate determination, histology, environmental plasticity, killifish, temperature, salinity.

Overview: Corné is currently a Master’s student at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus. In 2022 he obtained his undergraduate B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences with majors in Zoology and Botany.  He finished his Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health where he became part of the WRG. During his third year he realised that he has a passion for the aquatic environment and thus he decided to broaden his horizons in this field. His current project focuses on aging killifish using otoliths and determining their growth rates to assess how these fish adapt their growth in different environments and under different conditions.

Experience: Otoliths of freshwater fish impacted by mining activities.

Corné Carinus

Email address: 35937882@mynwu.ac.za

Erin Stevens

Email address: 31620949@mynwu.ac.za

Current research focus: Toxicant analysis; Killifish; pesticides; metals; Incomati catchment area.

Overview: Erin is currently pursuing her Master's in Environmental Sciences with a focus on ecotoxicology. She achieved her honours in Environmental Sciences with distinction in 2022. Erin is a value driven person and focuses on being hard-working, motivated, enthusiastic, honest, trustworthy, accountable, determined, balanced and optimistic. Her wish is to further her studies and specialise so that she can make a meaningful contribution to global sustainability. She wishes to work for mining companies to help minimise their impacts on the environment and help their rehabilitation programs become more sustainable. Later on she aims to be an environmental consultant and eventually open up her own consultant company. Erin is a very active person and likes to be involved in many aspects of life. She loves the outdoors and nature which helped her in choosing her career path.

Experience: Mercury contamination in sediments and two fish species from Gold and Platinum mining areas.

Current research focus: Gnathiid isopods, Taxonomy, Biodiversity.

Overview: Hesmarié is a Master’s student within the WRG at the NWU, Potchefstroom. She completed her undergraduate degree in B.Sc. Biological Sciences with Zoology and Microbiology in 2022, followed by her Honours degree in Environmental Sciences with Aquatic Ecosystem Health in 2023. She was introduced to gnathiid isopods in her honours project and was intrigued by their unique nature. In order to address this growing curiosity, she will continue to study them and hopefully address gaps within their current taxonomy.

Experience: Biodiversity and host specificity of gnathiid isopods parasitising elasmobranchs from Borneo.

Hesmarié Botha

Email address: 36750980@mynwu.ac.za

Affiliation: SAIAB

Kelsey Longstaff

Email address: 34401652@mynwu.ac.za

Current research focus: Taxonomy, Isopods, Corallanidae, Gnathiidae, Molecular.

Overview: Kelsey is a passionate Master's student from Johannesburg, South Africa, where a childhood surrounded by nature sparked a deep love for wildlife. Holidays by two oceans and volunteering at wildlife centres fuelled this passion, leading her to Potchefstroom for undergraduate studies. She completed her Bachelor's in Science with Zoology and Botany and furthering her commitment, Kelsey pursued an Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health, both at the NWU. Currently she focuses on taxonomy and molecular work, specializing in marine isopods. Her journey reflects a dedication to understanding and conserving marine life, hoping to one day work in environmental science.

Experience: Borneo's hidden connections: unveiling the enigmatic Corallanidae isopods and their elasmobranch hosts.

Current research focus: Molluscs, Red lists data, Species distribution, Freshwater ecology.

Overview: Marcel is currently a Master’s student at the Water Research Group, NWU Potchefstroom. He completed his undergraduate in 2022 in B.Sc. Zoology and Geography at the NWU. In 2023 he completed a Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health under the supervision of Prof. Wynand Malherbe. His current project focuses on molluscs and the distribution of red list species within South Africa.

Experience: eDNA of freshwater fish, GIS.

Marcel Kruger

Email address: 31583296@mynwu.ac.za

Mikayla Oosthuizen

Email address: 
mikayla.oosthuizenz28@gmail.com

Current research focus: Assessing the risk of Graphene and Graphene oxide on the environment through high-throughput tiered assessments.

Overview: Mikayla is a Master’s candidate at NWU in Potchefstroom. She is a very driven and passionate learner. Mikayla’s motto in life is that "Life is what you make of it". She has an interest in nanotechnology and how it impacts the environment. She likes to step out of her comfort zone to experience and learn new things.

Experience: The use of an ex-vivo gut sac technique to determine the uptake of nanogold across the gastrointestinal tract of Clarias gariepinus (African sharptooth catfish).

Current research focus: Fish parasite conservation of three endemic rock catfishes (Austroglanis) from South Africa.

Overview: Rudolf obtained his undergraduate B.Sc. degree in 2020 with majors in Zoology and Tourism. He finished his Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health where he became part of the WRG. Rudolf is currently a Master’s student at the North-West University Potchefstroom Campus. His current project focuses on the biodiversity and systematics of the parasites of endemic fish from South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region.

Experience: Biodiversity and systematics of fish parasitic isopods infecting sharks from South Africa.

Rudolf Gouws

Email address: Rudolfgouws09@gmail.com

Shaun Herselman

Email address: herselmanshaun@gmail.com

Current research focus: Assessing the effects of multiple stressors on the Incomati River Catchment.

Overview: Shaun is currently a Master’s student at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus. In 2020 he obtained his undergraduate B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences with majors in Zoology and Biochemistry.  He finished his Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health where he became part of the WRG, in 2021. His project focuses on assessing multiple stressors on the Incomati River system under the supervision of Prof. Victor Wepener and Dr Hannes Erasmus.

Experience: The current water quality status of the greater Limpopo River Catchment.

Current research focus: Laboratory-based assessment of differences in the sensitivity of invertebrate and vertebrate organisms.

Overview: Simoné is currently a Master’s student at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus. In 2022 she obtained her undergraduate B.Sc. degree in Environmental Sciences with majors is Zoology and Geography. She finished her Honours degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Health where she became part of the WRG. She has an absolute passion for the environment and the sustainability thereof.

Experience: Assessing mercury uptake in artificial mussels under freshwater conditions.

Simoné Heyneke

Email address: 33713324@mynwu.ac.za

Soné van Rensburg

Email address: 31708595@mynwu.ac.za

Current research focus: Ecology, Freshwater, Bivalves, Taxonomy, Molecular analysis, REFRESH project.

Overview: Soné is currently a Master’s student forming part of the WRG team. She completed her undergraduate degree in B.Sc. Zoology and Microbiology, and Honours degree in B.Sc. (Honours) in Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology. Her Master’s in Environmental Sciences focuses on obtaining information concerning freshwater bivalves, specifically in the Sphaeriidae family, which forms part of the larger REFRESH project. The main aim is to update their distribution throughout South Africa, as well as revise their taxonomy. Her passion for macroinvertebrates originated from a research assistant job she had in her third year provided by her now supervisor, Prof. Wynand Malherbe. This passion has been growing ever since, and she subsequently became very interested in the health of aquatic ecosystems, considering both abiotic and biotic factors.

Experience: Distribution and revision of bivalve genus Pisidium in South Africa.

Current research focus: Aquatic ecotoxicology, ecology.

Overview: Tamara is currently a M.Sc. student at NWU. She completed her undergraduate degree in B.Sc. Environmental Science at UP focussing on Botany, Zoology and Geography. She completed her Honours degree at NWU in Environmental Science, specialising in Aquatic Ecosystem health. Her project was focussed on the role of acanthocephalans in metal monitoring in the Groot River Estuary (utilizing Chelon richardsonii). From this, she realised her interests in aquatic ecotoxicology and is currently working with killifish for her M.Sc. project, under the supervision of Prof. Victor Wepener.

Experience: Environmental parasitology of mullets from the Groot River Estuary.

Tamara Venter

Email address: 46970312@mynwu.ac.za

Tshenolo Masilo

Email address: 29567904@mynwu.ac.za

Affiliation: SAIAB

Current research focus: Historical ecology, parasite communities, large scale yellowfish.

Overview: Tshenolo is a hardworking, disciplined, and passionate person who always strive for the best and finds pleasure in challenges. She is able to easily change and adapt to new changes and can communicate clearly and effectively. She holds a B.Sc. degree in Microbiology and Physiology and Honours degree in Environmental Sciences with the focus on Aquatic Ecosystem Health.

Experience: Morphological and molecular review of the fish parasitic genus Catoessa.

Current research focus: Fish haemogregarine, blood parasites, taxonomy, molecular characterisation.

Overview: Zandile Dhlamini, a vibrant Master's student, graduated with a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Physiology in 2022, followed by an Honours degree in Environmental Sciences with a focus on Aquatic Ecosystem Health in 2023. Currently under the supervision of Prof. Courtney Cook and Prof. Nico Smit, her research delves into the fascinating world of fish Haemogregarina taxonomy, exploring the intricacies of blood parasites. 

Experience: Haemogregarine blood parasites.

Zandile Dhlamini

Email address: 30528216@mynwu.ac.za