Adding visual pieces to South Africa’s seabed puzzle

Just as the sunlight crept onto the research team’s faces, the SkiMonkey III camera was plunged into the darkness of 400+ m depths. Exactly this technology, and even more advanced tools operating at extreme depths well over 1000 m, are being deployed every day in some part of the global ocean.

Science and technology in action

Learning operational coastal modelling from the best

Giles Fearon and Jennifer Veitch were the only African representatives to present at this year’s meeting of the Coastal Ocean and Shelf-Seas Task Team of OceanPredict, shedding light on SAEON’s operational ocean modelling developments.

Soft coral Anthomastus giganteus providing a dreamy refuge for a juvenile jacopever (Helicolenus dactylopterus) and several brittle stars; Ophiura costata costata and Ophiomyxa vivipara capensis

The epic journey of data

Streamflow, rainfall and other meteorological data spanning from the 1930s to the present day were secured by SAEON, resulting in a value-added resource for the global environmental research community and the public.

Meet the SAPRI research coordinators

SAEON has employed four research coordinators for each of the South African Polar Research Infrastructure’s integrated facilities. They will mainly be based at the Egagasini Node.

Advancing coastal predictive capabilities for a sustainable future

A significant highlight of the PredictOnTime workshop was the proposal to designate Algoa Bay as a pilot site for testing and implementing predictive capabilities in the Southern African context.

SAEON participates in OCIMS Stakeholder Engagement Workshop

SAEON’s participation highlighted its collaborative work in marine information management and high-resolution ocean forecasting that forms a fundamental part of the Sustainable Ocean Modelling Initiative.

Shining a spotlight on Indian Ocean research and sampling

The sixth International Indian Ocean Science Conference served as a platform for scientists to exchange the latest research findings in the Indian Ocean region while jointly planning future research projects and infrastructures.

Message from the MD

Celebrating marine offshore research at SAEON

SAEON’s Egagasini Node and the South African Polar Research Infrastructure are both forging ahead. Here SAEON MD Dr Mary-Jane Bopape highlights just some of the node’s achievements over the past few years.

Building vital capacity

Buster Mogonong at the peak of the Compassberg Mountain

My internship – an experience I will forever be grateful for

According to PhD student and former intern Buster Mogonong, SAEON’s Arid Lands Node and EFTEON provided him with the best and most valuable experience any young science graduate can think of.

Scientists join forces to investigate the Cape Cauldron Hotspot

NRF-SAASTA volunteer Sikelelwa Mtyenene reports how this research cruise to measure the Agulhas leakage inspired her to further her studies in Marine Science.

Want to influence decision-makers? Prioritise your actions and distil your message

The iAtlantic Science to Policy workshop provided a platform for emerging researchers and scientists to sharpen their skills in translating their research into clear messages to reach decision-makers.

Meet the new members of the GSN steering committee

SAEON’s Graduate Student Network has welcomed two new steering committee members – Connor Eastment (Capacity Building Liaison) and Jordan van Stavel (Internal Stakeholder Communication).

NRF-SAEON in the media

SAEON’s people and projects received coverage in national print, broadcast, online and social media.

I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

~ Albert Einstein

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