Staff, Students & Associates

Conservation Biology Masters Students (2011/12)

Nikki Best

Email: nikki.best@uct.ac.za

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Nikki has long had a fascination for all animals. She completed a BS in Psychobiology (animal behaviour) at Long Island University in 2007. After spending time abroad through both university and personal travel Nikki gained relevant experience volunteering for domestic and international wildlife rehabilitation centres as well as field research experience in the areas of Bottlenose and Tucuxi Dolphins, White Sharks and krill. Feeling compelled to become involved in conservation, she pursued a master’s degree in Conservation Biology. Prior to being accepted into the program at UCT she attended a shared masters by coursework program for Conservation in New Zealand and Australia. Although Nikki would be happy working in either terrestrial or marine ecosystems, she feels a strong connection with sharks and hopes to aid their protection. When Nikki is not focused on working toward her educational and career aspirations she also enjoys travelling, skiing and scuba diving.

Mini-thesis

The historical exploitation of False Bay chondrichthyans and an assessment of current conservation status (Supervisor: A/Prof. Colin Attwood)