Doctoral graduates
Dr Stacey Gerber | Project title: Assessment of different methods to determine hydraulic niche requirements of riparian plant communities a comparison across catchments. |
Dr Linda van der Spuy | Project title: Health assessment of marine environments: Parasites of the evileye blaasop, Amblyrhynchote honckenii (Bloch), as bioindicators. |
Dr Zoe Ngamlana | Project title: Impact of coal-fired power station closure on the aquatic and air environment in Mpumalanga. |
Dr P.P. Ugwu | Project title: Risk of residual mercury from a historically mined area, South Africa. |
Dr Marelize Labuschagne | Project title: Adverse Outcome Pathways to assess the effects of pesticides on aquatic macroinvertebrates. |
Dr Anja Vermaak | Project title: Metazoan parasite diversity of Diplodus capensis from South Africa and the role of marine protected areas in their conservation. |
Dr Divan van Rooyen | Project title: The role of the Usuthu River as refuge for the aquatic biodiversity of the lower Phongolo system. |
Dr Michelle van As | Project title: Organochlorine pesticide exposure levels and haemoparasite infections as health parameters for leopards in South Africa. |
Dr Precious Ayawei | Project title: Biodiversity of parasitic Crustacea infesting Clarias gariepinus and their role as potential bioindicators of aquatic health. |
Dr Lehlohonolo Mofokeng | Project title: Reptiles of South Africa as hosts for tick-borne pathogens and haemoparasites. |
Dr Suanne Bosch-Moolman | Project title: Bioaccumulation and effects of metal-based nanomaterials using a multi-species approach. |
Dr Marliese Truter | Project title: The assessment of metazoan parasite diversity of native and extralimital Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) populations a holistic approach. |
Dr Anja Erasmus | Project title: An environmental parasitological approach to marine metal pollution: The endemic South African intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus, as model organism. |
Dr Hannes Erasmus | Project title: Exposure and effects of platinum group elements on the aquatic ecosystems associated with platinum mining regions. |
Dr Anrich Kock | Project title: Assessment of phytobenthos in the lower Phongolo River catchment in relation to changing environmental conditions. |
Dr Nico Wolmarans | Project title: Ecological risk assessment of amphibians in the Phongola River floodplain. |
Dr Edward Netherland | Project title: Ecology, systematics and evolutionary biology of frog blood parasites in northern KwaZulu-Natal. |
Dr Lizaan de Necker | Project title: Biodiversity and ecological structures of an African subtropical river and associated floodplain pans. |
Dr Kaajial Durgaprasad | Project title: The development of a Relative Risk Method model based on the risk management of aquatic ecosystems influenced by construction activities. |
Dr Wihan Pheiffer | Project title: Investigating morphological changes in fish tissue, due to the presence of persistent organic pollutants and metals. |
Dr Christa Thirion | Project title: The determination of flow and habitat requirements for selected riverine macroinvertebrates. |
Dr Kyle J. McHugh | Project title: Comprehensive fish health assessment and parasitological investigation of alien and indigenous fishes from the Amatola Region, South Africa. |
Master's graduates
Corné Carinus | Project title: Understanding the Growth and Reproduction Patterns of the Nothobranchius spp. from Southern Mozambique. Cum laude |
Hesmarié Botha | Project title: Biodiversity and systematics of gnathiid isopods from the Temperate Southern African marine biographical realm. Cum laude |
Zandile Dhlamini | Project title: Biodiversity and systematics of fish parasitic haemogregarines from the Temperate Southern African marine biographical realm. |
Tamara Venter | Project title: Baseline assessment of metal and organic pollutants in water, sediment and selected invertebrate and fish species in temporary pans from a conservation and pastoral region. |
Kelsey Longstaff | Project title: Morphological and molecular characterisation of Argathona isopods from Indonesian waters. Cum laude |
Tshenolo Masilo | Project title: A historical ecology of parasitism approach to determine change in freshwater fish parasite diversity in the Incomati River system over the last 60 years. Cum laude |
Calista Cloete | Project title: Acute and chronic responses of the invertebrate Daphnia magna and the vertebrate Danio rerio to graphene and graphene oxide exposure. |
Simone Heyneke | Project title: Comparing the sensitivity of standard aquatic international and indigenous macroinvertebrate and fish model organisms to mercury and zinc exposure. |
Charles de Beer | Project title: Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Water and Sediment Quality in Relation to Land-use in the Limpopo River Basin. |
Chandra le Roux | Project title: Biodiversity and systematics of freshwater and marine fish trypanosomes in southern Africa. Cum laude |
Shaun Herselman | Project title: Assessing the effects of multiple stressors on the Incomati River Catchment. |
Mikayla Oosthuizen | Project title: The use of tiered high throughput assessments to determine the environmental hazard of graphene. |
Erin Stevens | Project title: Exposure and hazard of metals and organochlorine pesticides in selected fish species from the Incomati catchment. |
Caroline Tlowana | Project title: Change in water quality and risk to the aquatic ecosystem due to coal mining in the Komati Catchment, Mpumalanga. |
Marcel Kruger | Project title: The conservation of African freshwater molluscs under changing climatic conditions. |
Nelisiwe Vilakazi | Project title: River flow response to change in climate in the Mooi River. |
Benjamin Addey | Project title: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Removal by Drinking Water Treatment Plants. (DWTPs): A Case Study of the Buffalo River Catchment. |
J de Jager | Project title: The quality of Ecological Reserve Inputs in Environmental Impact Assessments for water resource development projects in South Africa. |
Molalo Sidogi | Project title: A critical analysis of surface water quality in the Rietspruit Catchment, Upper Vaal Water. |
Nathan Cook | Project title: Establishing ecological flow requirements for the Maguaca River in the Dominican Republic. |
Ndumiso Mtshali | Project title: Assessment of the biological integrity of the Elands River using aquatic macroinvertebrates. |
Zimkita Dalasile | Project title: Strategies to manage nutrient input and their effectiveness: A case study of the Hartbeespoort Dam. |
Navika Govender | Project title: An assessment of impacts of land use activities on resource quality of Lovu River, KwaZulu-Natal. |
Ludwig Crous | Project title: Improving the molecular detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the environment. |
Rudolf Gouws | Project title: South African endemic rock catfishes (Austroglanididae: Austroglanis) as indicators of freshwater health and case study for parasite conservation. Cum laude |
Danielle Fourie | Project title: The application of active and passive bioaccumulation methods to measure metallic and organic pollutants along the Namibian coastline. Cum laude |
Geraldine Oosthuizen | Project title: Biodiversity assessment of marine cestode lineages infecting the Oman cownose ray, Rhinoptera jayakari Boulenger off the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Cum laude |
Dawid Coetsee | Project title: Organochlorine pesticide and mercury bioaccumulation in shark species from the South African coastline. Cum laude |
Wiets Neethling | Project title: Metal and metalloid bioaccumulation in the Cape white seabream (Diplodus capensis). Cum laude |
Armagh Cook | Project title: Toxicokinetics and biodistribution of nanoscaled copper and gold in the African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Cum laude |
Sone Janse van Rensburg | Project title: Diversity and systematics of three freshwater bivalve families from South Africa. |
Chelsea Withfield | Project title: Taxonomic and ecotoxicological perspective of the freshwater bivalve genus Corbicula in South Africa. |
BR Ngobeni | Project title: Analysis of challenges affecting access to water in rural communities within the Greater Giyani Municipality. |
Herman le Roux | Project title: Digenean trematode diversity in vectors transmitting schistosomiasis within freshwater ecosystems of southern Africa. |
Chané Kleynhans | Project title: Analysing the methodology for the use of eDNA in detecting Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Cum laude |
Nichole Donough | Project title: Sublethal effects of nanomaterials, nanodiamond and copper oxide, on the freshwater shrimp, Caridina nilotica. |
Chantelle Barendze | Project title: Environmental flow and habitat requirements of aquatic macroinvertebrates from selected rivers in the Limpopo River Basin. |
Hanro Pearson | Project title: Tarebia granifera as intermediate host for Digenea and disruptor of freshwater ecosystems in Southern Africa. |
Alicia Ungerer | Project title: Revision and ecology of selected freshwater limpets (Burnupia spp.) in South Africa. |
Mosima Tele | Project title: Fish and fish habitat distribution in the Mooi River, South Africa. |
Linda van der Spuy | Project title: Morphological and molecular characterisation of Onchoproteocephalidean cestodes of South African elasmobranchs. Cum laude |
Stacey Gerber | Project title: The effect of flow variability on riparian vegetation in the lower Olifants River. |
R.J. Madibe | Project title: Determining the impact of piggery on the Inhlavini River and Umkhomazi Rivers, KwaZulu-Natal. |
Asanda Mnyaka | Project title: The impact of discharged effluent on surface water quality in the Magalies River Catchment. |
Thendo Makuya | Project title: The long-term impact of Northern Wastewater Treatment Works effluent on macroinvertebrates and water quality in the Jukskei River, South Africa. |
Ntokozo Sosibo | Project title: An investigation of the impact of Darvill WWTW effluent on the Msunduzi River ecosystem. |
Carla Smit | Project title: Apicomplexan diversity of selected southern African snakes and terrapins. Cum laude |
Anja Vermaak | Project title: Diversity of digenean trematodes of Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the coast of South Africa. Cum laude |
Lesley Keay | Project title: A study to evaluate the potential of Vetiveria zizanioides to remediate zinc and manganese contaminated surface water. |
Avela Mbangatha | Project title: Application of Adverse Outcome Pathway framework in assessing nanogold exposure to Daphnia magna. |
K. Ravele | Project title: The impacts of irrigation by industrial effluent on the groundwater quality in Zwelitsha King Williamstown, Eastern Cape. |
Zafika Nyongo | Project title: Macroinvertebrates in an Ecological Water Requirements framework. |
Joyce Ngobele | Project title: Using riparian vegetation responses in the Mooi River catchment within an ecological water requirement framework. |
Rian Piennar | Project title: The use of Clarias gariepinus and associated nematode parasites as bioindicators of metal pollution in a subtropical ecosystem. Cum laude |
Coret Hoogendoorn | Project title: Study of Diplostomum (Digenea: Diplostomoidea) in South Africa: Diversity and effect of metacercariae on fish behaviour. Cum laude |
L. Siwilane | Project title: Assessment of the extent of the impact of agricultural activities on different water uses in the Mooi River. |
Gerhard Bouwer | Project title: Ecotoxicological effect of CdTe quantum dots on Eisenia andrei. |
Xolile Dube | Project title: Assessment of water quality and associated impacts of the sewage discharges into the Mooi River Catchment. |
Kelly Lourens | Project title: The effect of illegal dumping on surface water quality using diatoms as a bioindicator. |
Lehlohonolo Mofokeng | Project title: Molecular characterization of protozoan parasites and Ehrlichia in domestic animals from uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal. Cum laude |
Marelize Labuschagne | Project title: Validation of artificial mussels as indicators of platinum group element exposure in the Hex River system. Cum laude |
Jacques Beukes | Project title: Health assessment of fishes from coastal lakes on the east coast of South Africa. |
Marliese Truter | Project title: Parasite-host adaptations of the alien invasive, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepéde, 1802) in non-native regions, South Africa. Cum laude |
Serita van der Wal | Project title: Biodiversity, ecology and effect on hosts of branchial cavity inhabiting fish parasitic isopods (Cymothoidae) from southern Africa. Cum laude |
Suanne Bosch | Project title: Determining the ecotoxicity of nanodiamonds and quantum dots using the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. |
Anja Greyling | Project title: Trophic transfer of metals and OCP's in organisms from a warm temperate and a subtropical intertidal rocky shore. Cum laude |
Divan van Rooyen | Project title: Ecotoxicity of CdTe and its functional groups on Enchytraeus albidus. |
Elane Lubbe | Project title: Aquatic invertebrate assessment of the Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve. |
Elizmarie Bester | Project title: Diversity of zooplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve. |
Hannes Erasmus | Project title: The macroinvertebrate diversity, chemical and physical factors in the Loop Spruit and Mooi River, North West Province. Cum laude |
Uane Pretorius | Project title: The macroinvertebrate diversity and selected physical and chemical factors of the Mooi River and Wonderfontein Spruit. |
Aimee Claassens | Project title: The impact of water quality on food production and food security in Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme. |
Adrie Coetzee | Project title: The assessment of organic pollutant exposure and effects along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. |
Simòne Prinsloo | Project title: Detection of endocrine disrupting compounds in abiotic and biotic matrices from the Phongolo floodplain using tissue culture based bio-assays. Cum laude |
Anrich Kock | Project title: Diatom diversity and response to toxins within the Makuleke Wetlands and Lake Sibaya. |
Simone Liefferink | Project title: Determining attainable ecological quality requirements for the upper Wonderfonteinspruit catchment, based on human community requirements: the case of Bekkersdal. Cum laude |
Jurgen Swart | Project title: Ecosystem health of the Phongola floodplain, South Africa, based on fish diversity, community structure and health of selected species. |
Joppie Schrijvers | Project title: Biology and ecology of two threatened fish species in the Orange-Vaal river system. |
Edward Netherlands | Project title: Species diversity, habitat utilization and blood parasites of amphibians in and around Ndumu Game Reserve. Cum laude |
Nico Wolmarans | Project title: The relationship between organochlorine pesticide exposure and biomarker responses of amphibians in the lower Phongolo River floodplain. Cum laude |
G.C. du Preez | Project title: Determining the effect of polluted mine water on the ecosystem health of a karstic cave environment in the Witwatersrand Basin. Cum laude |
Francois Jacobs | Project title: The behavioural ecology of the Orange-Vaal River yellowfish in lentic and lotic ecosystems, North-West province, South Africa. |
Hannes Venter | Project title: An ecological integrity assessment of the lower Amatikulu, Thukela and Umvoti rivers, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
Wihan Pheiffer | Project title: Investigating morphological changes in fish tissue, due to the presence of persistent organic pollutants and metals. |
Last updated: June 2026
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