From the age of six, the ocean and its wonders have always had Chantel Elston’s heart. She now brings a wealth of marine research experience and a particular fascination with rays to her new role as the coordinator of SAAMBR’s ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project.
Durban, South Africa (14 July 2025) – In another incredible win for women dominating the field of science, Dr Chantel Elston has joined the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), where she will be coordinating its long-standing ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP).
Elston’s background is primarily in research, having completed her PhD and a postdoctoral fellowship at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.
She possesses a deep fascination with the overlooked and misunderstood species of rays and has dedicated much of her academic career to studying their ecology.
“I’m one of those lucky people who have always known what I wanted to do in life. Even at the tender age of six, just as I was starting school, I knew I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up. I can’t even remember who first told me what a marine biologist does, but I’m sure whoever it was did so because my passion for the ocean has always been obvious,” Elston previously shared with the Save Our Seas Foundation.
Elston is also passionate about citizen science, having worked with ELMO Africa’s citizen science initiative, which focused on shark and ray sightings in South Africa.
As she takes over the reins of the ORI-CFTP, Elston assures that she hasn’t taken over the tagging officer role, as the tagging project is just one aspect of her broader role at ORI.
“I’m very pleased to be joining the ORI-CFTP team,” Elston shares.
“I’m honoured to join this passionate network and excited to learn from you all.”
The SAAMBR said that it continues to rely on the greater tagging community (without which the project simply wouldn’t exist) to contribute to its ongoing research and monitoring of fish along the South African coastline.
Sources: South African Association for Marine Biological Research | Save Our Seas Foundation
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