Captain Caracol - Nelson Miranda
Dr Nelson Miranda: Co-director Argonaut Science. Research Fellow, Stellenbosch University; Research Associate, Nelson Mandela University; Research Associate, Rhodes University.
His Work: Nelson is an aquatic invertebrate ecophysiologist. Break that down and he studies animals without backbones that live in the water and looks at how these animals adapt how they live, their physiology, to the environment they live in. His particular interest is in invasive snails.
His science takes him to mangroves and estuaries in northern KwaZulu-Natal, SA and Mozambique where the invasive snails (caracol is snail in Portugese) he studies (Tarebia granifera) thrive and displace indigenous snails. By studying the indigenous and invasive snails he is able to look at the ecosystem as a whole and see how changes that are occuring in the environment affect mangrove ecosystems which are so critical as nurseries for young fish. Nelson has also published scientific papers on fiddler crabs, mangroves, stromatolites, clams and Schistosomiasis (see the SuperScientist Prof EcoHealth to learn more about how a snail biologist forms part of a mult-disciplinary team). See his ongoing projects and publications.
With his PhD from UKZN and the author on more than 40 scientific publications, he is forging a new way of doing science through Argonaut Science. It’s a cool approach, they involve the people that are that are going to benefit from their science from the beginning and are all about research for action.
Nelson uses all sorts of interesting tools to do science in the field. That staff in his drawing is not just a prop, it's an algae torch! Fitted with sensors at the end, he can dip it straight into water in the field and measure the amount of chlorophyll-a and total chlorphyll, distinguishing between cyanobacteria and microalgae and saving the need to bring samples back to the lab.
A Scientist with Fans: Nelson is the first scientist we profiled that was nominated through our website, he has many fans from his work showing young people the wonders of nature and science on the beaches of Cape Town. If you know of a deserving SuperScientist nominate them!
His Heroes: Anyone who acts with strength courage and humility.
Top Tip: Take ownership of your professional development and don't let fear guide your choices. It’s also important to keep asking yourself what it means to be a scientist since careers can develop and evolve in unforeseen ways.