South African Environmental Observation Network
As temperatures rise globally, attention is increasingly focused on learning how to cope with the heat. What better than to study the pitch-black Namib beetle, which is active during the heat of the day in a desert with insufficient water to afford evaporative cooling.
Ecoforecast Africa’s inaugural training event on iterative near-term ecological forecasting attracted 27 participants from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Japan, Switzerland and the USA.
An Elwandle Node research team conducted in-situ GHG flux measurements in three estuarine systems. These will provide valuable data on the potential of coastal wetlands to mitigate the effects of global warming.
At the annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists, the work shared by Ndlovu Node staff and associated students encompassed the broad topics of grassland dynamics and restoration, and savanna disturbance and resilience.
The participation of SAEON’s Dr Kathryn Morrissey and Brishan Kalyan highlights the importance of investing in research and training opportunities that combine hands-on fieldwork with advanced data analytics.
While the SEAmester expedition significantly advances our understanding of the Agulhas Current system, it simultaneously fosters the growth of South Africa’s next generation of ocean scientists.
The work of the Egagasini/SAPRI research team is shedding new light on the drivers of ocean variability and the implications for regional climate, marine ecosystems and global ocean health.
SAEON ocean forecast modeller Gustav Rautenbach presented his PhD research to the Coastal Ocean and Shelf Seas Task Team, an international initiative under OceanPredict that fosters collaboration to advance coastal ocean forecasting and prediction systems.
In her presentation, Caroline Mfopa, a data scientist at SAEON’s uLwazi Node, focused on extreme rainfall and temperature trends from NASA’s CMIP6 statistically downscaled model.
The 10th meeting of the South African Chapter of the Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group brought together academics, researchers and government officials to reflect on South Africa’s role in the Indian Ocean Rim and to chart a collaborative path forward.
It is envisaged that SAEON-EFTEON eddy covariance sites would ultimately be part of FLUXNET, one of the largest ecosystem networks in the world, where the high level of collaboration among scientists would ensure the robustness of data.
SAEON’s Grasslands Node hosted an engaging Grade 10 science camp focused on exploring water quality in different water bodies, inspiring learners to think critically about freshwater ecosystems and the factors affecting the health of these systems.
Presented by a diverse, youthful and highly skilled SAEON team, the outreach programme exposed learners to real-world career opportunities in science, introduced them to relatable role models who have walked the path they might choose, and made ocean science hands-on, interactive and personal.
The Arid Lands Node hosted a Grade 9 science camp at the Mokala National Park – to expose learners to the exciting world of science using different scientific methods, tools and equipment that scientists use to collect terrestrial data.
SAEON’s people and projects received coverage in national print, broadcast, online and social media.
