Stefan Schoombie
MSc (UCT)

Email

Stefan grew up in Pretoria where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pretoria. From there he moved to Durban, Westville pursuing his interest in the marine environment and completing an honours degree in marine biology. In 2013 Stefan got involved with the Fitz through the South African National Antarctic Programme working as a field assistant on Marion Island (M70 overwintering expedition), collecting data from albatrosses and large petrels. Marion Island made a big impression on him as he returned to the island in 2015 as part of the M72 overwintering team. Between these two trips he completed his MSc degree at the University of Cape Town looking at the population dynamics and distribution of Phoebetria albatrosses breeding on Marion Island. Inspired by GPS tracking of seabirds, Stefan started developing bird-borne cameras to be used in seabird behavioural studies. He is very interested in using newly developed technologies to aid in answering biological questions.

Thesis

Remotely sensing motion: The use of multiple technologies to detect fine scale behaviour of breeding seabirds in a variable environment. (Supervisors: Peter Ryan, Rory WIlson, Yan Ropert-Coudert)

Peer-reviewed publications:

2017

Schoombie, S., Schoombie, J., Oosthuizen, A., Suleman, E., Jones, M.G.W., Pretorius, L., Dilley, B.J. and Ryan, P.G. 2017. Avian pox in seabirds on Marion Island, southern Indian Ocean. Antarctic Science in press.

Schoombie, S. and Schoombie, J. 2017. Pseudo-egg “fabrication” by Grey-headed Albatrosses Thalassarche chrysostoma on Marion Island. Seabird in press.

Schoombie, S., Dilley, B.J., Davies, D., Glass, T. and Ryan, P.G.. 2017. The distribution of breeding Sooty Albatrosses from the three most important breeding sites: Gough, Tristan and the Prince Edward Islands. Emu 117:160-169.

2016

Schoombie, S., Crawford, R.J.M., Makhado, A.B., Dye,r B.M. and Ryan, P.G. 2016. Recent population trends of sooty and light-mantled albatrosses breeding on Marion Island. African Journal of Marine Science 38:119-127.

2015

Dilley, B.J., Schoombie, S., Schoombie, J. and, Ryan, P.G. 2015. “Scalping” of albatross fledglings by introduced mice spreads rapidly at Marion Island. Antarctic Science 28, 73–80.