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 | 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 | Nov 2, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, Gough Island, Jobs, Marion Island, Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Islands, SA Agulhas II, SA Polar Research Infrastructure, SANAE, SANAP, SAPolarRI, SAPRI, Science, Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic
As per job advertisement:
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).
SAEON is mandated to establish and manage long-term environmental observatories; maintain reliable long-term environmental data sets; promote access to data for research and/or informed decision making; and contribute to capacity building.
This position is supported by the Department of Science and Innovation’s South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI) programme and will be based in Cape Town.
A Senior Electronics Technician to provide technical and logistic support for the SAPRI programme’s various research and long-term monitoring activities in the offshore marine and Southern Ocean, sub-Antarctic Islands and Antarctica, conducted onboard South African and international research vessels.
Application Closing Date: 16 November 2022
Click here to view the position advert.
Read more about SAPRI:
South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI): Feedback and start of the Preparatory Phase
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa
by Ria Olivier | Oct 31, 2022 | Announcement, Jobs, Marion Island, News, Overwintering Team, Research, SANAP, Science, Southern Ocean, Stations, sub-Antarctic, Team member
The following positions are available on the sub-Antarctic, Marion Island for the overwintering period (April 2023 to May 2024)
Applications close between 7 November and 14 November 2022.
Click here: View the positions
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 31 October 2022.
by Ria Olivier | Oct 18, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, Important Dates, Meetings, News, Research, SANAP, SCAR, Science, Southern Ocean
This is the first announcement for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Biology Symposium 2023 in New Zealand.
Conference Website
Will you be attending/presenting a paper? Let ALSA know!
by Ria Olivier | Oct 6, 2022 | Announcement, Geomorphology, Marion Island, News, Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Islands, Research, SANAP, Science, sub-Antarctic
In a new publication, An open access geospatial database for the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands, by Elizabeth Rudolph, David William Hedding, Nico de Bruyn, and Werner Nel, open access is given to a geospatial database for both Marion Island and Prince Edward Island.
Click here to view the full suite of data: Prince Edward Islands Geospatial Database
This paper was presented at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Open Science Conference 2022, in a poster format. Click here to view the poster.
Authors:
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 06 October 2022
