Dean has 25 years of experience working in the field of river and freshwater fish conservation as a conservation scientist. He enjoys working on research projects that focus on conservation of native fishes and associated ecosystems, and the impacts of invasive non-native fishes. He has an MSc in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science from Rhodes University and worked as a fish scientist with the Scientific Services Unit of CapeNature from 1994 to 2019. Dean has given presentations at numerous scientific conferences, both nationally and internationally, and has co-authored over 150 scientific, semi- scientific and popular publications. He has led fish conservation projects in the Western Cape, notably the Rondegat River rehabilitation project in the Cederberg, which was a first for South Africa, and involved the best practice use of the piscicide rotenone to remove invasive non-native fishes from a nationally Important Fish Area, resulting in major recoveries of highly threatened fishes endemic to the region.
Formal education
MSc (Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University) 1988
BSc Honours (Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University) 1984
BSc (Zoology, University of the Witwatersrand) 1983
Specialisations
Freshwater fish conservation, impacts of invasive fishes, education and awareness of fish conservation issues
Email: ndimpson@gmail.com
