Science is not the truth. Science is finding the truth.
~ Brené Brown
While plant use of fog water has been demonstrated in habitats like tropical montane cloud forests, it has not been studied in Fynbos until now. The first sap flow data suggest the plants may be using fog water in unexpected ways.
It took 45 years of record-keeping to determine why tenebrionid beetles have such extraordinarily high diversity in the Namib Desert. SAEON research associate, Dr Joh Henschel, sheds more light on this research.
Detailed case studies in the BioEnergy Atlas serve as examples of how the Atlas modelling platform can be used in bioenergy project implementation.
SeaMap aims to deliver South Africa’s first data-driven marine ecosystem map derived from associated species occurrence and barcode records.
A rare SAEON study evaluated the uptake of organic contaminants using an indigenous plant species growing in an estuarine environment. The results indicate that P. australis could be used as a biomarker for organophosphate pesticides in an aquatic ecosystem.
In January, a huge swell delivered unusually large waves to the western seaboard of the Cape Peninsula as well as further up the west coast. SAEON student Benjy Oliver has revealed the dominant climate mode impacting the waves off the South African coast.
SAEON physical oceanographers Laura Braby and Cristina Russo helped prepare endurance swimmer Sarah Ferguson to navigate the Agulhas Current during her swim from Durban to Cape Town to raise awareness about plastic pollution.
South Africa is a water scarce country and ranks as one of the 30 driest countries in the world. Long-term observation of wetlands from the catchments, through the streams and rivers, to the estuaries at the coast has always been one of SAEON’s main themes that cut across all its nodes and research infrastructures.
In February, a cohort of passionate, enthusiastic and dynamic new members were officially welcomed to the GSN steering committee and given an overview of the GSN, its constitution and the committee portfolios.
SAEON celebrated World Wetlands Day on 2 February 2022. Using South African examples, SAEON staff members took learners on a journey to learn how to value, manage, restore and love wetlands.
SAEON’s people and projects received coverage in local and national print, online and social media.
Banner photo of large wave courtesy of Dr Ken Findlay.