Degree: PhD in Zoology (Rhodes University)
Supervisors: Prof. Nicole Richoux and Prof. Nelson Odume
Registration Period: 2018 - 2020
Contact: +27 (0) 632005136; f.akamagwuna@ru.ac.za; akamagwunafrank@yahoo.com
I am originally from Nigeria, where I obtained my first degree in Zoology from Delta State University. My Honours research investigated the survival and growth rate of artificially inseminated African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus. I proceeded to do my Master's at the Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University in South Africa, where I became interested in water quality and ecosystem health of freshwater resources. My thesis investigated taxonomic and trait-based responses of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Odonata, and Trichoptera to sediment stress in the Tsitsa River, Eastern Cape, South Africa. I completed my PhD in Zoology at Rhodes University, where I explored multiple biomonitoring approaches, including macroinvertebrate taxonomic and trait-based approaches as well as stable isotopes to monitoring agricultural pollution. My thesis title is "Application of macroinvertebrate-based biomonitoring and stable isotopes for assessing the effects of agricultural land-use on river ecosystem structure and function in the Kat River, Eastern Cape, South Africa".
My current primary research interest cuts across community ecology and water quality monitoring of freshwater ecosystems, where I explore numerous dimensions to monitoring multiple aquatic stressors, including those related to agricultural activities and emerging contaminants such as micro-and macro-plastics. To do this, I apply various biomonitoring approaches, including macroinvertebrate trait-based approaches, stable isotopes, and food web modelling, to understand ecosystem functions and processes in response to anthropogenic pressure.
I am passionate about science communication, indigenous knowledge-driven research, and effective leadership. I am a recipient of numerous leadership fellowships, including the Society for Freshwater Science Emerge Fellowship, 2022 cohort, and the Headwater Leadership Academy of the Society for Freshwater Science 2022 – 2024 cohort. He is also the 8th Fellow of the Rayleen Cole Editorial Fellowship programme of the Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO).
Odume ON., Akamagwuna FC., Ntloko P., Dallas HF., Nnadozie CF., Barber-James HM. (2023). A trait database for Southern Africa freshwater invertebrates. African Journal of Aquatic Science. https://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2022.2142505
Akamagwuna F.C., Dennis J., Ntloko P., Nnandozie F. and Odume N.O. (2022). Functional groups of Afrotropical EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) as bioindicators of semi-urban pollution in the Tsitsa River Catchment, Eastern Cape, South Africa. PeerJ. 10.7717/peerj.13970
Odume OA, Onyima BN, Nnadozie CF, Omovoh GO, Mmachaka T, Omovoh BO, Uku JE, Akamagwuna FC and Arimoro FO (2022). Governance and Institutional Drivers of Ecological Degradation in Urban River Ecosystems: Insights from Case Studies in African Cities. Sustainability. 10.3390/su142114147
Akamagwuna F.C., Odume N.O. and Richoux N. (2022). Exploring the community structure of Afrotropical macroinvertebrate traits and ecological preferences along an agricultural pollution gradient in the Kat River, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Ecological Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108570
Akamagwuna F.C., Mensah P.K., Nnandozie F. and Odume N.O. (2019). Trait-based responses of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera to sediment stress in the Tsitsa River and its tributaries. River research and application. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3458
Last Modified: Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:00:54 SAST