Today, one month ago, the new SANAP website went live after almost a year of planning and designing.

Where it all started:

In the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan of 2014-2024 (Skelton 2014) under section five: Constraints, the following was identified:

1.5.4. Communications:

“The SANAP website, as the first point of entry for web-based searches should also be managed by a dedicated staff member, and should be kept topical and up to date. This should form part of an overall infrastructure strategy”.

The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan of 2014-2024 underpins and informed the Marine and Antarctic Research Plan along with a Marine Research Plan for the same period. These are guiding documents that direct our research agenda in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.  

The South African National Antarctic Programme (South Africa’s National Antarctic Scientific Programme) is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and implemented by the National Research Foundation (NRF) (Fig. 1). The SANAP programme’s logistic and environmental aspects are managed by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), situated at the East Pier of the Cape Town Harbour – where the S.A. Agulhas II docks when home.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) addressed the recommendation in section 1.5.4 by appointing the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa to manage the SANAP website and ensure that the information therein is kept up to date.

The SANAP website now has a brand new look and will be the the first point of entry for web-based searches, nationally and internationally.

Figure 1: SANAP within the governmental structure of South Africa.