Prof Julie Coetzee

Position: Principal Scientist: DSI/NRF SARChI Tier 1 Chair in Biological Control and Freshwater Alien Invasive Species Management, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Deputy Director of the Centre for Biological Control, Rhodes University

Professor Julie Coetzee is currently the Deputy Director of the Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University in South Africa, as well as a Principal Scientist at SAIAB. Prof. Coetzee’s research focuses on understanding the interactions between freshwater aquatic plants and insects and applying this knowledge to develop sustainable management strategies for invasive species in aquatic ecosystems. Her work has been instrumental in developing biological control programmes for water hyacinth, the world’s worst floating aquatic weed, in South Africa and other regions in sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, Prof. Coetzee has shifted her research focus from floating aquatic plants to submerged and emergent plant species. This change in focus is driven by the success of biological control programmes in managing floating aquatic plants such as water hyacinth and water lettuce, which has opened up new habitats for other invasive species to thrive. These new invasive species, including submerged and emergent plants, pose a significant threat to indigenous aquatic flora and fauna, and tackling them is a complex challenge.

In recognition of her contributions to the field, Prof. Coetzee has been awarded the prestigious DSI/NRF SARChI Tier 1 Chair in Biological Control and Freshwater Alien Invasive Species Management, a collaboration between NRF-SAIAB and Rhodes University. Her innovative research and dedication to preserving aquatic ecosystems make her a leader in her field.

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