Nicole Richoux

Associate Professor of Zoology and Head of Department

PhD Memorial University of Newfoundland (2004)
MSc Memorial University of Newfoundland (1999)

Phone +27 [0]46 603 7703
Email n.richoux@ru.ac.za

Research interests

Trophic relationships in aquatic/terrestrial ecosystems.

FA Lab

Teaching interests

Trophic Ecology

Marine Biology

Animal Diversity

Professional memberships

The Zoological Society of Southern Africa
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
The Society of Canadian Limnologists
The International Society of Limnologists
The South African Society of Aquatic Scientists
Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association

Post-graduate supervision

Current students and Post Docs

Tiyisani Chavalala, PhD student. Connectivity through allochthony: spatial variability of trophic links between adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in South Africa

Hendre van Rensburg, PhD student. Investigating the role of a cryptogenic baitworm as a consumer and a resource in a protected clearwater estuary. Supervisor: Prof. C Simon

Past students and Post Docs

Dr Frank Akamagwuna (PhD). Assessing the impacts of land use on freshwater macroinvertebrate communities using stable isotope ratio and trait-based approaches

Simphiwe Gininda (MSc) The effects of stream pollution on the primary producers and macroinvertebrates of the Bloukrans River.

Dr Elodie Heyns-Veale (PhD). A comparison of the trophic interactions between shallow and deep-water temperate reef communities within the Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa.

Dr Jeffrey Hean, (PhD). Reciprocal aquatic/terestrial trophic subsidies through aquatic birds in a South African hydrological catchment.

Dr Sydney Moyo, (PhD). Trophic linkages in aquatic food webs: the role of insects.

Dr Lenin Chari, (PhD). Nutrient fluxes between water and aerial habitats: the roles of aerial predatory invertebrates in trophic cross-subsidisation.

Dr Emily Antonio. Post doctoral researcher. Trophodynamics of estuarine invertebrates.

Likho Sikutshwa (MSc). Trophic linkages in aquatic food webs: the role of amphibians.

Dr Tatendu Dalu (PhD). Plankton dynamics in a riverine/estuarine continuum

Dr Helene Masclaux (Post Doc). Laboratory studies of stable isotope fractionation in freshwater cladocerans.

Dr Leandro Bergamino (PhD). Effects of allochthonous organic matter input in an estuarine food web.

Dr Johannes Iitembu (PhD). Hake prey and predator relationships along the Namibian coastline.

Dr Laure Carassou (Post Doc). Fish as vectors of trophic subsidies in the Kowie Estuary.

David Hasek (MSc). Fatty acid profiles of subtidal benthic communities in pristine and human-exploited marine environments.

Rachel Ndhlovu (MSc). Variations in diet quality and lipid condition of suspension-feeders and grazers in the rocky intertidal zone.

Dr Louise Allan (PhD). Trophodynamics of benthic invertebrates at the Prince Edward Islands, Southern Ocean.

Ilke Vermeulen (MSc). Contribution of terrestrial-derived carbon to the diets of invertebrate suspension-feeders using fatty acid and stable isotope tracers.

Recent publications

For a comprehensive list see google scholar:

https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=jufdKwIAAAAJ&hl=en

Dawson J, Pillay D, Perissinotto R, Richoux NB (2020) Fatty acid analyses provide insights into hippo defecation and its consequences for aquatic food webs. Scientific Reports 10:12039 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68369-5

Chari LD, Richoux NB, Moyo S, Villet MH (2020) Dietary fatty acids of spiders reveal spatial and temporal variations in aquatic-terrestrial linkages. Food Webs 24:e00152  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2020.e00152

Heyns-Veale ER, Richoux NB, Bernard ATF, Götz A (2019) Protected nearshore shallow and deep subtidal rocky reef communities differ in their trophic diversity but not their nutritional condition. African Journal of Marine Science 41:103-114 https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2019.1580614

Moyo S, Richoux NB (2018) The relative importance of autochthony along the longitudinal gradient of a small South African river influenced by agricultural activities. Food Webs 15:e00082 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00082

Richoux NB, Bergamino L, Moyo S, Dalu T (2018) Spatial and temporal variability in the nutritional quality of basal resources along a temperate river/estuary continuum. Organic Geochemistry 116:1-12 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2017.11.009

Moyo S, Richoux NB (2018) Fatty acids reveal the importance of autochthonous non-vascular plant inputs to an austral river food web. Hydrobiologia 806:139-156 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-017-3347-4

Chari LD, Moyo S, Richoux NB (2018) Trophic ecology of adult male Odonata. I. Dietary niche metrics by foraging guild, species, body size and location. Journal of Ecological Entomology 43:1-14 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/een.12458/full

Chari LD, Moyo S, Richoux NB (2018) Trophic ecology of adult male Odonata. II. Dietary contributions of aquatic food sources. Journal of Ecological Entomology 43:15-27 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/een.12459/full

Moyo S, Richoux NB (2017) Macroinvertebrate functional organisation along the longitudinal gradient of an austral temperate stream. African Zoology 52(3):125-136 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2017.1354721

Carassou L, Whitfield AK, Moyo S, Richoux NB (2017) Dietary tracers and stomach contents reveal pronounced alimentary flexibility in the freshwater mullet (Myxus capensis, Mugilidae) concomitant with ontogenetic shifts in habitat use and seasonal prey availability. Hydrobiologia, 799(1):327-348 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10750-017-3230-3

Moyo S, Chari LD, Villet MH, Richoux NB (2017) Decoupled reciprocal subsidies of biomass and fatty acids in fluxes of invertebrates between a temperate river and the adjacent land. Aquatic Sciences 79:689-703 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00027-017-0529-0

Siqwepu O, Richoux NB, Vine NG (2017) The effect of dietary microalgae on the fatty acid profile, fecundity and population development of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus hessei (Copepoda: Calanoida). Aquaculture, 468:162-168      http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2016.10.008

Masclaux H, Richoux NB (2017) Effects of temperature and food quality on isotopic turnover and discrimination in a cladoceran. Aquatic Ecology, 51(1):33-44 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10452-016-9592-1

Hean JW, Craig AJFK, Richoux NB (2017) Seasonal population dynamics and energy consumption by waterbirds in a small temperate estuary. Ostrich, 88(1):45-51 http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2016.1230897

Last Modified: Sat, 17 Jul 2021 10:05:01 SAST