Mrs Amarein Fourie
Amarein obtained her master’s degree in Zoology (cum laude) from the Nelson Mandela University. Although her studies focused on terrestrial ecology, her passion for conservation led her to work with SST. Amarein leads the microplastic toxicity research project, which includes running the sample preparation laboratory and coordinating field work and sample analyses. She has published two peer-reviewed articles with SST, one of which is the first study conducted in Algoa Bay investigating the presence of bisphenols, e.g., BPA, in mussels. Amarein has also published a Sample Preparation Manual based on her work at SST and held an international training workshop based on the above Manual.
2014 BSc Environmental Sciences
2015 BSc Hons (Zoology)
2017 MSc Zoology cum laude
Amarein started at SST in 2018 as the Office Administrator. Soon after she was tasked with setting up the SST Sample Preparation Laboratory and has been successfully leading SST’s microplastics toxicity project, whilst also assisting on other projects including beach and river litter monitoring and research into sea-based sources of waste. Amarein has set up national and international collaborations to expand SST’s microplastics research.
Research into terrestrial ecology assessing predator diets
Project management and coordination
Financial management and budget tracking
Stakeholder engagement
Workshop facilitation
Public speaking
Writing peer-reviewed articles and progress reports
Production of research method manuals
Presenting scientific research at national and international workshops and conferences
Data management and analysis
Field and laboratory work
Amarein has been leading the microplastic toxicity project since 2018. Since then, she has set up a sample preparation laboratory, collected and processed almost 1000 organisms, including mussels and fish, for pollutant analyses, published two peer-reviewed articles and one Sample Preparation Manual. Some of these organisms were sent to an international laboratory to be analysed for bisphenols, which was the first study looking into bisphenols in Algoa Bay. This research forms the baselines for microplastic-related pollutants in South Africa. Through training other African researchers on sample preparation methods, Amarein has ensure that methods for plastic-related pollutants in Africa are harmonized and baseline studies on such pollutants in the marine environment are initiated.
Amarein J. Fourie, Ryan C. Uren, Danica Marlin, Hindrik Bouwman, Metals and co-presence of other pollutants in mussels (Perna perna) around Algoa Bay: Human consumption safety concerns, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 185, Part B, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114345
Gabriela Castro, Amarein J. Fourie, Danica Marlin, Vishwesh Venkatraman, Susana V. González, Alexandros G. Asimakopoulos, Occurrence of bisphenols and benzophenone UV filters in wild brown mussels (Perna perna) from Algoa Bay in South Africa, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 813, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152571
Sample Preparation Manual for the Analysis of Plastic-Related Pollutants
https://sst.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Fourie-and-Marlin-2022-Sample-Preparation-Manual-for-the-Analysis-of-Plastic-related-Pollutants-1.pdf
Follow our school of thought and sign up to our newsletter
We’re always factual, accurate and informed.
