Dr Dinah Mukhari

Dr Dinah Mukhari joined the NRF-SAIAB in 2025 as a RIPP postdoctoral fellow within the Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP). Her research centres on the movement ecology of aquatic species, with a particular focus on integrating behavioural patterns with physiological thresholds and environmental drivers. By combining acoustic telemetry, experimental physiology, and environmental monitoring, her work advances understanding of how fish respond to dynamic ecosystems under increasing climatic and anthropogenic pressure.

 

Dr Mukhari’s PhD research examined the movement dynamics of a cosmopolitan mullet species in a warm-temperate South African estuary. Her work demonstrated how temperature regimes, habitat connectivity, and life-history stage interact to structure estuarine residency and marine–freshwater linkages. By integrating telemetry, otolith microchemistry, and thermal tolerance experiments, she provided a mechanistic framework linking movement decisions to physiological constraints, thus contributing to broader theories of partial migration, habitat connectivity, and climate resilience in estuarine fishes.

 

In addition to her work on native species, Dr Mukhari has a strong interest in the movement ecology and management of invasive fishes. Her MSc research focused on the spatial ecology and control of Common carp in South African freshwater systems, contributing knowledge relevant to invasive species mitigation and freshwater ecosystem restoration.

 

Through interdisciplinary collaboration and long-term monitoring platforms, Dr Mukhari’s research contributes to advancing aquatic biodiversity conservation, improving fisheries sustainability, and informing adaptive management in the context of global environmental change.