SAIAB welcomes Rhodes DIFS students

On the 7th of February 2010, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) welcomed six honours students from the Rhodes University Department of Ichthyology and Fishery Science (DIFS). DIFS students regularly utilize the library and laboratory facilities available at SAIAB.

As an introduction, a short video was played in an effort to help them understand the institution and get a ‘feel’ for SAIAB’s aim, mission and vision. Professor Paul Skelton welcomed the students on behalf of the institution and wished them good luck for the upcoming year.

They were further orientated around the Margaret Smith Library and JLB Smith Collection Management Centre as these are the areas within the institution which they will use regularly.
SAIAB is an Associated Institute of Rhodes University and works closely with the DIFS. This relationship has been maintained since 1981 when DIFS used the facilities of the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, now known as SAIAB, for lectures. “SAIAB and DIFS maintain strong ties with researchers supervising students from DIFS and sharing the library facilities,” said SAIAB’s Science Advancement Coordinator, Vanessa Rouhani.
DIFS honours student, Kerthu Shipoke, who comes from Namibia, is hoping to learn a lot from SAIAB and is very impressed with the amount of research the institute has undertaken. Another student, Roy Bealey, shares Shipoke’s sentiments and plans to advance his studies through to Masters level.