About me
Email: maartin.strauss@canterbury.ac.nz
Field biologist, lecturer, and researcher
I am a biologist currently based at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. I have extensive field experience across continents, having led and/or participated in conservation and/or research projects in New Zealand, Namibia, South Africa, Oman and Saudi Arabia. I have worked with a variety of small mammals (rodents & small carnivores), large mammals (sheep, antelope, hyaena & African lion), as well as birds (e.g., houbara bustards & sand grouse). I have extensive animal population survey experience (ground-based and aerial), as well as experience conducting vegetation surveys.
Image: Omahu Bush Reserve, Aotearoa, NZ (© W. Maartin Strauss)
I have supervised 11 MSc students to completion, and am currently supervising / co-supervising one MSc and two PhD students.
Research supervision
Current students
Mika Vermeulen
Ph.D. (expected 2025)
Mika is registered for her PhD in Nature Conservation in the Wildlife Ecology Lab at the Nelson Mandela University, George Campus. Mika is jointly supervised with Prof. Jan Venter (Nelson Mandela University) and Prof. Hervé Fritz (CNRS & Nelson Mandela University).
Zarah Schwann
Ph.D.
Zarah, who is SASSCAL-funded and registered at the University of Botswana, is investigating the importance of fine-scale behavioural flexibility in four antelope species as a potential buffer against anthropogenic climate change. Zarah's research is conducted in the KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area, and she is jointly supervised with Dr Gaseitsiwe Masunga (University of Botswana) and Dr Johannes Signer (Goetingen University).
Daleen Steenkamp
MSc
Daleen is investigating the seasonal importance of wetlands to selected ungulates in the grasslands of Mpumalanga, South Africa. She is registered for her MSc in Nature Conservation in the Department of Environmental Science at Unisa, and jointly supervised with Prof. Leslie Brown (ABEERU, Unisa) and Prof. Michael Somers (Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria)
Candidate selection in process
MSc
The successful applicant will be investigating shade use, and quantifying the quality of the shade being used, by African antelope. The student will be registered for an MSc in Nature Conservation in the Department of Environmental Science at Unisa, and jointly supervised with Dr Haemish Melville (ABEERU, Unisa) and Prof. Michael Somers (Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria)
