Prof Paul Cowley

Prof. Paul Cowley
Prof. Paul Cowley

Research Interests:

Biology, ecology and movement of coastal fishes Management of declining fishery resources.

Position: Principal Aquatic Biologist, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Research Associate of the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University

Professor Paul Cowley’s research interests deal primarily with the movement, behaviour, habitat-use patterns and ecology of coastal fishery species with the aim of improving management and ultimately the abundance of declining fishery resources. Much of his research is in collaboration with scientists from a number of local and international institutions.

Prof. Cowley serves on the editorial board of the African Journal of Marine Science and is an active member of several national research groups, namely the Biotelemetry Research Group (BRG), the Marine Linefish Research Group (MLRG) and the Consortium for Estuarine Research and Management (CERM). He is a founder member and the Chairperson of the BRG, as well as a past Chairperson of the MLRG. He also serves in an advisory capacity to the Linefish Scientific Working Group of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

At the international level, Prof. Cowley is a member of the Ocean Tracking Network’s (OTN) International Scientific Advisory Committee. His involvement with the BRG and OTN in recent years had led to the development of the national  Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP). It is envisaged that this initiative will witness substantial growth in biotelemetry research, foster broader national and international collaboration and ensure a sustained future for the study of migration biology and behavioural ecology of marine animals in coastal waters around the African continent.