OLBERS Jennifer, South Africa

Abstract

South Africa has a strong history of marine taxonomic excellence but echinoderm taxonomy is one that is in danger of ceasing to exist as a result of the loss of expertise without replacement. several recent collecting expeditions (by belgian and south african scientists) resulted in the addition of 51 species of echinoderms to the region while Samyn (pers. comm.) confirms that the material deposited in the royal museum for central Africa (ram) holds many new records for sa. this material has also resulted in preparation of a paper on the genus ophiocoma and subsequent collections in sa have resulted in the discovery of a species of brittle star living within a jellyfish that has not been documented in the region before. other potential publications from the ram collection include an account of the ophiuroidea of sodwana bay which hosts the southernmost coral communities on the east coast of Africa.

Training location : Royal Museum for Central Africa.

Read more on Mrs Olbers project in her GTI reports on her visit in 2010 and in 2011