by Ria Olivier | Oct 11, 2021 | Announcement, Jobs, Marion Island
Job opportunities available on Marion Island Overwintering Team – download the job description below and complete a Z83 available on the website. Closing date for applications is 18 October 2021.
The purpose of the Z83 is to assist a government department in selecting a person for an advertised post. This form may be used to identify candidates to be interviewed. Since all applicants cannot be interviewed, you need to fill in this form completely, accurately and legibly. This will help to process your application fairly.
by Ria Olivier | Sep 23, 2021 | Announcement, Gough Island, News, Overwintering Team, SANAP, Southern Ocean, Take-Over Operations, Tristan da Cunha
The 67th Gough Island overwintering team, all crew onboard the S.A. Agulhas II, and take-over personnel have gone through an isolation period and Covid19 testing prior to departure to Gough Island. The vessel departed from East Pier, Cape Town Harbor on the 15th of September 2021 and after a stop at Tristan da Cunha, arrived at Gough Island today, 23 September 2021.
This take-over will be led by Mardené de Villiers (Meteorological Officer at South African Weather Service), as Chief Scientist. The team leader of the new Gough Island team (G67) is Sandile Nkebe, who is also appointed as the Medical Orderly of the team. The deputy team leader is Peter Chuku, the Communications Engineer, who has overwintered on Gough Island before (2017/2018).
Three of the team members of G66, Kim Stevens, Vonica Perold, and Roelf Daling, will stay on as part of G67 and continue to play a crucial role in the follow-up stages of the Gough Island Restoration Programme. Read more about this mice eradication programme here.
All the best to all involved in this take-over operations, including the team returning home and to the new team that will be taking over duties on Gough Island.
Meet the rest of the team:
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 23 September 2021
by Ria Olivier | Jul 10, 2021 | Announcement, Marion Island, News, Newsletters>Marion Island Newsletters, Overwintering Team, SANAP, sub-Antarctic
In this edition:
- Meet the 78th Marion Island Overwintering Team (2021 – 2022)
- New killer whale calf
- Sealer, Frikkie van der Vyver, spot another Porbeagle shark on beach
- Midwinter 2021 celebration
- and more…
Click here to download this issue of The Wanderer.
Click here to view all The Wanderers (Marion Island newsletters) available on the ALSA Archive (since 1976).
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 10 July 2021
by Ria Olivier | Jun 30, 2021 | Announcement, Research, SCAR, Science, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
Life Sciences members,
“SCAR is involved with several programs for which we would like your assistance.” Below call for experts that the Vice President for Sciences at SCAR. We would like to know if there are people in the Life Sciences community who would be interested in getting involved in these two initiatives, the SO decade and the Cryosphere pavillion at the COP26.
Southern Ocean United Nations Decade(SO Decade)
Thanks to those of you who helped get word out about the survey. This initiative is coordinated by SCAR and is part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We are working with SOOS, SCOR, ICED, Clivar, IODE, EPB, IAATO. There has already been one workshop (report can be accessed here) and a second workshop is planned for September in conjunction with the Polar Data Forum. We are in the process of putting together seven working groups (10 members each) that align with the UN-identified societal needs:
- A clean ocean where sources of pollution are identified and removed
- A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are mapped and protected
- A predictable ocean where society has the capacity to understand current and future ocean conditions
- A safe ocean where people are protected from ocean hazards
- A sustainably harvested ocean ensuring the provision of food supply
- A transparent ocean with open access to data, information and technologies
- An inspiring and engaging ocean where society understands and values the ocean.
If you would have any suggestions for working group chairs or members, please let me know and I will contact them. There is an online kick-off event planned for July 9 that will be open to anyone interested in joining or learning more. Meeting details will follow, but if you have any people to suggest for working groups please send soon.
Cryosphere Pavilion at COP26
We have been invited to participate in the Cryosphere Pavilion at COP26 which will be in Glasgow Oct 31-Nov12, 2021. We should consider providing speakers and topics. There will be opportunities to be present in person and virtually. The concept note for the Pavilion is attached and there is also a link to the Cryosphere Pavillion at COP25 as an example.
There is also the possibility if having our own side event (likely with partners including the ICCI who are managing the Cryosphere Pavilion). This will be a good opportunity to increase visibility of the relevant SCAR climate science in the context of the UNFCCC.
ISC Transform21
This ISC portal can be used to highlight any climate-related publications, before and during COP26. It may also be a good venue for the ACCE report and other publications from the SRPs. Again, we would like to get a sense of your interest and please let us know if you post any material to the portal.
Contact:
Please get back to Ian, Marc and Yan very rapidly to coordinate Life Sciences interest in participating.
by Ria Olivier | Apr 12, 2021 | Announcement, Environment, Invasion Biology, Marion Island, Mice Eradication
Do you want to be involved in this project or just want to be informed? The project’s webpage and social pages will keep you up to date and the SANAP and ALSA website will post on the activities.
“Marion Island is the jewel in South Africa’s island crown – it is huge and beautiful, hosts an astonishing array of endemic species and charismatic marine megafauna, and is pristine. Or nearly pristine.
“After cats were eradicated from Marion Island in the early 1990s (it remained the largest island on earth cleared of cats for many years), mice were left as the only introduced mammal there. At the time, no thought was given to tackling mice, even though their impacts on invertebrates such as the flightless moths and weevils, plant communities, nutrient cycles, etc., were gigantic. Little did we know that mice could become such a significant threat to seabirds. Work done at Gough Island demonstrated that mice can wreak devastation on seabird colonies, and now they’re attacking seabird chicks at Marion Island, with increasing impacts each year.”
The Mouse-Free Marion project is gaining increasing momentum, as we work towards an eradication operation in the austral winter of 2023. The Mouse-Free Marion Project, a collaborative project underway to eradicate rodents from Marion Island, currently has the following opportunities available:
On the projects website there is FAQ that can answer some of yours:
- How long will the operation take?
- How will the mice be killed?
- Is this humane?
- How long does the poison stay in the environment?
- How did the mice get there?
- How can we be sure that this will work?
- Why don’t the birds protect themselves?
- Why is the operation so expensive?
- How will you prevent mice from getting back on the island in future?
- What about other wildlife / collateral damage?
- What will happen to the carcasses?
- Has this ever been done before?
- Has anything on the island become dependent on the mice as prey?
Text taken from “Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds. The Mouse Free Marion Project”
Photo credit – Image of Wondering Albatrosses: Ben Dilley
by Ria Olivier | Apr 7, 2021 | Announcement, Marion Island, News, Newsletters>Marion Island Newsletters, Overwintering Team
In this edition:
- Letter from Team Leader/Medic – Winnie Moodaley
- Field Notes with Birder Thando Cebekhulu
- Round Island Adventures – Check out the images and experience the magical scenery with M77
- Understanding Weather with the M77 Senior Meteorological Technician Nkoane Mathabatha
- Analysing Scats with sealer Yinhla Shihlomule (perhaps not for the sensitive viewer)
- Weather According to Metkassies for January and February 2021
- Katie (part of the Plimsoll Film Crew) spends time in science
- Field Notes with Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU) Birder Dani Keys
- Get an update from the weaner of the team (newbie – also the term used for newcomers to the island) – Leandri de Kock
For all this and more make sure to check out this edition of The Wanderer by the 77th Marion Island Overwintering Team.
Click here to download this issue of The Wanderer.
Did you miss the December 2020 Issue? Click here.
View the list of all The Wanderers (newsletters) available on the ALSA Archive. Click on the team number you are interested in.
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 07 April 2021
Job opportunities available on Marion Island Overwintering Team – download the job description below and complete a Z83 available on the website. Closing date for applications is 18 October 2021.
Thanks to those of you who helped get word out about 
We have been invited to participate in the Cryosphere Pavilion at 
This ISC portal can be used to highlight any climate-related publications, before and during COP26. It may also be a good venue for the ACCE report and other publications from the SRPs. Again, we would like to get a sense of your interest and please let us know if you post any material to the portal.
“Marion Island is the jewel in South Africa’s island crown – it is huge and beautiful, hosts an astonishing array of endemic species and charismatic marine megafauna, and is pristine. Or nearly pristine.
The Mouse-Free Marion project is gaining increasing momentum, as we work towards an eradication operation in the austral winter of 2023. The Mouse-Free Marion Project, a collaborative project underway to eradicate rodents from Marion Island, currently has the following opportunities available: 
