A5039711590- Coastal and Marine Management
- Marine and fisheries research
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Geological formations and processes
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
- Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- International Maritime Law Issues
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Land Rights and Reforms
- Water resources management and optimization
- Marine and Offshore Engineering Studies
- Hydropower, Displacement, Environmental Impact
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
Nelson Mandela University
2016-2025
National Research Foundation
2025
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
2015-2024
Stellenbosch University
2002-2009
For nearly three decades, the Whitfield (1992) characterisation scheme served as a reference framework to type South African estuaries. We outline revised ecosystem classification that incorporates biogeographical zonation and introduces new types. Coastal outlets were re-categorised estuaries or micro-systems. functional estuaries, Estuarine Lakes, Bays Predominantly Open Estuary types largely retained. New are Lagoons Arid Closed Estuaries. The numerically dominant, temporarily open/closed...
Nutrient pollution in South African estuaries is described using a Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework. The root cause (‘driver’) of deteriorating water quality rapid population growth that leads to increasing inputs from wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), stormwater run-off and agricultural return flow (‘pressures’). Nationally, half the country’s are affected by nutrient (‘state’). This has elicited marked primary producer secondary (hypoxia, fish kills, loss ecosystem...
The future health and productivity of South Africa's approximately 250 estuaries is dependent on two main factors: management freshwater inputs. Both water allocation decisions involve trade-offs between conservation various types utilisation. In order to facilitate decision-making in both these spheres, it necessary understand the relative importance different estuaries. This study devises a method for prioritising African basis importance, presents results ranking based collation existing...
In 2005/2006 a multidisciplinary research programme that included studies on the hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics, macronutrients, microalgae, macrophytes, zoobenthos, hyperbenthos, zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, fish and birds of temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary was conducted. Particular attention given to responses different ecosystem components opening closing estuary mouth how this is driven by both riverine marine events. Using complementary dataset daily conditions...
CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout JournalEditorsSpecials 57:233-248 (2013) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01178 REVIEW Effects of climate change on South African estuaries and associated fish species Nicola C. James1,*, Lara van Niekerk2,3, Alan K. Whitfield1, Warren M. Potts4, Albrecht Götz3,5, Angus W. Paterson1 1South Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag 1015,...
Communities worldwide are increasingly affected by natural hazards such as floods, droughts, wildfires and storm-waves. However, the causes of these increases remain underexplored, often attributed to climate changes or in patterns human exposure. This paper aims quantify effect change, well land cover on a suite hazards. Changes four (floods, storm-waves) were investigated through scenario-based models using change drivers inputs. Findings showed that human-induced likely increase hazards,...
Over the past three decades, marine resource management has shifted conceptually from top-down sectoral approaches towards more systems-oriented multi-stakeholder frameworks of integrated coastal and ecosystem-based conservation. However, successful implementation such is commonly hindered by a lack cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer, especially between natural social sciences. This review represents holistic synthesis decades change in oceanography, biology human dimension False Bay,...
The science needed to inform management of environmental flows temporarily closed estuaries and coastal lagoons is decades behind the state knowledge for rivers large embayments. These globally ubiquitous small systems, which are often seasonally ocean’s influence, under particular threat associated with hydrologic alteration because changes in atershed land use, water use practices, climate change. Managing these systems complicated by their tight coupling watershed processes, variable...
Abstract Latitudinal range limits for mangroves on high‐energy, wave‐dominated coasts are controlled by geomorphological features and estuarine dynamics. Mangroves reach a southern global limit along the South African coastline, but distribution is patchy, with stands occurring in only 16% of estuaries region. Yet, persistence forests planted >50 years ago beyond natural suggests that additional could support mangroves. Understanding regional drivers necessary to inform global‐scale...
(2020). A socio-ecological systems approach towards future research for the restoration, conservation and management of southern African estuaries. Journal Aquatic Science: Vol. 45, Special Medal Issue: Perspectives on Protecting Estuarine Ecosystems in Anthropocene, pp. 231-241.
The Knysna Estuary is South Africa's most important estuary in terms of conservation, containing an estimated 42% all estuarine biodiversity. Despite formal protection the open access and vulnerable to resource exploitation, development, pollution freshwater inflow alterations. Through a review current research available data, study evaluated ecological status Estuary, identified major pressures proposed future management conservation actions. Notable impacts included deteriorating water...
Restoration of salt marsh is urgent, as these ecosystems provide natural coastal protection from sea-level rise impacts, contribute towards climate change mitigation, and multiple ecosystem services including supporting livelihoods. This study identified potential restoration sites for intervention where agricultural degraded land could be returned to at a national scale in South African estuaries. Overall, successful some estuaries will require addressing additional pressures such...
Temporarily closed estuaries require seasonal opening to tidal flows maintain normalecological processes. Each estuary has specific environmental flow (EFlow) requirements basedon the relationship between freshwater inflow, coastal dynamics, rate of sandbar formation,and open/closed state mouth. Key abiotic processes and ecosystem services linkedto mouth were highlighted. We reviewed completed EFlow requirement studies for temporarilyclosed in South Africa found that formulation these...