16–19 November | Kwalata Game Lodge, North West Province
The 7th South Africa National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) Research Symposium brought together the nation’s polar research community for four days of learning, connection and inspiration. Hosted and organised by Prof Bettine van Vuuren (University of Johannesburg), Prof Werner Nel (Fort Hare University) and Dr Liezel Rudolph (University of Free State) this year’s gathering took place at the Kwalata Game Lodge, offering a truly South African setting for discussions focused on some of the planet’s coldest and most remote regions.
Inspiring Informal Talks – Two invited talks set the tone for an engaging and reflective symposium: David Hedding shared insights from the Prince Edward Island Expedition 2023, taking attendees into the rugged and scientifically rich sub-Antarctic. Pete Convey delivered a heartfelt reflection on “How did that happen? Four decades as a cold ecologist”, offering wisdom accumulated over a remarkable career in polar science.
Research Sessions: Advancing Polar Knowledge. Across multiple sessions, principal investigators presented updates on SANAP-supported research, revealing the depth and breadth of South Africa’s contribution to Southern Ocean and Antarctic science.
- Sub-Antarctic & Marion Island Research
- Saving Marion Island’s seabirds – Mouse-Free Marion Project
- Marion Island mouSe Ecology (MISE)
- Impact of mouse eradication on the Marion Island bird community
- Climate change impacts on Southern Ocean seabirds
- DFFE Top Predator Research
- Top predator ecology and ecosystem connections
- Southern Ocean Biogeochemistry & Climate
- Southern Ocean Carbon-Heat Nexus: Mixed-layer processes and climate feedbacks
- Micronutrient and pollutant trace elements at the air–sea interface
- Decoding the mercury cycle through in situ observations and modelling
- ECOSOPHY: Emergent constraints on Southern Ocean phytoplankton
- The biological carbon pump in a changing Southern Ocean
- Atmosphere, Space & Geophysics
- SuperDARN radar advances
- Polar space weather studies
- Mechanical and physical properties of Antarctic sea ice
- Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) and seasonal variability
- SAMOC and ACC long-term monitoring
- Structural glaciology of the north-western Antarctic ice shelves (SANAS)
- Provenance & paleomagnetics of Grunehogna Craton rocks
- Ecology, Genomics & Humanity in the Polar Regions
- Ecogenomics developments
- Modelling wind patterns and ecological impacts
- Landscape–climate interactions in the sub-Antarctic
- Whale Unit research updates
- The Marion Island Hut Book Project
- Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA)
- South African Antarctic Artists & Writers Programme
- Vessels and Biosecurity & Infrastructure
- SA Agulhas II – Flagship for Vessel (4.0), Part II
- Safeguarding biodiversity through SANAP biosecurity practices
Strategic Vision for the Future: The final day concluded with two forward-looking presentations and it emphasized SANAP’s growing impact on national priorities, global science, and South Africa’s leadership in polar stewardship.
- Dr Gilbert Siko: Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research – The Contribution to Innovation & Socio-Economic Development in South Africa
- Tracy Klarenbeek: Marine and Antarctic Research Strategy 2026–2036: Southern Ocean and Antarctic Research Plan
Building Community – Mentorship, Fun & Shared Moments. Beyond the science, the symposium celebrated community:
- A fun-filled evening hosted by APECSSA brought mentors and mentees together for quiz challenges and bingo, strengthening networks across generations.
- Mealtimes—shared breakfasts, lunches and dinners—provided space for collaboration and new friendships.
- Participants enjoyed the quiet beauty of Kwalata with game drives, wildlife sightings, and peaceful bushveld walks.
Here, beneath the wide African sky, researchers working from the Southernmost ice to Africa’s beating heart gathered to exchange knowledge, protect ecosystems, and shape a collective future for polar science.
A heartfelt thank you goes to the 7th SANAP Research Symposium Organising Committee for creating an inspiring, seamless and memorable gathering.
The 2026 symposium once again reflected SANAP’s strength: a passionate, collaborative community committed to understanding and safeguarding the Antarctic, Southern Ocean and sub-Antarctic regions—regions crucial to the wellbeing of our planet.
Until next time, we continue the work, inspired and united.
Group photo: Annette Ford
