by Fishgate@sanap | Dec 17, 2018 | News, SANAP
Every year students within the South African National Antarctic Programme graduates (click here), but this year it is not only students within the programme who graduated with a new degree.
Errol Julies, Engineering Technician at the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) with a BTech (baccalaureus technologiae) Electrical Engineering background, graduated last week with a BTech in Project Management. Congratulations Errol!
Errol’s main duty within the South African National Antarctic Programme is ensuring a stable communication network to the various South African Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations (Marion Island, Gough Island and SANAE IV). This is a great responsibility.
Errol wants to further his education as he feels that: “the fact that SANAP produces world-class researchers and scientific articles, we need to path the way and create a solid foundation for future scientists”. He also mentions that: “the only way to ensure rock solid foundations is, for those involved in the management of the programme, to always be knowledgeable of new development”.
ALSA also received a special message from Gough Island to Errol:
G64 just want to say congratulations to Errol and a special thank you for coordinating that our parcels from home made it onto the ship that visits Gough Island – message came via Michelle Risi (RSPB Birder, G64).
https://www.facebook.com/michelle.risi.1/posts/10156903880558832
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 17 December 2018
by Fishgate@sanap | Dec 13, 2018 | Announcement, Research, Science
Click here for more information and also visit this link.
by Fishgate@sanap | Dec 13, 2018 | Antarctica, SA Agulhas II, SANAE, Southern Ocean
The S.A. Agulhas II has departed from the East Pier of Cape Town harbour on 6 December 2018. The ship then docked at customs, where passports of all passengers onboard were stamped. The ship officially left Cape Town 7 December 2018 en route Antarctica.
Track the S.A. Agulhas II here.
The voyage schedule is as follows:
| SANAE |
06/12/2018 |
19/12/2018 |
|
|
Annual relief voyage Cape Town to Antarctica (Penguin Bukta) |
| |
|
20/12/2018 |
31/12/2018 |
|
Offloading, fuel pumping |
| |
|
01/01/2019 |
14/02/2019 |
|
Weddell Sea Expedition |
| |
|
|
15/02/2019 |
23/02/2019 |
Back-loading, fuel pumping |
| |
|
|
24/02/2019 |
11/03/2019 |
Return to Cape Town (via SS Island if required) |
Onboard the vessel is the 58th SANAE Overwintering team that will stay in and maintain South Africa’s Antarctic research station (SANAE IV), while gathering weather and space weather data for a period of 14 months.
The Weddell Sea Expedition will also form part of this voyage – click here for more information.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 13 December 2018
by Fishgate@sanap | Dec 10, 2018 | Announcement, Marion75, News, Newsletters, SANAP
Greetings to the friends, families and followers of the M75 team!
November has swept by in a whirlwind of activity! The elephant seal breeding season has come to an end with a record number of new born pups but there has been no time to rest for the sealers as the fur seal population begins to boom. The birders have been busy non-stop with penguins, albatross and petrels all incubating eggs or raising chicks. The botanists have been traversing the landscape in search of the often elusive vegetation and there are even a few flowers brightening up the landscape as you’ll soon read.
Back at base, things are running smoothly and we are all getting into the festive spirit as Christmas approaches. Colourful decorations and even a couple of Christmas trees have considerably livened up some of our more frequented living areas. The weather, although windy as ever, has definitely been warmer on average and more sunny which has provided great opportunities to be out in the field for work or play.
We have tried to capture some of the highlights in this month’s edition of the Wanderer (November 2018) and hope you all enjoy reading the stories and checking out the photos of this amazing place and it’s amazing inhabitants!
Kind regards,
the Wanderer Editing team
Click here to view all the Marion Island newsletters available on the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa Archive.
Author: James Burns, 75th Marion Island Overwintering Team (Meteorological Observer), 10 December 2018
by Fishgate@sanap | Dec 6, 2018 | Antarctica, Current Event, News, Research, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
The first three days of the South African Antarctica Season Launch consisted of Exhibitions by the Department of Environmental Affairs, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA), The South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), The Port of Cape Town (Transnet Port Terminals), African Marine Solutions (AMSOL), the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), Meihuizen International Logistics and the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Invited schools had the opportunity to visit this exhibition. This gave students the opportunity to understand more about South Africa’s involvement in Antarctic Research, how we get to the Antarctic (onboard the RV S.A. Agulhas II) and the large number of careers involved in the South African National Antarctic Programme.
As from today the SA-Norwegian Polar Seminar 2018 will be held at the TNPA Building, Port of Cape Town – see the program below.
Day 4, Thursday 06 December 2018
| Theme - Heritage Presentations : Chair J. Beaumont | 09:00 – 13:00 |
| 1. SA Antarctic Legacy left by Humans Presentation - R Olivier( 10min) |
| 2. Human Spirit Achmat Hassiem - H Valentine (10min) |
| 3. Amundsen’s expeditions, about everything but the South Pole - Susan Barr (45min) |
| 4. Exploits of Sibusiso Vilana - M Matutu (10min) |
| 5. Ocean and Antarctica conservation Lewis Pugh -M. Mayekiso (10min) |
| 6. The Norwegian cultural heritage in Antarctica - Susan Barr (45min) |
| 7. History of Dronning Maud Land History - Olav Orheim (45min) |
| LUNCH |
| Theme – Research Exchange : Chair Aaidoo – Floor 2 (Seminar) |
1. Presentation - A. Makhado
Top predator at the Prince Edward Islands and southern ocean- implication to their trophic position (30min)
|
| 2. Presentation – S. Somhlaba (30min) |
| 3. Progress in the fisheries research in Subarea 48.6 (30min) |
| 4. Presentation – T Makhalanyane (30min) |
| 5. Presentation – T Mtshali (CSIR) (30min) |
| 6. Nansen-Tutu (Local Director) |
| S.A. AGULHAS II Departure at East Pier, Port of Cape Town | 16:00 – 17:00 |
Day 5, Friday 07 December 2018
| Theme – Polar Gateways - Chair A. Miya/ C. Birkenstock (TNPA) | 10:00 – 13:00 |
| Gateway Centers |
| 1. Cape Town Antarctic Gateway Center - M Matutu (30min) |
| 2. Polaris Climate Change Observatory-M’ de Wooters (20min) |
| 3. Arctic Gateway Aspects - Olav Orheim (45min) |
| 4. SA Antarctic Heritage as a gateway to Antarctica - ALSA (10min) |
| 5. MRCC – Jared Blows (10min) |
| 6. ARCC – S. White (10min) |
| 7. Antarctica and Flying - White Desert (10min) |
| 8. Antarctica and shipping – P. Meihuizen (10min) |
| LUNCH | 13:00 - 14:00 |
