During the 6th Symposium sessions were allocated to cross cutting disciplines and it led to great presentations and discussions. 12- 16 February is International Love Data Week with the theme “My Kind of Data” and this is about the data presentations at the SANAP Symposium “the SANAP community kind of data.”
Data Management Anne Treasure(right) South Africa’s representative at Standing Committee on Data Management(SCADM) at SCAR and Data Products and Society Manager of the South African Polar Institute(SAPRI) chaired the main session on data management. This session included very interesting presentations from various science disciplines.
First Presentation was by Leigh McGaughey on “Ecosystem modelling to explore ecosystem dynamics at the Prince Edward Islands.” (abstract)
Data management with JP Barnard delivering a presentation on “Management of Recorded Voyage Data for the SA Agulhas II.” and discuss intricate models to ensure vessel data is manage correctly. (Abstract)
Bjorn Boyes had everyone listening to his talk ” on how to digitally construct sub-Antarctic Marion Island. (Abstract)
On the 30th November more data presentations was given in an ad hoc session chaired by Christel Hansen. Above(l-r): David Hedding, Christel Hansen, Pierre Cilliers
David Hedding: A geospatial database for the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (Abstract) Read more here and see the dataset
Christel Hansen delivered a presentation on “Consistent mapping and geospatial information representation in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic: why South Africans should care.” (Abstract)
During the last research theme session chaired by Stefan Lotz of SANSA, Pierre Cilliers delivered a presentation on ” The long-term variation of the geomagnetic field in Antarctica as measured in Hermanus, Maitri and at SANAE-IV since 2007.” (Abstract)
Over a period of 5 days 172 people participate in the 6th SANAP symposium. A lot has happened in the past 4 years since the last symposium in Hermanus in 2018 and feedback on research and other activities within SANAP featured on the program. The symposium was hosted by Stellenbosch University at Houw Hoek Hotel in the Grabouw valley where the participants built on a SANAP Research community for the future.
The Symposium kicked off with a hybrid meeting of the South African national committee for SCAR and the first evening a keynote lecture was presented by Prof Jukka Tukhuri (Aalto University, Finland) on the discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance on a voyage of the SA Agulhas II. During the symposium keynote lectures and plenary talks were given by Dr Peter Convey of British Antarctic Survey, Dr Sue Tonin of Mouse Free Marion and Prof Marcello Vichi on the Polar Lab part of the South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI).
The purpose of the symposium was to facilitate the free exchange of scientific information within SANAP research. In the Marine and Antarctic Research strategy it states that: “The need for coordinated, extensive and targeted research in the marine and oceanic domain has been underlined. Coordination has become important as there has been a shift in marine science from resources and process studies that could be carried out by small groups or individuals to very large-scale regional climate and ecosystem studies, where the success, nooses and benefits lie in the coordination.” One of the strategies outlined is: “creation of a society informed on the value of marine and Antarctic research initiatives.”
The following five thematic (vertical) areas were prioritised for research sessions and various principal investigators and researchers within SANAP chaired the sessions:
Oceans and marine ecosystems under global change – Dr Rampai, Dr Fietz, Dr Thomalla, Dr Nicholson and Dr Lamont
Earth systems observations – Prof Nel, Dr Lotz
Ecosystems, biodiversity and biodiscovery – Prof Van Vuuren, Prof Cowan, Dr Greve, Prof Pistorius, Dr Wege,
Innovation and development – Prof A Bekker
Human Enterprise – Dr Lavery
Cross-cutting support interventions were discussed such as:
Coordination and governance by Dr Gilbert Siko and Tracy Klarenbeek
Human capital development and transformation chaired by Prof Ansorge
Public awareness and engagement chaired by A Louw
Research Infrastructure and platforms chaired by Dr T Morris
Data management chaired by Dr Treasure
Feedback from SA National Committee for SCAR, APECSSA, SCALE expeditions and SEAmester were given and an evening session was held by the APECSSA committee where all the early career researchers that attended the symposium had great discussions. The newly established SAPRI was showcased to the SANAP community in cross discipline sessions on research infrastructure and platforms, data management and engagement, and a keynote lecture on the SAPRI Polar Lab that concluded all the research presentations
It was the first time that so many South African polar researchers were together on the 1st December on International Antarctic Day and a special Antarctic Breakfast took place to commemorate this International Day. A map of Antarctica, was signed and a cake was provided to celebrate the occasion.
The organising committee would like to thank all participants and attendees for making the 6th SANAP symposium a success and achieving its aim in building a SANAP research Community for the future. We are looking forward to the next Symposium in Kruger National Park in 2025 that will be hosted by a consortium of University of Johannesburg, Fort Hare University and the University of the Free State.
Comment by an ECR: “This was my very first SANAP symposium and it was absolutely incredible! Job well done to all those who assisted in organizing the event. Although it was a jam-packed week, the sessions were extremely interesting and well organized. The location was a perfect venue choice for this kind of event – especially for people to mingle, engage with one another and building strong relationships as well as for making connections for potential research collaborations. I am really impressed with the big focus that this symposium had on Early Career Researchers – I think it is a great way of getting the younger professionals more involved and to network! Congrats on pulling off a very successful SANAP Symposium!”
More will follow of the symposium and sessions that took place with a photos.
A huge thank you to the NRF for making the symposium possible and to all our suppliers and sponsors; Houw Hoek Hotel, Neelsie Travel Bureau, Adjuvo enterprises, Trilogy Audio Services, Crazylicous Cookies.
Featured Image: David Hedding
Image of signatures on Antarctica map : Anche Louw
The National Research Foundation (NRF) supports and promotes research and human capital development through funding, the provision of National Research Facilities and science outreach platforms and programmes to the broader community in all fields of science and technology, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities.
The South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) is a research platform funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF) since 2002. SAEON is mandated to observe and research ecosystems on land, in coastal regions and the oceans to understand how those systems function and might change over time and space when influenced by socio-economic driving forces including climate change. We deliver our data online and offer tools, services and advice for informed environmental policy-making.
SAEON Egagasini Node, based in Cape Town, Western Cape, requires the services of suitably qualified individuals to be responsible for collecting field data on birds and mammals, to be used for conservation and academic purposes as part of the South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI). The birder will be contributing to the project ‘On-island impacts of climate change on the Southern Ocean’s iconic seabirds’ run by the FitzPatrick Institute (University of Cape Town).
The Marion Island research station is managed and administered by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
Research team on the recent Gough Island takeover expedition.
Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that live in the ocean, and just like plants on land they need to have enough food to grow and be happy. However, some places in the ocean don’t have enough food for them whereas some places do. The Southern Ocean Carbon & Climate Observatory (SOCCO) team based at CSIR, Trace Metals team based at Stellenbosch University (TracEx) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment: Oceans and Coasts team are trying to figure out where those places are (in the Southern Ocean).
During the Gough Island takeover expedition:
The Trace Metal Biogeochemistry research teams sampled upstream and downstream of Gough Island to look at how the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) interacts with the island to resuspend sediments from the seafloor. This resuspended sediments acts as a source of trace metals to the surface mixed layer in support of phytoplankton blooms. The team used a 12 bottle mini-CTD rosette system (see image below, right) to sample for dissolved trace metals, particulate trace metals and organic trace metal chemistry.
TEAM
Trace Metal Biogeochemistry
Projects Name
Seasonal Iron speciation in the Southern Ocean, from open ocean environments to naturally fertilized sub-Antarctic Islands (Marion and Gough Island)
Principal Investigator
Dr Thomas Ryan-Keogh
Senior Researcher at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory (SOCCO), CSIR South Africa
Co-Principal Investigator (On board DFFE team leader)
Dr TN Mtshali
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)
Including all ship-based scientists sampling for trace metals
The project in more detail:
The Southern Ocean (SO) is one of the largest high-nutrient low-chlorophyll regions in the World’s Ocean, where primary productivity is limited by iron bioavailability, thereby impacting the strength and efficiency of biological carbon pump. There are, however, exceptions with large phytoplankton blooms persistently observed downstream of the sub-Antarctic Islands. While extensive research has focussed on iron-biogeochemistry around Kerguelen and Crozet islands, no such studies have been conducted at Marion and Gough islands.
Furthermore, whilst our previous studies have made substantial advances toward addressing the gaps in seasonal data coverage through the Southern oCean seAsonaL Experiment (SCALE) 2019 winter and spring expeditions, there is still a paucity of dissolved iron data in the SO, especially from autumn to late spring. This is severely hampering our understanding of the full seasonal biogeochemical iron cycle and its impact on primary production. This project aims to continue its focus on seasonality by expanding seasonal coverage of iron measurements to include autumn (Marion) and late-spring (Gough) expeditions for more comprehensive coverage of the SO seasonal cycle, with a particular focus on quantifying biogeochemical cycling of iron-pool around these understudied islands.
This project is funded by: The National Research Foundation, South African National Antarctic Programme funding (NRF-SANAP).
Situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, positioned equidistantly between South Africa and South America, lies a highly significant breeding ground for seabirds known as Gough Island. This remote island serves as the breeding habitat for 24 distinct avian species, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet. Regrettably, the avian inhabitants now share their home with an invasive species, specifically the house mouse. These non-native mice, introduced to the island by human activity, are causing severe harm to the island’s native wildlife, including plants and animals that have thrived there for millennia. The mice’s voracious appetite leads to the consumption of over two million seabird eggs and chicks annually, driving certain species perilously close to extinction.
In an effort to safeguard the birds, the Gough Island Restoration Programme was launched with the aim of eradicating the mice. In 2021, the Gough Island Restoration Programme attempted to eradicate mice from the island in one of the most challenging and logistically complex island eradications ever ventured.
Although the endeavor did not achieve complete success, it significantly reduced the mouse population, providing a respite for the birds. During this period, the avian inhabitants managed to successfully raise numerous chicks.
Scientists continue to monitor the birds and gather valuable information that will hopefully aid in future endeavors to eliminate the mice entirely. Part of this takeover and the overwintering field team’s work programme will relate to follow-up activities to further underpin efforts to restore Gough Island.
Team
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Project Name
The Gough Island Restoration Programme
Principal Investigator
Dr Antje Steinfurth
Field Team Leader
(Gough68 & Gough69)
Dr Lucy Dorman
Field Officer (Gough68)
Ms Rebekah Goodwill
Field Officer (Gough69)
Ms Hannah Greetham
More about the work on the island for this takeover:
“During takeover our team is carrying out a census of Tristan Albatrosses and Southern Giant Petrels across the whole island, the so-called round island survey. At this time of year, the Southern Giant Petrels are starting to breed while the Tristan Albatross chicks are about to fledge. The number of fledged Albatross chicks will then be compared to numbers of breeding pairs that were counted at the beginning of the year and so breeding success for this Critically Endangered bird can be calculated (more than 99% of the global population breed exclusively on Gough Island). The round island survey also provides the team with the opportunity to monitor the abundance and distribution of the two landbird species, the Gough Bunting and the Gough moorhen. This takeover the team will also be taking some soil samples from the upland parts of the island. This is to help monitor the ecosystem in the wake of the mouse eradication attempt”.
The RSPB Gough Island Restoration Programme takeover team (L-R): Hannah Greetham, Antje Steinfurth, Lucy Dorman and Rebekah Goodwill.
The RSPB overwintering team members’ work:
They will focus on Gough’s bird life, monitoring the breeding success of species, providing estimates of their populations and survival and documenting the impacts of House Mice.
For more information visit about The Gough Island Restoration Programme, click on the link below.
“Hello from the little swampy volcano in the Southern Indian Ocean we call home, or Marion Island. The year has kicked off and the overwinterers have settled into their routines, just in time for it all to change. The Spring Edition of The Wanderer marks the beginning of a massive influx of wildlife onto the island, eager to breed and moult on this isle of paradise. Follow on as the chaos descends for field researchers alike and the hustle continues at the Base at Cabbage Point” ‐ Zafar Monier.
Meet the team
Marion’s Magnificent Birds
“Marion Island is home to 40% of the world’s Wandering Albatross population” Zafar Monier.
Sealer Stories
Balloon Launching
“M80 has the opportunity to conduct upper air ascends on our expedition twice a day, everyday of the year. Weather balloons are released simultaneously from different locations worldwide! On Marion Island we release the balloon at 12H00Z and 00H00Z (15H00 and 03H00 Marion local time)” – the 2023/2024 South African Weather Service Meteorological team members on Marion Island.
Alien Invasive Species
Click on the link below to download the first M80 newsletter.
The 80th Marion Island overwintering team. This photo was taken before the last helicopter flight to the S.A. Agulhas II, at the end of the 2023 takeover. The ship departed from Marion Island to Cape Town late afternoon of 12 May 2023. Image: Michelle Risi.
Anche Louw, Co-Principal Investigator of Antarctic Legacy of South Africa and Digital Marketing and Communications Manager of the South African Polar Research Infrastructure, 05 October 2023.
During the 6th Symposium sessions were allocated to cross cutting disciplines and it led to great presentations and discussions. 12- 16 February is International Love Data Week with the theme “My Kind of Data” and this is about the data presentations at the SANAP Symposium “the SANAP community kind of data.”
Anne Treasure(right) South Africa’s representative at Standing Committee on Data Management(SCADM) at SCAR and Data Products and Society Manager of the South African Polar Institute(SAPRI) chaired the main session on data management. This session included very interesting presentations from various science disciplines.
Christel Hansen delivered a presentation on “Consistent mapping and geospatial information representation in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic: why South Africans should care.” (Abstract)
Over a period of 5 days 172 people participate in the 
The purpose of the symposium was to facilitate the free exchange of scientific information within SANAP research. In the 
It was the first time that so many South African polar researchers were together on the 1st December on International Antarctic Day and a special Antarctic Breakfast took place to commemorate this International Day. A map of Antarctica, was signed and a cake was provided to celebrate the occasion.
The organising committee would like to thank all participants and attendees for making the 6th SANAP symposium a success and achieving its aim in building a SANAP research Community for the future. We are looking forward to the next Symposium in Kruger National Park in 2025 that will be hosted by a consortium of University of Johannesburg, Fort Hare University and the University of the Free State.
