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PhD student

Profile

My principal research interests are marine resource management and anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment. I am specifically interested in human interaction with the nearshore and sandy beach environments. I have work and research experience in heavy metal contamination within estuaries, impacts of industrial activity on benthic communities, testing of ballast water treatment technologies, coastal zone management and monitoring, and more recently sandy-beach ecology and food web dynamics. I am currently perusing a PhD on the ecological impacts of harvesting beach-cast seaweed for biofuel production.

 

Education / career

2009 – present: PhD student (Marine Biology), SAMS UHI

2008 & 2009: Environmental consultant/researcher, Anchor Environmental Consultants, South Africa

2006 & 2007: MSc (Marine Biology) by dissertation, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

2005: BSc (Hons) Marine Chemistry (with distinction), Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

2002 - 2004: BSc Ichthyology and Chemistry (with distinctions) , Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

project

Modelling the ecosystems effects of seaweed harvesting for biofuel production

Project description and objectives

This project will focus on the potential impacts of harvesting beach-cast seaweed for the production of biofuel, with the study area being the Outer Hebrides. Very little is known about the ecological importance of beach-cast seaweed on the west coast of Scotland, despite the fact that thousands on tons are cast ashore every year.  On sandy beaches there is very little primary production, and beach-cast seaweed is likely to be a very important source of food and shelter for invertebrates, which are then preyed upon by various arthropods and birds. Many migratory shorebirds stop over in the Outer Hebrides and feed prolifically on invertebrates within the seaweed, as do breeding waders in the summer, and hence the seaweed is a rich feeding ground for birds at various stages of their life cycle.

This project aims to asses the role of beach-cast seaweed in the ecology and functioning of sandy beach food webs in the Outer Hebrides, and also aims to assess the likely impacts of removal for biofuel production. 

Supervisors

Dr Sheila Heymans (Director of Studies), SAMS
Dr Tom Wilding, SAMS
Dr David Hughes, SAMS

Project funder

Biomara

University

UHI Millennium Institute

publications

Publications and presentations

Peer reviewed publications

  • Orr KK, Burgess J, Froneman PW (2007) The effects of increased freshwater inflow on metal enrichment in selected Eastern Cape estuaries, South Africa. Water SA 34 (1), 39-52pp.
  • Kaiser H, Brill GC, Cahill J, Collett P, Czypionka K, Greene A, Orr KK, Pattrick P, Scheepers T, Stonier T, Whitehead A and Yearsley R (2006) Testing clove oil as an anaesthetic for long-distance transport of live fish: the case of the Lake Victoria cichlid Haplochromis obliquidens. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22 (6) 510–514.

 

Technical reports

  • Clark BM, Orr KK, Hutchings K. Angel A, Steffani N and Turpie J (2010) State of the Bay 2009: Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon. Prepared by Anchor Environmental, Cape Town, April 2010. Prepared for Saldanha Bay Water Quality Trust. 174 pp.
  • Clark BM, Orr KK, Hutchings K. Angel A and Turpie J (2009) State of the Bay 2008: Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon. Prepared by Anchor Environmental Consultants, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, April 2009. Prepared for Saldanha Bay Water Quality Trust. 174 pp.
  • Turpie, J.K., Clark, B.M., Hutchings, K., Orr, K.K. and de Wet, J. 2009. Ecology, value and management of the Kogelberg Coast, March 2009. Anchor Environmental Consultants. Cape Town. 139 pp. 
  • Turpie, J.K., de Wet. J., Orr, K.K., Brown, C., Joubert, A., Beuster H., Clarke, T. and Beuster, C. 2008. Aquatic ecosystem services of the Olifants, Inkomati and Usutu to Mhlatuze water management areas: Draft literature review, November 2008. Anchor Environmental Consultants. Cape Town. 184 pp

 

Conferences

Presentations

  • Orr KK, Burgess J and Froneman PW (2007) The effects of mouth phase and rainfall on the concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment and water of select Eastern Cape estuaries, South Africa. In: the 5th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology. City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, June 3rd – 6th 2007.
  • Orr KK, Burgess J and Froneman PW (2007) The effects increased freshwater inflow on the concentrations of metals in the sediment and water of the Kariega estuary. In: The 33rd Meeting of the Zoological Society of Sothern Africa. North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, July 8th – 11th 2007.

Posters

  • Keyzers RA, Orr KK, Arendse CE, Hendricks DT, Samaai T and Davies-Coleman MT (2005) Novel pyrroloquinoline natural products from South African latrunculid sponges. In: 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy. Corvallis. Oregan, United States of America, July 23-27 2005.
  • Kaiser H, Brill GC, Cahill J, Collett P, Czypionka K., Greene A, Orr KK, Pattrick P, Scheepers R, Stonier T, Whitehead A. and Yearsley R (2005) Anesthesia of the Lake Victoria cichlid Haplochromis obliquidens with clove oil. In: 7th Bi-annual Conference of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa: Aquaculture for Africa - Unlocking the Potential. Rhodes University, Grahamstown, September 2005.

other

Other activities

Prizes, awards and bursaries

  • 2006 & 2007: National Research Foundation Prestigious Masters Scholarship; DAAD In-Country Scholarship for Masters; Ernst and Ethel Eriksen Trust Bursary for Masters; Team Award: issued by Rhodes University Sports Administration in recognition of achievements as a member of the Mountain Club
  • 2006: Rhodes University Masters Scholarship; Henderson Prestigious Scholarship; Half Colours: awarded for rock climbing; Sports Bursary
  • 2005: Academic Colours; SASOL Honors Bursary; Rhodes University Honors Scholarship; Winner of the Honors category at the SACCI Regional Chemistry Seminar; Team Award: issued by Rhodes University Sports Administration in recognition of achievements as a member of the Mountain Club; Administrators Award: issued by Rhodes University Sports Administration in recognition of achievements as a member of the Mountain Club
  • 2004: Academic Colours
  • 2003: Academic Half Colours
  • 2002: Placed on Deans Merit List

 

Public understanding of science

  • 2010 (March) Workshop Assistant: National Science Week, SAMS
  • 2006 (September) Demonstrator: SASOL “Serendipity in Science” workshops, SASOL Science Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa
  • 2003 (September) Environmental educator at the Green Awareness In Action (G.A.I.A) stand, SASOL Science Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa

 

Teaching experience

  • 2006 & 2007: Practical and theoretical tutor for undergraduate zoology and marine biology students, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa (part time)
  • 2004: Tutor for 1st year statistics course, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa (part time)

 

Cruises

 

  • 2005 (April):    Assistant on Algoa Oceanographic research cruise, Marine and Coastal Management and Ocean Research Africa, South Africa.

 

Courses   

  • 2010 (February): Ecopath with Ecosim CPD course, 2-5 February 2010, SAMS
  • 2009 (May/June):  Towards Participatory Fisheries Governance, Wageningen International, the Netherland



 
My contact details

Kyla Orr SAMS

Miss Kyla Orr

E: kyla.orr@sams.ac.uk

T: +44 (0)1631 559 232

F: +44 (0)1631 559 001

Scottish Marine Institute

Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA, UK