Engaged research for impact: Understanding the Maputaland social-ecological system

A three-year multidisciplinary project led by the SAEON Grasslands Node and funded by the Water Research Commission has shed light on the interconnections between socioeconomic, climate and hydrological dynamics in assessing land use impacts.

Science and technology in action

The hydrological analysis revealed that if plantation forestry had not been introduced, the drought threshold would not have been exceeded

Future outcomes of choices made today

A groundwater model update of the Lake Sibaya area was used to assess the impact of historical and future land-use and land cover changes in the region under different future climate storylines.

MCP community with the Black Diamond community in Matatiele during the first day of the knowledge exchange.

Participatory approaches enhance science and impact

For a three-year multidisciplinary project in the Maputaland Coastal Plain, participatory workshops were held with the traditional councils of three community areas within the study site.

Meet EFTEON’s new landscape scientist for meteorology and atmospheric composition

Dr Warren Joubert has a specific interest in the exchange of greenhouse gases in the land/atmosphere and ocean atmosphere interface. When he is not engaged in research, he plays bass guitar in a Cape Town band.

Workshop participants during the technical training at Walter Sisulu University.

SARVA team initiates collaborative workshop series with Centres for Global Change

The South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas workshops went beyond conventional technical skills development – they served as platforms for exploring avenues of collaboration between participating organisations.

SAEON Elwandle team during a refresher training with a visiting collaborator from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

New capabilities for impactful research

The Microalgae Laboratory of the Shallow Marine and Coastal Research Infrastructure has acquired two new assets to enhance the lab’s capability in plankton imaging. The instruments offer training and upskilling opportunities in marine plankton analyses methods.

Ocean of Hope workshop attendees with Dr Sylvia Earle

Mission Blue Hope Spot shines spotlight on False Bay

Due to the monitoring and mapping projects that the offshore marine scientist at the Egagasini Node, Dr Lara Atkinson is leading, three young researchers from the Node were invited to participate in the Ocean of Hope Workshop.

Message from the MD

Collaborative approaches shaping sustainable research at SAEON

In her article, SAEON MD Dr Mary-Jane Bopape explores several stories that illustrate the intersection of environmental challenges, innovative solutions and collaborative efforts shaping our collective future.

People and networks

Workshop participants at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Lombok, Indonesia.

Joining forces to advance the sustainable management of the Indian Ocean and its resources

Prof Juliet Hermes, manager of the Egagasini Node and outgoing Indian Ocean Region Panel co-chair, reports back on the 2024 Indian Ocean Science Conference held in Lombok, Indonesia.

Members of the Ocean Decade Africa Taskforce at the meeting in Morocco.

Insights from the Ocean Decade Meeting

The meeting was attended by a cadre of experts to finalise the development of the Ocean Decade umbrella programme for Africa and structure the proposal for the Africa Satellite Event at the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference.

NRF-SAEON continues to build significant networks

Hosting two networking platforms earlier this year has provided SAEON with the opportunity to grow its visibility nationally and internationally within the science-policy interface.

Building vital capacity

The CROCO summer school welcomed 30 participants from various institutes around South Africa, Africa and around the world.

Coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model Workshop attracts participants from around the world

Hosted by NRF-SAEON and featuring experts from France in ocean and atmospheric modelling, the summer school is a significant initiative to bridge the gap in advanced modelling skills in the geographical south, especially southern Africa.

Sisipho (right) collecting Sympagurus dimorphus (dimorphic hermit crabs) on deck.

Unveiling hidden treasures – the West Coast marine invertebrates

Intern Sisipho Njokweni embarked on an expedition to survey the continental shelf between the border of Namibia and the south of Cape Agulhas, eager to explore the depths of the ocean and contribute to scientific research in South Africa.

Science engagement

Educators working in groups to discuss what they saw in their ocean-related photo.

Empowering educators: Promoting ocean literacy through Blue Schools workshop

By integrating ocean learning into the classroom and empowering teachers with the knowledge and skills to guide their learners in ocean-related research projects, the Blue Schools programme is poised to make a lasting impact on South Africa’s educational landscape.

Grade 11 learners collect data in the Kruger Park

Learning to value nature and its biodiversity

The popular Ndlovu Node annual science days and science camps expose local learners to the scientific method and raise their awareness of climate change, biodiversity and the importance of food webs. The latest camps were conducted at the Kruger National Park and Wits Rural Facility under the theme ‘Biodiversity’.

NRF-SAEON in the media

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

Science is the one human activity that is truly progressive. The body of positive knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation.

~ Edwin Powell Hubble

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