by Ria Olivier | Feb 2, 2023 | Commemorative Days, Current Event, Environment, International Days, Marine Protected Area, Marion Island, Mice Eradication, News, Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Islands, SANAP, Science, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
World Wetlands Day, is celebrated every year on 02 February. On this day, in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) was signed in Ramsar, Iran.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated to to “raise awareness and understanding of what wetlands are and how we can contribute towards restoring them through making conscious choices, becoming persuasive voices and taking bold actions” (read more here).
What is a wetland?
A wetland is defined as the land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the
surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil (1).
Why is wetland restoration so important? Listed below are a few benefits of wetland restoration:
- Enhanced biodiversity
- Improve water supply
- Store carbon
- Reduced impacts from flooding
- Improve livelihoods
- Enhance well–being
- Protection of agricultural resources (1; 2)
Is your role in wetland restoration important?
Yes! Our individual and collective actions have an impact (1).
What can you as individual do to help protect and preserve wetlands?
- Participate in programs that help protect and restore wetlands.
- Report illegal actions such as unauthorized wetland fill or dredging activities to government authorities
- Pick up litter and dispose in appropriate trash containers. Keep surface areas that wash into storm drains clean from pet waste, toxic chemicals, fertilizers and motor oil, which can eventually reach and impair our wetlands.
- Use native species when planting trees, shrubs and flowers to preserve the ecological balance of local wetlands.
- Avoid wetland when you are expanding your house.
- Use phosphate-free laundry and dishwasher detergents. Phosphates encourage algae growth, which can suffocate aquatic life.
- Use non-toxic products for household cleaning and lawn and garden care. Never spray lawn and garden chemicals outside on a windy day or on a day that it might rain and wash the chemicals into waterways.
- Enjoy the scenic and recreational opportunities wetlands offer, while preserving their integrity for future generations by minimizing the use of heavy equipment and staying in designated visitor areas where available (3).
Did you know that the South African Prince Edward Islands (Prince Edward Island and Marion Island) is declared as Wetland of International Importance?
The Prince Edward Islands was declared Wetland of International Importance: Ramsar Site No.1688, on 22 May 2007. The conservation and management of this site falls within the responsibility of the Directorate: Southern Oceans and Antarctic Support of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
Want to know about wetlands in South Africa?
Click on the posters to enlarge.
What’s been happening on Social Media
Sources:
1- https://www.worldwetlandsday.org/
2- https://www.dffe.gov.za/event/international/wetlandsday2013
3- https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/what-you-can-do-protect-coastal-wetlands
4- https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1688
5- https://alp.lib.sun.ac.za/handle/123456789/15327
6- https://blogs.sun.ac.za/antarcticlegacy/event/world-wetlands-day/
Anche Louw, South African Polar Research Infrastructure, 02 February 2023.
by Ria Olivier | Jan 10, 2023 | Announcement, Antarctica, Current Event, Environment, News, SA Agulhas II, SANAE, SANAE IV, SANAP, Science, Stations
Media Release by the Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment
Minister Barbara Creecy visits Antarctica, 9 to 12 Jan
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Ms Barbara Creecy, will on Monday (9 January 2023) visit the Princess Elisabeth Antarctic Research Station as a guest of the Government of Belgium for four days.
The Ministerial visit to the research station is being hosted by the Government of Belgium and the International Polar Foundation, as the operator of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica under mandate from the Belgian Polar Secretariat.
While at the base the Minister will have an opportunity to learn more about the first zero emissions research station in Antarctica, which has become a showcase for best practice in the use of renewable energies to reduce the environmental impact of operations on Antarctica. The Belgians have expressed their desire to sharing Best Practice to improve the environmental performance of the South African Research Infrastructure in Antarctica.
The Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) uses Cape Town as its gateway.
On Tuesday, 10 January 2023, Minister Creecy will travel from the Belgian base to the South African Antarctic Programme’s Research Station, known as SANAE IV, in Queen Maud Land. At the base, which is managed and administered by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Minister Creecy will interact with station crew and also inspect the facilities used by the South African scientists. During the visit to the biodiversity hotspot, the Minister will learn about the threats of pollution and research into the human impact on ocean and marine ecosystems threatened by global climate change and earth systems observations.
The S.A. Agulhas II departed Cape Town in December with the team for 2023, also delivering equipment, supplies and fuel.
The department has maintained South Africa’s research presence in Antarctica and the Prince Edward Islands. The scientific data that is collected during voyages is critical to the understanding of amongst other things, the impacts of climate change and weather information associated with extreme events.
The first South African built Antarctic base, a wooden structure, SANAE I, was a Meteorological research station constructed in 1961/62. South Africa has not only maintained an uninterrupted presence in the Antarctic since 1960 but played an active role in the management and conservation of the vast continent and contributed to the pool of scientific knowledge.
MEDIA RELEASE
For media inquiries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 6490 2871
Ria Olivier, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 10 January 2023
by Ria Olivier | Dec 1, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, Environment, International Days
Antarctica Day is celebrated by the international polar community on the 1st of December to commemorate the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, by 12 countries (including South Africa) in 1959.
On 01 December 1959, Antarctica was set aside for peaceful and scientific purposes. Read more about the Antarctic Treaty here.
I would like to quote Dr Renuka Badhe – Executive Secretary of the European Polar Board.
“The polar regions are extremely important and connected to the rest of the planet. The polar regions are essential for the health and future of the fantastic planet earth”.
We need to protect the frozen continent, check out the video below!
Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 01 December 2022
by Ria Olivier | Nov 10, 2022 | Antarctica, Environment, Gough Island, International Days, Marion Island, News, Research, SA Agulhas II, Science, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
World Science Day for Peace and Development is coordinated each year by UNESCO on 10 November.
The theme of World Science Day for Peace and Development is Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development. This day is being celebrated within the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, which kicked off on 8 July 2022 (UNESCO).
World Science Day for Peace and Development aims to build a bridge between science and society. This should be an encouragement to all scientific programmes to create an open line for communication between scientists and the public. The public needs to be informed about polar research as “the polar regions are extremely important and connected to the rest of the planet. The polar regions are essential for the health and future of the fantastic planet earth” (European Polar Board Executive Secretary, Dr Renuka Badhe).
Keep an eye out for more information on the Antarctic Season Launch 2022 – providing a platform for discussions between the SANAP scientific community and the public.
Scientific projects within the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) are based on basic sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology). Below we point out some of these scientific projects funded by the National Research Foundation (SANAP-Funding).
See below a list of all the research projects funded by the NRF-SANAP. These projects will be funded until the end of 2023.
Researchers previously involved in SANAP and those new to Antarctic research from universities not previously involved in SANAP are encouraged to put in a project proposal once the new cycle for applications opened.
View the current NRF-SANAP projects and previous NRF-SANAP projects here.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 10 November 2022.
by Ria Olivier | Jul 20, 2022 | Antarctica, Current Event, Environment, Research, SA Agulhas II, SA Polar Research Infrastructure, SANAP, SAPolarRI, Science, Southern Ocean, STEM
| TEAM | MERCURY & TRACE METALS |
| Project name | Knowledge and technology transfer to investigate marine mercury contamination |
| Principal Investigator 1 | Susanne Fietz | Stellenbosch University (SU) |
| Principal Investigator 2 | Lynwill Martin | South African Weather Service (SAWS) |
| Principal Investigator 3 | Lars-Eric Heimbuerger | CNRS-MIO |
Onboard MERCURY & TRACE METALS team members:
Front (L-R): Kayla, Lide, David, Sonja, Susanne; (back) Liam, Casper, and Jared.
| Team Member | Role | Affiliation |
| Susanne Fietz | PI and Onboard Team Leader | SU |
| Liam Quinlan | MSc | SU |
| Jared Walsh | MSc | SU |
| David Amptmeijer | PhD | GMOS, Europe |
| Sonja Gindorf | PhD | GMOS, Europe |
| Casper Labuschagne | MSc | SAWS |
| Kayla Buchanan | Honours | SU |
| Lide Janse van Vuuren | MSc | SU |
More about their research:
Mercury is a natural element and its biogeochemical cycle is heavily altered by anthropogenic activities. Over the past two decades, it became clear that processes in seawater are largely responsible for the conversion from inorganic mercury to the bioaccumulative neurotoxin methylmercury, which accumulates up marine food chains. This is of special concern as globally the main pathway of human exposure to methylmercury is via the consumption of seafood.
The #SCALEwin22 expedition is extremely valuable to better understand mercury dynamics in the Southern Ocean. Observations from this region are rare, especially observations during winter. Sonja and David are both doctoral students within the “Global Mercury Observation and Training Network in Support of the Minamata Convention”, a Marie-Curie training network involving several institutions all over Europe. Together with the TraceEx team from Stellenbosch University: Susanne (Senior Lecturer at the Department of Earth Sciences), Lide, Kayla, Caspar, Liam, and Jared, water and ice core samples will be taken, for mercury speciation and dissolved trace metals.
In the water and ice, we are sampling for oxygen and deuterium isotopes, different dissolved organic matter parameters, and persistent organic pollutants to relate mercury biogeochemistry to different anthropogenic and environmental factors. Moreover, we sample for genes that are relevant in mercury (de-)methylation (see purging process below).
All our samples and work onboard are following trace metal clean protocols. Trace metal sampling in itself is tricky! We take a wide range of measures to keep our samples uncontaminated: we wear protective gloves, sleeves, and coveralls, and all our work happens in a metal-clean container.
During this voyage, the project also aims to transfer important skills to improve our understanding of the mercury cycle to South Africa. This project thus trains young researchers, transfers analytical skills, and provides data for an improved understanding of mercury cycling.
More about the sampling:
Gaseous mercury will be measured in the atmosphere during the transect as well as total, dissolved gaseous, and methyl-mercury (see video and image below) in the ocean. In addition, we will sample frazil ice, unconsolidated and consolidated ice for the mercury content. The assessment of the mercury levels is accompanied by measurements of the phytoplankton and microbial community structure and also other trace metals in our collaborative work.
Scan this QR code below with your smartphone’s camera (or click on the image) to view the water sampling process.
VIDEO: CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) deployment and recovery with GoFlo tubes. This is the process of collecting water samples at specific depths. After recovery, the water-filled GoFlo tubes are removed from the frame (filled with water collected from a specific depth) and moved to the trace metal testing clean lab.
Purging is the process of measuring methylmercury in water. In the image below, David (GMOS programme) and Casper (SAWS) are setting up for purging a methylmercury sample.
In this video: The purging process. One methylmercury species are outgassed and other species are left behind.
More Pictures
Text supplied by Susanne Fietz (PI and onboard team leader) and Sonja Gindorf. Images supplied by Susanne Fietz, Sonja Gindorf and Kurt Martin (SAPRI Trainee).
Featured Image: L-R: CTD recovery; postgrads working in the clean lab; Susanne carrying GoFlo tube to clean lab, after recovery; tubes being stored in the clean lab.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 20 July 2022
by Ria Olivier | Jun 19, 2022 | Announcement, Environment, Important Dates, International Days, Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
World Albatross Day was inaugurated by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) in 2020 and is now celebrated annually on 19 June.
I have spent the past eight years in close contact with albatrosses, but have realised that many don’t really know of their existence and/or importance. World Albatross Day is a very important initiative to highlight the wonders of these special birds, as well as the threats they face on a daily basis.
Stefan Schoombie, a PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town. His research focus is on the behaviour of seabird species.
How did you end up working on seabirds in the sub-Antarctic?
After finishing a BSc (Hons) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2012, I had the opportunity to overwinter on Marion Island as part of the 70th overwintering expedition. During this expedition (2013-2014) I worked as a field assistant (for Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology), monitoring seabird colonies, and gathering data for my Master’s degree.
I was fortunate enough to join several more expeditions to Marion Island between 2015 and 2019, this time gathering data towards my PhD degree, while performing other research activities with the ultimate goal of seabird conservation.
Read more about Stefan’s research and publications here!
How would you describe your first encounter with an albatross?
The first albatross I encountered was a Wandering Albatross, sitting on a nest on Marion Island. The sheer size of the bird was unbelievable, but the fact that they are so calm in our presence was incredible. Adult albatrosses breeding on sub-Antarctic Islands have no natural predators while on land, and thus they are not as scared of us as most land birds that we are used to. However, the most amazing thing about a Wandering Albatross is when they open their wings and reveal a three-meter wingspan.
Swartkops hut (on the Western side of Marion Island) and hundreds of Wandering Albatross nests.
The different Albatross species on Marion Island are each unique in their own way. How would you describe the uniqueness of each species?
WANDERING ALBATROSS
By far the most impressive of the albatrosses when you are up close. I tracked the fine-scale movements of these birds for my PhD degree, resulting in a lot of close encounters with them. We also monitored hundreds of breeding birds, as part of a long-term monitoring program. I was fortunate enough to spend enough time on Marion Island to see albatross chicks grow up from tiny chicks up to the point where they were large and strong enough to fly off into the vast Southern Ocean skies. Part of my research included the use of bird-borne cameras, where we were able to see what the birds experienced from their point of view, giving me a new-found respect for the incredible flying capabilities of these birds.
SOOTY (OR DARK-MANTLED SOOTY) ALBATROSS
These were the first albatross species I worked with, while gathering data for my MSc. Part of my research included setting up a long-term monitoring colony of Sooty Albatrosses. This included marking a large number of birds with unique numbered rings, for identification, which is particularly challenging seeing that these are cliff-nesting birds. One of the most memorable things about Sooty Albatrosses is their calls, which echo along the cliffs as they call to their partners. They also perform a synchronised flight as part of their courtship which is something to behold.
LIGHT-MANTLED (OR LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY) ALBATROSS
These birds are very similar to the Sooty Albatross and I conducted the same research as with the Sooty Albatrosses. Light-mantled Albatrosses are more common in the southern parts of the Southern Ocean, with Marion Island being their northernmost breeding ground. Thus, their population size is quite small on Marion and the birds are a bit more skittish than other species.
GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS
These are incredibly beautiful birds that are very photogenic, but their cliff-nesting behaviour makes them difficult to get close to. Apart from a small monitoring colony, we normally don’t come close to these birds and only perform annual counts with binoculars. However, in 2015 increases in attacks from invasive house mice resulted in us monitoring them much closer. Grey-headed Albatrosses breed in dense colonies which is like a very noisy, busy airport terminal, with birds landing and taking off all around you.
BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS
Marion Island is not a breeding ground for Black-browed Albatrosses, but there is one vagrant individual that breeds with Grey-headed Albatrosses from time to time, resulting in hybrid offspring.
Seabirds of the sub-Antarctic are under threat due to unsustainable fishing practices, climate change, and invasive species. Currently, on Marion Island, the invasive house mice are threatening the albatross species living and breeding on this sub-Antarctic island. The Mouse-Free Marion Project (partnering with BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment) aims to remove the mice from Marion Island in 2024.
YOU CAN HELP SAVE MARION ISLAND’S SEABIRDS
View the ACAP Media Release for this Year’s Albatross Day
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 19 June 2022.
Images: Stefan Schoombie.
The Prince Edward Islands was declared Wetland of International Importance: Ramsar Site No.1688, on 22 May 2007. The conservation and management of this site falls within the responsibility of the Directorate: Southern Oceans and Antarctic Support of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
