Midwinter Greetings from SANAP Teams!
World Albatross Day 19 June
The dance of the Albatross. Video made by Anche Louw on 16 April 2016 on Marion Island at Swartkops.
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) has announced that “Marine Protected Areas – Safeguarding our Oceans” is to be its theme for this year’s World Albatross Day (WAD2024) on 19 June. “Albatrosses are the ultimate ocean wanderers, spending most of their lives at sea traversing vast distances across the globe in search of food such as fish, squid and krill. This year, World Albatross Day will focus on the connection between albatrosses and the ocean and highlight how MPAs can help improve the conservation status of these magnificent birds.” – ACAP
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The WAD2024 poster was created by South African born Graphic Designer and long-time ACAP collaborator, Geoff Tyler, who also designed ACAP’s World Albatross Day logo, including this year’s commemorative logo marking the Agreement’s 20th year since coming into force.
Feature photo form video clip made by Anche Louw (22 April 2016)
SEAMester departing today – Wishing them all the best!
The UN’s Decade of Ocean Science calls for programmes that improve scientific knowledge, develop research capacities and transfer marine technological information and expertise across generations. In South Africa, the Department of Science and Innovation’s (DSI) has already taken a significant step forward in such training measures. The current DSI Global Change Grand Challenge programme1 calls for platforms that “attract young researchers and retain them by exciting their interest in aspects of global change, while developing their capacity and professional skills in the relevant fields of investigation”. To meet these challenges in the Ocean Sciences, SEAmester – South Africa’s Floating University and a joint initiative between Government and Universities was started in 2016. The strength of SEAmester is that South African postgraduate students combine theoretical classroom learning with the application of this knowledge through ship-based, and more importantly, hands-on research through the Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA) programme.
The mid-term goal of SEAmester is to attract and establish a cohort of proficient marine and atmospheric science graduates who will contribute to filling the capacity needs of South African marine science. Furthermore, by involving researchers from across all the relevant disciplines and tertiary institutions in South Africa, SEAmester provides an opportunity to continue building a network of collaborative teaching within the marine field. In doing so, these researchers will foster and strengthen new and current collaborations between historically white and black universities. A core aim of SEAmester will be to transform the number of numerate postgraduate students entering the marine sciences. Within South Africa there continues to be an urgent need to redress the demography of scientists involved in oceanographic research, which remains skewed towards white South Africans. SEAmester has already proven to be extremely effective in responding to these challenges. Since its inception in 2016, over 120 male and 140 female students from 26 tertiary institutes, have been trained onboard the SA Agulhas II. With 64% of the enrolled students being black South African and from previously disadvantaged universities . Greater awareness of the ocean’s physical, biogeochemical and ecological response to climate change, highlighted through ship-board experiences, has already started to inspire and attract students into the marine sciences. This is a critical step if a new generation of marine scientists with a far higher calibre in the sciences are to be trained. Most importantly, SEAmester has already created opportunities for students from all social backgrounds to experience working life at sea. By achieving a more quantitative and experienced input into our postgraduate pipeline, we will, as a scientific community, greatly improve our long-term capabilities to accurately measure, model and predict the impacts of current climate change scenarios. We fully expect this to continue and to ensure that students who excel in numeracy, despite diverse economic, educational, ethnic and social backgrounds, are aware, have equal access to the benefits and opportunities afforded through this programme.
A long-term vision is to develop SEAmester into an international educational flagship programme incorporating a wider participant and scientist list with the involvement of other SADC countries. The success of the past 6 cruises onboard the SA Agulhas II has confirmed to the scientific community that SEAmester – South Africa’s Floating University – is able to achieve just that.
Text Supplied by Prof Isabelle Ansorge
Feature image by Katherine Hutchinson
Celebrating Youth Day!
Celebrating Youth Day today – Highlighting the school learners that attended the S.A. Agulhas II Open Day in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
The Open Day was hosted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of the S.A. Agulhas II at the Port of Port Elizabeth on 16 May and on the 17 May 2024, 1000 learners from 40 schools around the Metro were hosted.
In addition to exploring the SA Agulhas II, visitors on both days were able to engage with a diverse range of exhibits and interactive displays at an expo organised by DEFF and its partners. The expo showcased the vital work being done in marine research, conservation, and environmental stewardship.
“We are thrilled with the overwhelming response by the residents of Gqeberha to the SA Agulhas II Open Day in Gqeberha,” said Minister Barbara Creecy. “This event provided a fantastic platform for the public to learn about the important research conducted aboard the SA Agulhas II and the critical role it plays as a supply vessel to the three research bases in Antarctica, Marion and Gough Islands in the Southern Ocean.” Full media release click here
School Images: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
World Environment Day – Marion Island
On this World Environment Day we focus on Marion Island as the #generationrestoration highlights the importance of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, collectively known as the Prince Edward Islands, are tiny specks of land in the Southern Ocean, the huge body of water that encircles the Antarctic Continent. Marion Island is the larger of the two islands, with an area of just under 300 square kilometres, whereas Prince Edward Island is considerably smaller – a mere 45 square kilometres. With a summit of 1 230 metres Marion Island is also much higher than the 672-metre high Prince Edward Island. The two islands are close neighbours, with only 19 kilometres of relatively shallow water separating them.
The Prince Edward Islands, together with the other islands within the Southern Ocean, form part of a complex and productive ecosystem that has far-reaching influences. In turn the ocean dominates many aspects of the islands, from the way the vegetation grows to climate and geomorphology. The islands rose above the surface of the ocean after a prolonged period of underwater volcanic activity and the rocks and many of the landscapes reflect these tumultuous beginnings. From the jagged, almost surreal expanse of the black lava fields, to the many red scoria cones that dot the landscape, these volcanic origins are responsible for some of the most striking natural features of the islands. Despite the fact that today, researchers and managers visit them every year the islands still remain one of the wildest places on earth.
Text from: Publication Marion and the Prince Edward.
