ZoologyMolly

About me

I’m fascinated by biodiversity, community based management and citizen science. I am an active scientist, but I also like to connect the dots so I offer a communications service too. I work with companies and scientists to communicate their scientific information. Please get in touch to see how we can make some magic happen with…

Take action today and see how far it will ripple

This article was written by Molly Czachur and originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian. We have all found ourselves admiring the beauty of the oceans and their marine wildlife, whether it’s with our own eyes or while watching our favourite documentary on television. Healthy oceans are the lungs of our planet, providing most of…

Lesson plan for eDNA outreach

Would you like to teach school students about eDNA metabarcoding in a way that goes beyond the usual explanation of just “what is eDNA”? Check out my lesson plan and activity below for a 2-hour session that works great with high school learners. I was interested in teaching 16-year-old students about eDNA sampling, eDNA extractions,…

Science outreach is prize-worthy!

I recently won another prize for my contributions towards science outreach. This time it wasn’t a science communication competition- it was at a scientific conference full of scientists! I feel like this is a huge step forward for science communication, because in the scientific community we are often made to feel like communicating science is…

Environmental DNA for fish biodiversity monitoring

Finding Fish By Molly Czachur Marine biodiversity is a rich and colourful display of what the natural world has to offer. Whilst large whale sharks are gliding through the oceans, the nearby coastal mangrove forests are acting as a vital nursery ground that is teeming with the microscopic larvae of future fish generations. The closer…

Young Science Communicator Winner

I am pleased to announce that I have won the ‘open’ category for Young Science Communicator of 2018 with NRF-SAASTA! My entry below, named “Finding fish“, illustrates our environmental DNA research through cartoon! This exciting work is being carried out in the von der Heyden lab at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, in collaboration with the Molecular Ecology…

Molly Czachur: Leading Women in Marine Science

Originally posted on Leading Women in Marine Science:
Molly Czachur is working towards her PhD in Zoology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She is describing coastal fish biodiversity using an environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach. Molly’s journey into Marine Biology started at the University of Manchester where she began her BSc in Zoology, before transferring…

Be the plastic pollution solution

Coastal vegetation is trapping huge amounts of waste, so it’s time for us to take the next step and clean up our beaches! Be a part of the plastic pollution solution today by enjoying your beaches responsibly. Today, the von der Heyden lab visited Kogel Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. This is a…

Our South African eDNA research begins

Fish and other aquatic animals shed DNA into the surrounding water. This means that seawater is filled with the DNA of the animals living there, and this is known as environmental DNA (eDNA). Scientists have used environmental DNA to study a range of animals, from earlier eDNA studies in 2008 (e.g. on the invasive American Bullfrog),…

Feeling creative on #internationalmuseumday

I have been constantly inspired by working at museums… and today on International Museum Day 2017 I’d like to share a video I created whilst working at Manchester Museum a couple of years ago. I was working on a collection of crustaceans, but had the opportunity to explore so many other uses of the museum. One rainy…