Finding MAREVOL-lous treasures

The ocean can be a scary place for some but for Michelle Risi, it is an absolute treasure chest.
Ballito-grown Michelle is a Master of Science candidate at KwaZulu-Natal University, studying marine biology with a focus in molecular phylogenetics.
She and the students in her lab at UKZN have branded themselves the MARine EVOlution Lab (MAREVOL) and are looking to make waves in the marine biology arena.
The former head girl of Seaforth College (now Ashton International College) said she grew up wanting to be a life sciences teacher.
“I changed my major to marine biology in second year because I found marine life fascinating.”
As part of her research Michelle has sampled for zoanthids, a type of cnidarian commonly found in coral reefs, on the Ballito rocky shore.
“Most people would recognise zoanthids as those slippery patches on the rocky shore that they try to avoid,” she said.
Michelle is the first person to do molecular research on zoanthids in South Africa.
“Once I have a sample I extract the DNA and amplify up particular DNA regions for analysis to look for relatedness with other zoanthids sampled around the world. I love science because things change all the time.”
Michelle and other MAREVOL members have just returned from the eighth Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association symposium recently concluded in Maputo.
“It was our first representation in the scientific community as MAREVOL and it was very successful. We received really positive feedback on our team’s posters and oral presentations with the winner of best student poster coming from a member of our team, Ryan Van Rooyen.”
Michelle said locals would be surprised to find how exciting their rocky shore is. They simply need to take the time to explore.
“We have such diverse marine life just beyond our oyster belt that it could take forever to explore. You can find barnacles, crabs, brittle stars, soft corals, sponges, polychaete worms, and urchins to name a few. All you need is a good, sturdy pair of shoes and the time to explore.”
Next year Michelle hopes to travel to Japan to further her research in molecular phylogenetics of zoanthids.