Professor Leslie Petrik is the Principle Investigator of the SANOcean team on the South African side. Leslie leads the Environmental and Nano Sciences (ENS) research group, in the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Overall, her publications include 3 granted patents; 10 book chapters; 175 journal publications; 305 presentations, and many industrial and agency research projects. Google Scholar h‑index 37 ; i10-index 96; Citations 4261; NRF Rating: C1. Since 2003 Prof Petrik has supervised to completion 30 PhD, 60 MSc students and mentored 21 Post Doctoral Fellows at UWC. In 2020, she supervised 30 registered students (19 PhD; 11 MSc) who are associated with the overall research projects of the ENS group. All students have been supported by ENS grants and funds raised by Prof Petrik who also has many international collaborative linkages. She was the winner of the prestigious 2017/2018 National Science and Technology Forum NSTF-South32 Water Research Commission Award for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation. Moreover she was also selected as NSTF finalist for NSTF-Engineering Research Capacity Development Award and the NSTF-Green Matter Award in the same year. In 2016 she received the Business Women of the Year Award in the Science and Technology Category and in 2015 she received the Water Research Commission Research Awards in the category Transformation and Redress. She has been recognised with the UWC Vice Chancellor’s Annual Distinguished Researcher Award, in the Natural and Medical Sciences for 2012, as well as a Distinguished Women Scientist, in Physical and Engineering Sciences by the Department of Science and Technology in 2012 (NanoTechnology Public Engagement, N.d).