by Ria Olivier | Jun 17, 2024 | Uncategorised
The UN’s Decade of Ocean Science calls for programmes that improve scientific knowledge, develop research capacities and transfer marine technological information and expertise across generations. In South Africa, the Department of Science and Innovation’s (DSI) has already taken a significant step forward in such training measures. The current DSI Global Change Grand Challenge programme1 calls for platforms that “attract young researchers and retain them by exciting their interest in aspects of global change, while developing their capacity and professional skills in the relevant fields of investigation”. To meet these challenges in the Ocean Sciences, SEAmester – South Africa’s Floating University and a joint initiative between Government and Universities was started in 2016. The strength of SEAmester is that South African postgraduate students combine theoretical classroom learning with the application of this knowledge through ship-based, and more importantly, hands-on research through the Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA) programme.
The mid-term goal of SEAmester is to attract and establish a cohort of proficient marine and atmospheric science graduates who will contribute to filling the capacity needs of South African marine science. Furthermore, by involving researchers from across all the relevant disciplines and tertiary institutions in South Africa, SEAmester provides an opportunity to continue building a network of collaborative teaching within the marine field. In doing so, these researchers will foster and strengthen new and current collaborations between historically white and black universities. A core aim of SEAmester will be to transform the number of numerate postgraduate students entering the marine sciences. Within South Africa there continues to be an urgent need to redress the demography of scientists involved in oceanographic research, which remains skewed towards white South Africans. SEAmester has already proven to be extremely effective in responding to these challenges. Since its inception in 2016, over 120 male and 140 female students from 26 tertiary institutes, have been trained onboard the SA Agulhas II. With 64% of the enrolled students being black South African and from previously disadvantaged universities . Greater awareness of the ocean’s physical, biogeochemical and ecological response to climate change, highlighted through ship-board experiences, has already started to inspire and attract students into the marine sciences. This is a critical step if a new generation of marine scientists with a far higher calibre in the sciences are to be trained. Most importantly, SEAmester has already created opportunities for students from all social backgrounds to experience working life at sea. By achieving a more quantitative and experienced input into our postgraduate pipeline, we will, as a scientific community, greatly improve our long-term capabilities to accurately measure, model and predict the impacts of current climate change scenarios. We fully expect this to continue and to ensure that students who excel in numeracy, despite diverse economic, educational, ethnic and social backgrounds, are aware, have equal access to the benefits and opportunities afforded through this programme.
A long-term vision is to develop SEAmester into an international educational flagship programme incorporating a wider participant and scientist list with the involvement of other SADC countries. The success of the past 6 cruises onboard the SA Agulhas II has confirmed to the scientific community that SEAmester – South Africa’s Floating University – is able to achieve just that.
Text Supplied by Prof Isabelle Ansorge
Feature image by Katherine Hutchinson
by Ria Olivier | Apr 29, 2024 | Marion Island, Research, Take-Over Operations, Uncategorised
Marion Island Take-Over 2024 Ornithology Projects: Avian scavengers as indicators of recovery of an island biota and the FitzPatrick long-term monitoring of Albatross and Giant Petrels.
The activities during the take-over 2024 will be divided into (1) completing the activities of the 2021/23 SANAP project on avian scavengers, and (2) ensuring the smooth passing of the FitzPatrick Institute seabird long-term monitoring on to the South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI).
ABOVE: Michelle Jones (M80), Vanessa Steven (M81), Prof Susie Cunningham (UCT FitzPatrick PI), Rhiannon Gill (M81), Prof Peter Ryan (UCT FitzPatrick), Chris Jones (M80)
Avian scavengers as indicators of recovery of an island biota : Since 2021, our SANAP project focussed on the three poorly known avian scavengers: Brown Skua, Kelp Gull, Black-faced Sheathbill, as well as some of the skua’s prey, the burrowing seabird species. Our project filled identified scientific gaps that were crucial for best planning of the mouse eradication and development of appropriate mitigation measures, and established baselines for the scavenger guild and their prey base against which the impact of a successful mouse eradication can be measured in years to come. The takeover 2024 will see the closure of this project that we are aiming to restart at the time of the mouse eradication.
Above: Chris and Michelle Jones working with the Wandering Albatross during overwinter period
The FitzPatrick long-term monitoring of Albatross and Giant Petrels: The long-term demography monitoring of Wandering and Grey-headed Albatrosses and Northern Giant Petrels at Marion Island was started by the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (UCT) in the early 1980s. To ensure its continuity for years to come, it will become SAPRI’s responsibility from April/May 2024. In the forthcoming takeover, all information regarding the monitoring will be passed on to SAPRI to ensure the continuity in the data collected. Further, the annual whole island count of Grey-headed Albatross fledglings will be conducted and Wandering Albatrosses will be carefully checked to detect any potential mouse injuries that were first detected in breeding adults in April 2023.
(left) Michelle Jones with Grey-headed Albatross and (right) Chris Jones with Common Diving Petrel
Principal Investigators
Take-Over Research team
Overwintering team 2023/24:
- Michelle Risi Jones (NMU/SAPRI)
- Christopher Jones (NMU)
- Text: Dr Maelle Connan
- Images : Chris and Michelle Jones
by Ria Olivier | Mar 1, 2024 | Uncategorised
The last session on oceans and marine ecosystems under global change within the Marine and Antarctic Research Strategy research themes was chaired by Tarron Lamont. The session focussed on Physics to Top Predators at islands and seamounts in the Southern Ocean. (Above
Above: Marcel van den Berg, Issufo Halo, Jenny Huggett, Fannie Shabangu
- T Lamont: Mesoscale eddies influencing the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands: Origin, pathways, and characteristics. (Abstract)
- MA van den Berg: Influence of eddies and fronts on the shelf seas of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. (Abstract)
- T Toolsee: The interannual/decadal scale and long-term trends of surface hydrography around the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. (Abstract)
- I Halo: Surface and subsurface hydrographic variability at the Prince Edward Islands: Perspectives from the high-resolution GLORYS model. (Abstract)
- SA du Preez: Zooplankton variability around the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands and the influence of the environment. (Abstract)
- R Daniels: Killer whale acoustic patterns respond to prey abundance and environmental variability around the Prince Edward Islands, Southern Ocean. (Abstract)
- I Schafer: Acoustic occurrence and behaviour of Baleen Whales during winter around Prince Edward Islands. (Abstract)
- A Sneddon: Marine Heatwave characteristics in the South Atlantic and South Indian Oceans. (Abstract)
- JA Huggett: Towards eco-regionalisation of the eastern subantarctic pelagic zone – mapping zooplankton communities at the Prince Edward Islands. (Abstract)
- FW Shabangu: Rhyming in the cold: Fish calls between two sub-Antarctic Islands, Southern Ocean. (Abstract)
- FW Shabangu: Life near the sea ice edge: Listening for whales off the Maud Rise, Antarctica. (Abstract)
Above (l-r): Sarah du Preez, Robyn Daniels, Ivana Schafer, Amber Sneddon
by Ria Olivier | Feb 27, 2024 | Oceanography, Research, SANAP, SANAP Student, South Atlantic, Southern Ocean, Uncategorised
The second session within the Marine and Antarctic Research Strategy research theme : Oceans and marine ecosystems under global change was chaired by Sandy Thomalla and Sarah Nicholson from Southern Ocean Carbon- Climate Observatory (SOCCO). The session title, “The Southern Ocean’s sensitivity to a changing climate: insights from a seasonal cycle approach” were presented through oral presentations and e-posters from SOCCO. (Left Sandy Thomalla, Right Sarah Nicholson, above SOCCO group photo)
Above (l-r): Tesha Toolsee, Tommy Ryan-Keogh, Thapelo Ramalepe, Thato Mtshali.
- Sarah Nicholson: The impact of storms on CO2 and heat exchange across the Southern Ocean.
- Tesha Toolsee: The complex role of storms in modulating intra-seasonal air-sea CO2 fluxes in the sub-Antarctic Southern Ocean.
- Sandy Thomalla: Trends in Southern Ocean Phytoplankton bloom phenology.
- Sifiso Mpapane: Understanding photo acclimation effects on Chl:C ratio in the Southern Ocean: modelling considerations and insights into seasonal assemblage composition. (E-poster)
- Tommy Ryan-Keogh: Multi-decadal trend of increasing iron stress in the Southern Ocean phytoplankton.
- Thapelo Ramalepe: Exploring the seasonal processes governing manganese supply in the Southern Ocean.
- Thato Mtshali: Winter-time distributions and dissolved iron mixed layer budget in the south Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean.
- Miranda Sitofile: Investigating seasonal variability of dissolved iron in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean: Insights from the winter and spring SCALE 2019 cruises. (e-poster)
- Lillina Ruiters: Variability of phytoplankton photo physiology in the Southern Ocean: an analysis of assumptions and uncertainties. (e-poster)
Above(l-r): Sifiso Mpapane, Miranda Sitofile, Lillina Ruiters
by Ria Olivier | Feb 22, 2024 | Biosecurity, Ecology, Invasion Biology, Marion Island, Research, SANAP, SANAP Student, Uncategorised
Prof Bettine Jansen van Vuuren (left) chaired the session of Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Biodiscovery with the first plenary talk of the symposium by Peter Convey(right) of the British Antarctic Survey ” Terrestrial biological invasions and their potential impacts in the maritime Antarctic”. (Abstract) Peter Convey discussed that there are around 15 species of non-native plants and invertebrates currently known to be established in the maritime Antarctic . He further emphasize that effective biosecurity measures are required to ensure that further human-assisted transfer both on Signy Island and beyond is avoided. Prof Bettine Jansen van Vuuren chaired the session of Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Biodiscovery.
Bettine gave an overview of research that included research done by Daniela and Shilpha as they could not attend as they were on Marion Island. Foregrounding geodiversity in landscape ecology studies: insights from the sub-Antarctic – Daniela Monsanto (Abstract) Detecting signals of adaptive selection of an invasive springtail on sub-Antarctic Marion Island – Shilpha Parbhu (Abstract)
Daniela Monsanto, Shilpa Parbhu, Sandra Durand, Arsalan Emami-Khoyi, Peter Teske, David Hedding
Morgan Raath-Kruger(left) and student of Peter le Roux at University of Pretoria gave an oral presentation and an introduction to her poster.
- Long-term spatially-replicated data show no physical cost to a benefactor species in a facilitative plant–plant interaction. (Abstract)
- Do anisotropic processes influence fine-scale spatial genetic structure of a keystone sub-Antarctic plant species? (Abstract)
Another abstract submitted but Carol Jacobs(right) could not present is on the biosecurity within the South African National Antarctic Programme. (Abstract)https://alp.lib.sun.ac.za/handle/123456789/29301
by Ria Olivier | Feb 19, 2024 | Oceanography, Research, SANAP, SANAP Student, Science, Southern Ocean, Uncategorised
MARIS started the first session on Southern Ocean research within SANAP with focus on SEA ICE. Above: Rutger Marquart, Magata Mangatane, Dylan White, Anand Nair, Wayne de Jager, Leila Nefdt, Safiyyah Moos, Tokoloho Rampai, Marcello Vichi, Robyn Verrinder, Hayley Swait, Riesna Audh, James van Niekerk. (Photo Credit: MARIS)
The first ocean session covered the Antarctic sea ice research field led by the Sea Ice Team from the Marine and Antarctic Research for Innovation and Sustainability (MARiS). The research themes covered in this session were innovation and development, oceans and marine eco-systems under global change and earth systems observations. The presentations and posters under these research theme covered a diverse range of projects from large-scale sea ice observations, tracking and measurements to the small-scale sea ice dynamics, properties and biogeochemistry. Antarctic sea ice research has received a comparatively limited focus compared to its Arctic counterpart. The MARiS sea ice team is constituted of the departments of Oceanography, Electrical and Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, with projects aimed to contribute new insights and push the boundaries within this research domain. The presentation within this session were on a variety of earth system observations models, simulations of sea ice wave interactions, innovative tool development for lab-based experiments and field-based work investigating sea ice dynamics and properties and the ecological impacts of algae and their biogeochemical significance. The session under the MARS theme; Oceans and marine ecosystems under global change was chaired by Principal investigator Tokoloho Rampai and it included an overview of Maris by Robyn Verrinder. The session was done in round table fashion and included posters and oral presentations. Tokoloho concluded the session with a closing statement
Oral presentations:
- Robyn Verrinder – Overview of MARIS.
- Rutger Marquart – Numerical modelling of sea ice dynamics and thermodynamics in the Antarctic marginal ice zone. (abstract)
- Anand Nair – Three-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of Pancake Ice on Waves. (abstract)
- Safiyyah Moos – Investigating the dynamics and exchanges across the ice-ocean interface in artificial sea ice. (abstract)
- Hayley Swait – Investigating Brine and Air Porosity in Sea Ice from the Eastern Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone. (abstract)
Poster Presentations were displayed in the venue during the symposium and presenters gave a quick introduction to their posters during the round-table session.
- Wayne De Jager – Sub-daily Antarctic sea-ice variability estimates using swath-based retrieval methods. (abstract)
- Dylan White – Discussion on the Premise of, and Challenges in, the Development of a Ship-Based Radar System for the in-situ Measurement of Sea Ice Thickness. (abstract)
- Magata Mangatane – Antarctic sea-ice thickness reconstruction. (abstract)
- Marcello Vichi – Wind- and wave-driven free-drift dynamics in Antarctic Sea ice.(abstract)
- Tokoloho Rampai – Sea ice growth dynamics and their influence on the physical, structural and mechanical properties-A discussion on innovation in in situ testing. (abstract)
- James van Niekerk – Investigation of the Interactions Between Sea Ice Algae from the Marginal Ice Zone of Antarctica and Artificial Sea Ice. (abstract)
- Riesna Audh – Winter biogeochemical activity is enhanced by rafting in growing Antarctic Sea ice. (abstract)
After the session the group took pictures (Credit: Leila Nefdt)
The mid-term goal of SEAmester is to attract and establish a cohort of proficient marine and atmospheric science graduates who will contribute to filling the capacity needs of South African marine science. Furthermore, by involving researchers from across all the relevant disciplines and tertiary institutions in South Africa, SEAmester provides an opportunity to continue building a network of collaborative teaching within the marine field. In doing so, these researchers will foster and strengthen new and current collaborations between historically white and black universities. A core aim of SEAmester will be to transform the number of numerate postgraduate students entering the marine sciences. Within South Africa there continues to be an urgent need to redress the demography of scientists involved in oceanographic research, which remains skewed towards white South Africans. SEAmester has already proven to be extremely effective in responding to these challenges. Since its inception in 2016, over 120 male and 140 female students from 26 tertiary institutes, have been trained onboard the SA Agulhas II. With 64% of the enrolled students being black South African and from previously disadvantaged universities . Greater awareness of the ocean’s physical, biogeochemical and ecological response to climate change, highlighted through ship-board experiences, has already started to inspire and attract students into the marine sciences. This is a critical step if a new generation of marine scientists with a far higher calibre in the sciences are to be trained. Most importantly, SEAmester has already created opportunities for students from all social backgrounds to experience working life at sea. By achieving a more quantitative and experienced input into our postgraduate pipeline, we will, as a scientific community, greatly improve our long-term capabilities to accurately measure, model and predict the impacts of current climate change scenarios. We fully expect this to continue and to ensure that students who excel in numeracy, despite diverse economic, educational, ethnic and social backgrounds, are aware, have equal access to the benefits and opportunities afforded through this programme.
ABOVE: Michelle Jones (M80), Vanessa Steven (M81), Prof Susie Cunningham (UCT FitzPatrick PI), Rhiannon Gill (M81), Prof Peter Ryan (UCT FitzPatrick), Chris Jones (M80)
Above: Chris and Michelle Jones working with the Wandering Albatross during overwinter period
(left) Michelle Jones with Grey-headed Albatross and (right) Chris Jones with Common Diving Petrel
Above: Marcel van den Berg, Issufo Halo, Jenny Huggett, Fannie Shabangu
Above (l-r): Sarah du Preez, Robyn Daniels, Ivana Schafer, Amber Sneddon
The second session within the 
Above (l-r): Tesha Toolsee, Tommy Ryan-Keogh, Thapelo Ramalepe, Thato Mtshali.
Above(l-r): Sifiso Mpapane, Miranda Sitofile, Lillina Ruiters
Prof Bettine Jansen van Vuuren (left) chaired the session of Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Biodiscovery with the first plenary talk of the symposium by Peter Convey(right) of the British Antarctic Survey ” Terrestrial biological invasions and their potential impacts in the maritime Antarctic”. (
Bettine gave an overview of research that included research done by Daniela and Shilpha as they could not attend as they were on Marion Island. Foregrounding geodiversity in landscape ecology studies: insights from the sub-Antarctic – Daniela Monsanto (
Daniela Monsanto, Shilpa Parbhu, Sandra Durand, Arsalan Emami-Khoyi, Peter Teske, David Hedding
Morgan Raath-Kruger(left) and student of Peter le Roux at University of Pretoria gave an oral presentation and an introduction to her poster.
Another abstract submitted but Carol Jacobs(right) could not present is on the biosecurity within the South African National Antarctic Programme. (Abstract)
MARIS started the first session on Southern Ocean research within SANAP with focus on SEA ICE. Above: Rutger Marquart, Magata Mangatane, Dylan White, Anand Nair, Wayne de Jager, Leila Nefdt, Safiyyah Moos, Tokoloho Rampai, Marcello Vichi, Robyn Verrinder, Hayley Swait, Riesna Audh, James van Niekerk. (Photo Credit: MARIS)
Oral presentations:
Poster Presentations were displayed in the venue during the symposium and presenters gave a quick introduction to their posters during the round-table session.
