Dr Josie South

Profile

I completed by BSc and PhD at Queens University Belfast working on predicting the twin threats of climate change and invasive species to marine fisheries. After a short stint working for the Marine Fisheries department at the Agri-Food Bioscince Institute in Northern Ireland I moved to the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity to complete two post-doc fellowships, one with the South African Research Chair in Inland Fisheries and Freshwater Ecology and the other with the Centre for Invasion Biology. During this time I led the freshwater invasions component for WWF-Zambias Upper Zambezi landscape project, completeing the first strategic assessment of the redclaw crayfish invasion in the Zambezi Basin. At the University of Leeds I continue this research program and investigate the implications of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems and maintain research links in South Africa, Canada, Spain and Brazil. 

Research interests

I am mainly interested in what things eat, how they eat them, and the wider implications of trophic interactions. Usually applied in the context of global change coogy, namely iological invasions, climate change and pollution in aquatic systems. Other research endeavours include using behaviour and morphometrics to predict trophic interactions and community structure, as well as marine and inland fisheries sustainability. My research has wider relevance to sustainable resource management, conservation tourism and food security. 

• Predicting population change under thermal stress.
• Upscaling invasive species impact prediction

Qualifications

• PhD Queens University Belfast
• BSc Hons 1:1 Queens University Belfast

Professional memberships

• Events Sec. British Ecological Society Biological Invasions Special Interest Group
• Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists

Student education

I teach on a number of modules and field courses, relating to aquatic ecology and invasion biology.