Kyle Maclean

BSc Hons (Cape Town)

Born and raised in Durban, Kyle spent most of his childhood outdoors on his skateboard or mountain bike. He is an active basketball player and has represented South Africa at numerous junior and senior competitions. After two years studying in the U.S., he transferred to UCT and completed his BSc in Applied Biology and Environmental and Geographical Science. In 2019, he joined the Fitz’s Plastics Team headed by Prof. Peter Ryan as a research assistant. It was during this time that he became interested in studying plastic pollution further. He completed his BSc Hons the following year, with his final project investigating the dispersal and stranding rate of floating plastics entering the sea from rivers. Kyle enjoys hands-on fieldwork and working outdoors, and has an interest in how science can influence policy making and help focus mitigation efforts in response to plastic pollution.

His MSc project will provide an inventory of current measures to intercept macroplastics in South African waterways and assess the efficacy of litter barriers under South African conditions through both direct observation and experimental measures.

Thesis:
Booms, grids and nets: intercepting macroplastic debris in rivers. Supervisor: Prof. Peter Ryan