Dr Suzanne Redelinghuys
Research Interests:
Marine benthic invertebrate ecology, genome-based analyses and machine learning methods.
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Dr Redelinghuys’ research focuses on marine benthic invertebrate ecology, specifically assessing health in echinoids using genome-based analyses and machine learning methods. In addition, she is using analyses of bacterial communities to determine the health status of organisms. This experience in the field of microbial community analysis is being further explored in her postdoc where she is looking at the microbial diversity found on biodegradable settlement mats made from indigenous imizi sedge, Cyperus textilis which have been deployed for 4-7 months in ports and marinas. This analysis will give an indication of the health of the intertidal ecosystem at each of these locations. Understanding the health status of ecosystems helps in monitoring ecosystem resilience and responses to environmental changes such as pollution or climate change. Moreover, studying microbial diversity in the intertidal zone provides valuable data on ecosystem dynamics and can inform sustainable management practices in ports and marinas. Ultimately, this research contributes to conservation efforts by offering tools to assess and potentially mitigate impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Education
Degree | Institution and location | Completed |
B.Sc. Zoology, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science | Rhodes University, Grahamstown | 2015 |
B.Sc. (Hons) (Ichthyology and Fisheries Science) | Rhodes University, Grahamstown | 2016 |
M.Sc. Marine Biology | Rhodes University, Grahamstown | 2018 |
Ph.D. Marine Biology | Rhodes University, Grahamstown | 2024 |