Samantha joined the Avian Demography Unit in May 2002 as a researcher for the Southern African Seabird Conservation Programme. She will be working on the following projects this year: Population dynamics of the Southern and Northern Giant Petrels on the Prince Edward Islands, satellite tracking of the African Penguin post Treasure oil spill and a desktop study of the potential impacts of marine fisheries on migratory seabirds listed on the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement.

Qualifications and experience

Samantha completed a Diploma in Veterinary Nursing in 1994 at Onderstepoort, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. After graduating, she worked at the Veterinary Academic Hospital, initially in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and later in the Department of Equine Medicine and Surgery. Following this she travelled extensively through Europe, America, South East Asia, Australia, Egypt and southern and eastern Africa. On returning from her travels she registered for a BSc in Zoology and Environmental Science at the University of South Africa which she is due to complete at the end of 2002. While studying Samantha was initially employed as rehabilitation manager at SANCCOB where she gained valuable experience during the Treasure Oil Spill. In May 2001, she moved to Marine and Coastal Management's Seabird Programme on the Prince Edward Islands, where she spend a year researching seabirds. This project forms part of the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) and is in part fulfilment of South Africa's obilgation as a signatory to the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).