MARIS started the first session on Southern Ocean research within SANAP with focus on SEA ICE. Above: Rutger Marquart, Magata Mangatane, Dylan White, Anand Nair, Wayne de Jager, Leila Nefdt, Safiyyah Moos, Tokoloho Rampai, Marcello Vichi, Robyn Verrinder, Hayley Swait, Riesna Audh, James van Niekerk. (Photo Credit: MARIS)

The first ocean session covered the Antarctic sea ice research field led by the Sea Ice Team from the Marine and Antarctic Research for Innovation and Sustainability (MARiS). The research themes covered in this session were innovation and development, oceans and marine eco-systems under global change and earth systems observations. The presentations and posters under these research theme covered a diverse range of projects from large-scale sea ice observations, tracking and measurements to the small-scale sea ice dynamics, properties and biogeochemistry. Antarctic sea ice research has received a comparatively limited focus compared to its Arctic counterpart. The MARiS sea ice team is constituted of the departments of Oceanography, Electrical and Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, with projects aimed to contribute new insights and push the boundaries within this research domain. The presentation within this session were on a variety of earth system observations models, simulations of sea ice wave interactions, innovative tool development for lab-based experiments and field-based work investigating sea ice dynamics and properties and the ecological impacts of algae and their biogeochemical significance. The session under the MARS theme;  Oceans and marine ecosystems under global change was chaired by Principal investigator Tokoloho Rampai and it included an overview of Maris by Robyn Verrinder. The session was done in round table fashion and included posters and oral presentations. Tokoloho concluded the session with a closing statement

Oral presentations:

• Robyn Verrinder    –     Overview of MARIS. 
• Rutger Marquart    –     Numerical modelling of sea ice dynamics and thermodynamics in the Antarctic marginal ice zone. (abstract)
• Anand Nair            –     Three-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of Pancake Ice on Waves. (abstract)
• Safiyyah Moos      –      Investigating the dynamics and exchanges across the ice-ocean interface in artificial sea ice. (abstract)
• Hayley Swait         –      Investigating Brine and Air Porosity in Sea Ice from the Eastern Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone. (abstract)

Poster Presentations were displayed in the venue during the symposium and presenters gave a quick introduction to their posters during the round-table  session.

• Wayne De Jager      –    Sub-daily Antarctic sea-ice variability estimates using swath-based retrieval methods. (abstract)
• Dylan White             –    Discussion on the Premise of, and Challenges in, the Development of a Ship-Based Radar System for the in-situ Measurement of Sea Ice Thickness. (abstract)
• Magata Mangatane –    Antarctic sea-ice thickness reconstruction. (abstract)
• Marcello Vichi          –   Wind- and wave-driven free-drift dynamics in Antarctic Sea ice.(abstract)
• Tokoloho Rampai     –  Sea ice growth dynamics and their influence on the physical, structural and mechanical properties-A discussion on innovation in in situ testing. (abstract)
• James van Niekerk  –  Investigation of the Interactions Between Sea Ice Algae from the Marginal Ice Zone of Antarctica and Artificial Sea Ice. (abstract)
• Riesna Audh            –  Winter biogeochemical activity is enhanced by rafting in growing Antarctic Sea ice. (abstract)

After the session the group took pictures (Credit: Leila Nefdt)