Athi Mfikili – Internal Stakeholder

I am Athi Mfikili, just submitted my MSc dissertation through Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, investigating the ‘influence of the sedimentological and hydrological processes on the Spartina maritima salt marsh in the Keurbooms Estuary, Western Cape’ through the supervision of Dr Tommy Bornman (SAEON) and Dr. Derek du Preez of NMMU. I have joined the South African Environmental Observation Network (Elwandle Coastal Node) in July 2012 through DST/NRF internship programme working on long-term monitoring of the salt marshes of the southern Cape estuaries under the mentorship of Dr. Tommy Bornman. We used a combination of GIS mapping and field observations which involved investigating environmental drivers of these ecosystems. After spending 18-month long with SAEON, I developed passion and interest of studying more the environmental drivers responsible for these salt marshes, as a result I decided to enroll for the MSc with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University co-funded by SAEON and the African Earth Observatory Network – Earth Science Stewardship Research Institute of NMMU. My MSc research focused on how the sediment type [sand, silty & clay] differences influenced the distribution of S. maritima an intertidal estuarine plant and what is the likely source of these sediment. While I have been at SAEON I have been exposed to various research platforms such as the Algoa Bay sentinel site in which I participate in the monthly long-term plankton monitoring. My future research work for my PhD will be to investigate tsunami sedimentary deposits along the south-east coast of South Africa, specifically in the Swartkops Estuary. My hobbies outside science are: talk current affairs [politics] running, watching and playing sport, soccer in particular. I am also a Sport Presenter at NMMU campus radio, Madibaz Radio.