Dr Nobuhle Mpanza
Research Interests:
Coastal rehabilitation, ecological engineering, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, larval ecology, predator-prey interactions.
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Dr Nobuhle Mpanza is part of the Coastal and Ocean Sciences Team (COST) at NRF-SAIAB. Her PhD research looked at how urbanised coastal environments can be transformed into more ecologically functional and resilient ecosystems through a transdisciplinary approach, where indigenous knowledge and innovations served as foundational pillars guiding the design and implementation of nature-based ecological engineering interventions across urban settings. She evaluated the performance and ecological outcomes of eco-engineered designs, assessing their structural longevity, patterns of macroalgal and invertebrate succession, and their capacity to influence larval assemblages as well as mussel recruitment. Dr Mpanza’s current research evaluates how ecological engineering can be implemented to actively improve the settlement success of ecosystem engineer species (i.e. mussels) and how we can harness their capacity to drive ecological recovery within urbanised coastal ecosystems. This research recognises that mussels do far more than just occupy space, as foundational species, they create complex secondary substrates that provide refuge, shelter and settlement opportunities for a diverse range of marine intertidal species, while also ensuring constant ecosystem service provision through improved water quality.
While trained as a marine biologist, her research extends beyond ocean-based systems, with a strong background in freshwater invasion biology, looking at how ecomorphological traits and predator-prey interactions facilitate competition between invasive alien fish species and their native counterparts.
Education
Degree | Institution and location | Completed |
BSc. Marine Biology | University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville | 2018 |
BSc (Hons) Biodiversity and Conservation Biology | University of the Western Cape, Bellville | 2019 |
MSc. Zoology | Rhodes University, Grahamstown | 2022 |
PhD (Science) Ichthyology | Rhodes University, Grahamstown | 2026 |