Daleview’s rising scientist showcases talent at the 45^th Eskom Expo ISF, an article describing the achievements of Grade 10 learner, Nkateko Moyane from Daleview Secondary School in Ennerdale, Southern Johannesburg, appeared on the website of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists on 31 October and in Rising Sun (Lenasia) on 11 November. At the 45^th Eskom Expo International Science Fair, Nkateko walked away with three major awards – the Afric Training College Award (laptop), the Shanice Francis Memorial Award (R5 000 cash prize) and the SAEON Award for the Best Project on Environmental Monitoring (tablet computer), along with a coveted gold medal.

Egagasini Node

#KnowyourG20 / Ocean20: A commitment to keeping our seas clean, an article by SAEON’s Ocean and Polar Coordinator, Dr Tammy Morris, and the Egagasini Node’s project coordinator and science communicator, Nicole du Plessis, was published on ENCA Online on 27 October. The Ocean20 initiative aims to balance ocean use for human benefit with conservation for long-term resilience, a challenge requiring cooperation across all sectors of society.

Ocean20 South Africa brought “the ocean inland”, encouraging youth far from the coast to pursue ocean-related careers and understand their connection to ocean systems through rivers and climate. By integrating with other G20 engagement groups, Ocean20 South Africa has positioned itself to promote inclusivity and opportunity, working on a policy brief to highlight the economic role of women fishers, and creating the Early Career Ocean Network for South Africa to connect emerging marine science and maritime ocean professionals.

Ocean20 advocates structured approaches to sustainable ocean finance, aligning investment and regulation to scale blue economy initiatives. The group advocates a sustainable ocean economy, which could do much to enhance the economies of South Africa and the continent.

Elwandle Node

Nelson Mandela University (NMU) marine biologist Prof Tommy Bornman, who is also the manager of SAEON’s Elwandle Node, was cited in an article titled NMU spearheading coastal greenhouse gas observation system, published in The Herald of 7 October. The article details how a team of NMU scientists is leading the way in establishing an observation system to monitor coastal greenhouse gases, a key driver of climate change, for South Africa and Africa. Part of the EU-funded project will be a state-of-the-art sunken observatory, which has been procured at a cost of R10m, and will be installed in Algoa Bay.

Prof Bornman said he and his team had been contracted to do the ocean pilot study for the Knowledge and Climate Services African Observation Data Research project. They were working with a range of different observation tools including a fixed observation station. The observation stations, shaped like an upright torpedo, would include an intricate array of sensors to monitor both greenhouse gases and a range of other essential ocean variables to gauge if, how and why the levels of these gases were changing.

The Algoa Bay mooring will be deployed near St Croix Island on the boundary of the Addo Marine Protected Area. “SAEON will be developing an app and web interface where the public can access the data in near real-time,” Prof Bornman explained. This will provide data on sea temperature, underwater visibility, wind strength and direction, current strength and direction, wave height and wave period that will be invaluable for the citizens of Nelson Mandela Bay to plan their marine leisure activities.

“It will also provide the National Sea Rescue Institute, Lifesaving SA, Samsa and Portnet with an early warning system of changing conditions and potential risks at sea,” he added.

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Algoa Bay’s living mud: Scientists are unlocking the secrets of blue carbon beneath the waves, an article by Sheree Bega, was published in The Green Guardian of 9 November.

The article describes the research currently conducted in Algoa Bay by Benjamin Harris, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Exeter. His work is part of the Convex Seascape Survey, a five-year global research initiative aiming to unravel the mysteries of how, when and where the ocean’s continental shelves and muddy seafloor store carbon. The survey has expanded its research to Algoa Bay to explore how rivers, marine life and human activity influence carbon storage in coastal sediments.

The Convex Seascape Survey is a partnership led by the Blue Marine Foundation, University of Exeter and Convex Insurance Ltd. Local partners include Nelson Mandela University and the South African Environmental Observation Network, who contributed local expertise on the marine ecosystem of Algoa Bay and provided access to equipment.