??With a research grant from the Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF), Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) student Lindiwe Makapela hopes to finally realise her dream of one day becoming a killer whale specialist.
She is one of 32 researchers from eight countries who have received OSF grants from the Marine Stewardship Council, totalling nearly one million pounds.
Lindiwe recently had to take a year's break from her postgraduate studies due to financial constraints. Instead of giving up, she worked as a volunteer data analyst at the National Zoologic al Gardens in Pretoria.
“The grant has not only enabled me to further my studies but will also empower me to make a lasting contribution to the field of marine science," this former learner from Prestige College in Hammanskraal says.
Despite having grown up far away from the ocean, she says the marine environment holds a special fascination for her: “The study of marine life, especially killer whales, has been a constant source of inspiration. Their intelligence, intricate social structures, and ecological significance have inspired me to explore these majestic creatures."
For her BSc Honours at Nelson Mandela 肆客足球, she studied bottlenose dolphins. In her free time, she worked with rehabilitated marine animals at the Bayworld Oceanarium in Nelson Mandela Bay. After completing her BSc Honours, she worked as a field specialist at the Shark Research Unit where she acquired skills such as skull morphometry, eDNA sampling, and marine mammal identification.
For her MSc research she joins the Sea Search team associated with SU's Department of Botany and Zoology. Under the guidance of Dr Simon Elwin she will investigate killer whale and Cape fur seal depredation on longline fisheries in South Africa.
“Depredation in the context of my research means that seals and killer whales are feeding off fishery catches or 'stealing' fish from longline fisheries. This behaviour has various ecological impacts because the animals are prone to injury or even being killed by fishermen," she explains.
The objective is to analyse depredation patterns and how these are driven by natural and human factors. The ultimate objective is to understand this behaviour to mitigate negative interactions.
She has already started looking at fishery observer data that has been made available through the Department of Foresty, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and CapMarine: “The data gives insight into which species is depredating as well as which prey or fish species are being targeted on the longlines. This kind of information then helps us to gain an understanding of the extent of this behaviour and how it has changed over the years."
Lindiwe says she is deeply grateful for the OSF grant and strives to be a voice of encouragement for all the little boys and girls of colour who, like her, grew up being discouraged from pursuing careers within science because it is “too difficult".
“Although I have not yet reached my dream of becoming a killer whale specialist, I'm now well on my way," she concludes.
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