Faculty of Science

When Associate Professor Adam West from the Department of Biological Sciences began using drones to collect data from his fynbos study plots, he was confronted by a big-data problem. The customised drones were efficient and collected d

Having grown up in the villages and townships of Zambia, Professor Kelly Chibale, Department of Chemistry, became well acquainted with the ravages of malaria at a young age. Now, inspired by a deep spirituality an

Fear of heights, floods and being mistaken for a poacher punctuated Kate Carstens’ PhD fieldwork on the Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) in the Limpopo Valley and Lowveld regions.Carstens assessed the role

Atmospheric chemist Dr Katye Altieri, Department of Oceanography, will use her Claude Leon Merit Award, one of five awarded to UCT researchers in 2017, to teach oceanography and atmospheric science undergraduates the rudiments of condu

Despite a wealth of research on False Bay, little is known about the chemical make-up of its water, how this varies seasonally and how its vigorous circulation prevents stagnation. But a new study by Dr Sarah Fawcett, Departm

If Europe is going to reap the benefits of conservation measures at home, its experts need an understanding of where “their” birds migrate to when they head off to Africa.  Each year, birds migrate en masse from Europe in search of war

A recent paper published by UCT researchers Associate Professor Adam West and Professor William Bond, draws attention to the global phenomenon of invasive native plant species – and suggests ways of managing affe

PhD candidate Megan Lukas from the Department of Environmental & Geographical Science, was one of 25 young scientists honoured with a Green Talents award at the International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development, wh

Over the past few months, UCT News has been reporting on the ongoing water crisis in Cape Town in its efforts to raise awareness of the drought and its very real consequences. UCT researchers have developed and tested a new logger system to keep a

UCT scientists are part of an international team that has revealed how canny baboons in Cape Town use a sit-and-wait tactic before raiding people’s homes for food. This has been shown by data gathered from bespoke baboon-tracking collars.