Dr Phakama Nodo
Research Interests:
Quantifying the nursery role of the shallow-water subtidal habitats for coastal fishes using remote underwater video.
Position: PDP Postdoctoral Research Fellow: South African Institute for Aquatic biodiversity
Dr Phakama Nodo joined SAIAB in July 2012 as an intern. Her research focuses on estuarine/coastal fish ecology, emphasising the importance of coastal habitats as nursery areas for fish and understanding the effect of environmental factors on the abundance and distribution of coastal fish.
Dr Nodo’s current research involves using stereo video cameras (remote videos underwater) to quantify the nursery role of the shallow-water subtidal habitats for coastal fishes. The aim is to assess the availability and usage of shallow subtidal habitats in Algoa Bay at a bay-wide scale. She also uses beam trawl and seine nets in estuaries to assess the impact of some environmental stressors (e.g., harmful algal blooms, low dissolved oxygen and hypoxia) on fish assemblages and nursery habitats.
Education
Degree | Institution and location | Graduated |
BSc. Biological Sciences | Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha. | 2009 |
BSc. (Hons) Zoology (Freshwater ecology) | Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha | 2012 |
MSc. Zoology (estuarine ecology) | Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha | 2016 |
PhD. Ichthyology | Rhodes University, Makhanda | 2021 |