Manda Kambikambi

Profile

I am a Researcher and Schlumberger Foudation Faculty for the Future Fellow in the School of Biology at the University of Leeds. My background spans fish ecology, ichthyotaxonomy and biogeography. I trained as an Ichthyologit at Rhodes Univesity, South Africa (Phd; MSc, BSc Hons). my previous work has included clarifying species complexes (Enteromius anoplus) and investigating isotopic incorporation and seasonal shifts in foodwebs for African endangered freshwater species. My current work combines stable isotope ecology with genetic tools to quantify source contributions, trophic positions and niche dynamics, and to screen for hybridisation and population structure in tropical lake fishes.

Responsibilities

• Lead ichthyology on native tilapiines in Lake Tanganyika ecology and genomics
• Develop eDNA/SNP tools and risk maps for aquaculture and fisheries management
• Support communities and authorities to apply science for reliable, fair catches

Research interests

I study African freshwater ecosystems, focusing on how energy flows through food webs and the consequences for threatened and endangered fishes. My work blends discovery (taxonomy) with functional ecology to locate the processes driving change, with the goal of translating findings into monitoring and management indicators.

Qualifications

• PhD (Ichthyology), Rhodes University
• MSc (Fisheries Science), Rhodes University
• BSc (Hons) (Ichthyology & Fisheries Science), Rhodes University
• BSc (Ecology & Wildlife Management), University of Zambia

Professional memberships

• Society for Freshwater Science
• Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
• Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists