Why the SAIAB Featured Research
Stimulate Communication
Promote Infomation Exchange
Highlight Research Insights
The SAIAB Featured Research describes research outputs by our postgraduate students, postdocs, and researchers, with the aim of stimulating communication and promoting the exchange of information on regional, national and international developments in aquatic biodiversity and ichthyology research. The Featured Research is also an extension of the SAIAB Seminar Series platform which profiles the research of our seminar series presenters and is an opportunity for the presenters to advocate for their science, highlight the expected impacts, and to introduce the research team behind the projects in the form of an accessible news story for the general public.
NRF-SAIAB BRIEFING NOTE: Nature-Based Co-Creations as Ecological Engineering Solutions for Urban Coastlines: Transdisciplinary Partnerships Through Science, Arts, Indigenous Knowledge and Industry
November 15, 2023October 2023 Prepared by Prof. Francesca Porri & Dr Kerry-Ann van der Walt OBJECTIVE OF BRIEF The purpose of this briefing note is to provide an in-depth overview on ongoing research pursued by researchers at the South African Institute for...
Highlighting the value of using multibeam bathymetry in marine spatial planning within the uThukela Banks Marine Protected Area, South Africa
November 2, 2023By: Thami Wanda (NRF-SAIAB GeMaP Multibeam Instrument Technician and current PhD researcher) and Lucky Dlamini (NRF-SAIAB Communications and Stakeholder Relations Manager). Due to the expanding global population and the growing focus on the blue economy, South Africa has recognised the...
SAIAB Annual Smith Memorial Lecture – ‘Knysna Estuary: Jewel of the Garden Route’
September 7, 2023SAIAB holds the Smith Memorial Lecture in memory of J.L.B and Margaret Mary Smith to commemorate their legacy of discovery and research in Ichthyology and related fields. This year, we invited former Chief Scientist Emeritus & Research Associate of SAIAB,...
Mastering Fish Identification: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Marine Enthusiasts
July 17, 2023By Yonela Sithole In September 2022, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), a national facility of the National Research Foundation (NRF), published the highly anticipated five-volume book titled Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (CFWIO). This comprehensive...
From Seascapes to Sacred Traditions: MzanSea Film Shines Light on South Africa’s Deep Ocean Connections.
June 8, 2023Joint press release – SANBI, SAHRA, NRF-SAIAB 8 June 2023 – This World Oceans Day we dive into South Africa’s coastal and marine heritage, through a film that recognises and surfaces the tangible and intangible connections of our people to...
A REFRESHing journey to update knowledge on aquatic parasite species in South Africa
May 1, 2023Authors: Marliese Truter, Anja Erasmus, Kerry Malherbe, Nico J SmitWater Research Group (WRG) Aquatic biodiversity of South Africa Did you know that South Africa is a megadiverse country that hosts a range of exceptionally diverse and endemic organisms? Despite having...
SAIAB researchers contribute to new series of Open Access journals by Cambridge University Press to address global challenges
May 1, 2023Cambridge University Press (CUP) has announced a new series of Open Access journals that will address “global challenges by bringing together researchers across national and subject boundaries”. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-coastal-futures/information/about-this-journal is one three new open access journals launched...
Dedicated cruise deepens offshore research capacity in South Africa – Joint Press Release
May 1, 2023Joint press release – SANBI, SAIAB, UCT, and the One Ocean Hub 29 March 2023 – A diverse team of scientists have returned from a month offshore in a groundbreaking expedition that advanced the capacity, technology, and multidisciplinary knowledge for...
Joint Press Release Update: SAIAB supports deep-sea cruise to deepen offshore research capacity in South Africa (3 March)
March 2, 2023For release Friday 3 March Joint press release – SANBI, SAIAB, UCT, and the One Ocean Hub 3 March 2023 – History has been made during a research expedition currently underway involving a rich representation of young researchers. This cruise...
Press Release Update: SAIAB supported deep-sea cruise deepens offshore research capacity in South Africa (2 March)
March 2, 2023For immediate release Joint press release – SANBI, SAIAB and the One Ocean Hub 2 March 2023 – A team of emerging researchers has been conducting an offshore multi-disciplinary research expedition with the aim of fostering local and regional capacity...
Joint Press Release 14 February: Dedicated cruise deepens offshore research capacity in South Africa (14 February)
February 27, 2023Joint press release – SANBI, NRF-SAIAB, UCT and Strathclyde University /One Ocean Hub Dedicated cruise deepens offshore research capacity in South Africa 14 February 2023 – This week, a team of marine scientists will embark on a multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary offshore...
Study Underway to Determine Spread of Invasive Alien Nile Tilapia; A Major Threat to South Africa’s Biodiversity
October 31, 2022A collaborative project between the NRF-SAIAB, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) is underway to determine the current extent of the spread of the invasive alien Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)...