Dr Chris Oosthuizen
Towards Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management in Antarctica: using animal-borne sensors to monitor prey consumption in chinstrap penguins
26 September 2025, 11:00 - 12:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Antarctic krill are a critical food source for animals such as penguins and whales. Krill also supports a growing commercial fishery, which may lead to resource conflicts with marine predators. CCAMLR - an international body under the Antarctic Treaty – aims to manage the krill fishery to ensure sufficient food remains for the region’s predators, but consensus is yet to be reached on how to achieve this.
Their research contributes to the development of monitoring indices for krill-feeding penguins that can support Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management. They have developed methods that use animal-borne sensors (similar to wearable tech used by human athletes) and a machine learning pipeline to detect when penguins catch krill. This approach allows them to move beyond simply tracking where penguins go at sea to understanding how well they are feeding - key information for ecosystem monitoring and management.
Chris Oosthuizen is a marine predator ecologist with extensive experience working on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds, seals, and whales. His recent research focuses on the foraging ecology of penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula, using animal-borne video and bio-logging technologies. He is a Research Associate at the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research.
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Stacey Webb
International Coastal Clean-Up Day - From Local Beaches to Global Policy: ICC Data in Action
18 September 2025, 10:00 - 13:00, Online
Every year, thousands of volunteers across South Africa join the International Coastal Clean-Up (ICC), picking up litter from beaches and waterways. But the story goes far beyond what we collect: every piece of data recorded builds a scientific evidence base that informs policy, shapes industry practices, and strengthens Africa’s voice in global negotiations on plastic pollution.
This seminar highlighted how South Africa’s ICC data has been used locally to drive better resource allocation and nationally to strengthen collaboration between industry, communities, and NGOs. It has shown how African data feeds into global discussions, including the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations, where accurate and consistent reporting from the ground is critical for change. The talk has connected practical lessons from ICC coordination with the bigger picture of systemic transformation, illustrating how local action creates global impact.
Dr Stacey Webb is the Head of Marine & Coastal Impact Programmes at the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST), based in South Africa. She leads multiple portfolios including Research, Development & Monitoring, Education & Capacity building, and Community Upliftment & Economic Development. Currently these portfolios have a strong focus on Operation Clean Spot, SST’s flagship programme to reduce marine litter at source. Stacey serves as the national coordinator of the International Coastal Clean-Up in partnership with Plastics SA, and works extensively with regional and global processes including the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions, FAO/IMO’s GloLitter and PRO-SEAS projects, and the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations. With experience spanning science, community action, and policy advocacy, she is passionate about connecting evidence with solutions, ensuring that every piece of data collected helps protect Africa’s oceans and communities.
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Marine Biological Association - CMR Member Sessions
17 September 2025, 12:00 - 13:00, Online
The webinar included the rich history, pioneering research, and global impact of the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA). Founded in 1884, the MBA is one of the longest-running societies dedicated to advancing marine science. Based in Plymouth, they are both a research institute and a learned society, recognised for their cutting-edge discoveries and our commitment to supporting the next generation of marine professionals.
This talk has explored the vital work of the MBA, from safeguarding rare and important marine discoveries to representing a global community of members across 50+ countries. It was discussed how their membership body supports marine scientists and students at every stage of their careers—providing networking opportunities, resources, and a platform to drive forward marine research and conservation. "Whether you are a student, researcher, or marine enthusiast, discover how the MBA can support your journey and how, together, we can continue to be a voice for our Ocean."
Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Sharon Gabie, Charlotte Veronica and Ms Jewells
National Women's Day and International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
26 August 2025, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
International Indigenous Peoples Day is a crucial occasion to recognise the rights, cultures, and ongoing struggles of indigenous communities worldwide. In South Africa, indigenous women face unique challenges rooted in historical marginalisation and socio-economic exclusion. In this symposium we seek to amplify indigenous women’s voices and explore their lived realities, resilience, and agency in striving for cultural preservation, land rights, and gender justice. Through centering indigenous women’s perspectives, we illuminate critical intersections of identity, tradition, and modernity, to foster inclusive dialogue and policy frameworks that aim to dismantle systemic barriers and empower indigenous women as key agents in their communities and nations.
Sharon holds a PhD in Anthropology. She is a postdoctoral fellow with the Chair for Ocean Cultures and Heritage. Her work integrates academic theory with lived experiences, emphasising practical research application. She is deeply involved with Khoi and San, indigenous communities in South Africa and Namibia working to preserve and revitalise their cultural heritage while advocating for their rights.
Charlotte Veronica (nee Petrus) Bouah was born in Digindane (later called Blikkiesdorp). Charlotte is the youngest of four siblings raised by their mother and grandmother. Curious about history and heritage she was immersed herself in family stories and local heritage from a tender age. Her passion for preserving history led her to pursue studies in Griqua History, which paved the way for her career. Starting as a secretary, Charlotte’s hard work and determination elevated her to the position of Provincial Head of the Griqua Royal House in the Eastern Cape. Throughout her life, she has remained devoted to community service and the preservation of cultural legacy.
Born and raised on a Kleinfontein farm in the Hankey District. Ms Jewells’s early life was shaped by her grandmother’s nurturing hand, a vroed vrou (midwife), Ouma Betjie Jantjies and the strength of her community. Transitioning from rural landscapes to city life, Ms Jewell developed a passion for education and to serve her community. She opened a creche and dedicated herself to uplifting those around her. It is this drive and deep need to help others that led her to further her studies at NMU in remedial teaching. Over time, she embraced multiple roles—mother, grandmother, facilitator, assessor, moderator, and motivational speaker—each reflecting her commitment to service. Ms Jewells' journey is woven with threads of spirituality, empowerment, and even cinematic creativity, all united by her continual devotion to personal and communal growth.
Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Christo Rautenbach
Exploring the intersection of coastal dynamics, climate adaptation, and hydrological planning
15 August 2025, 09:00 - 10:00, Online
Dr Christo Rautenbach's talk explored the intersection of coastal dynamics, climate adaptation, and hydrological planning. He will share insights from his recent paper on wave set-up in constricted estuaries, discuss their nationwide work through the Future Coasts Aotearoa programme, and unpack how these ideas are being translated into practice through hydrology and flood planning in the Waikato New Zealand. Whether you’re interested in estuarine processes, climate resilience, or catchment-scale water management, this talk brings research and real-world implementation together. Dr Rautenbach will draw on the parallels between South Africa and New Zealand based on some of his interdisciplinary research looking at weather salience. Dr Rautenbach is a Research Associate with the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research (CMR) and is affiliated with the Waikato Regional Council, New Zealand.
Attendees were encouraged to explore Future Coasts Aotearoa, a serious game developed to engage users with coastal adaptation challenges: https://niwa.co.nz/hazards/future-coasts-aotearoa
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Prof Larry Swatuk
Wetland Offsetting as a Policy Tool for Sustainable Wetland Management: Case Study of the Grand River Watershed, Ontario, Canada
10 July 2025, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Wetlands are crucial ecosystems that sustain biodiversity, regulate water resources, and provide essential services. Functioning as the "kidneys of the biosphere," they purify contaminants and maintain water quality. However, land conversion for industrial, residential, and farmland development continues to threaten wetland sustainability worldwide. In this talk, he has presented his paper, which evaluates the viability of wetland offsetting as a tool for promoting sustainable wetland management and conservation in the Grand River Watershed in southern Ontario, Canada. It theorizes that as part of a collaborative governance framework, wetland offsetting can function as a government-regulated mechanism that unites all stakeholders and/or enables a satisfactory compromise in favour of sustainability.
Larry Swatuk is Emeritus Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is also Extraordinary Professor in the Institute for Water Studies, University of the Western Cape, South Africa; External Researcher, Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, Germany; and Vice-President of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. Prior to joining Waterloo, Swatuk spent 11 years at the University of Botswana – 7 years on main campus in the capital city of Gaborone and 4 years as Associate Professor of Natural Resources Governance at the Okavango Research Institute in Maun, Botswana.
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Belinda Clark
World Environment Day: Waste minimisation and management for a climate resilient future
02 June 2025, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
A Climate Resilient Development Strategy Framework and Action Plan for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has recently been finalised. Development of the Strategy and Action Plan was a public-driven process, integrating contributions from stakeholders and communities from various sectors and across places. The Strategy Framework includes a Vision, 8 resilience outcomes that the Strategy Framework and Action Plan aim to achieve, and 5 Strategic Interventions.
Improving waste management, minimising waste to landfill, and creating opportunities from waste were consistently raised as priorities by communities and stakeholders in engagements. This was reflected in the Vision which included the word ‘clean’ as a qualifier of a thriving climate resilient Metro. The impact of waste on natural environments, open spaces and people’s health and well-being, and as a contributor to the severity of flooding impacts is evident in many areas.
Urgent action at a strategic level, and in the most vulnerable areas to address waste is urgently required. The need for everyone to do their bit in CRD planning and implementation is clear, especially in a resource-constrained system. The value of partnerships and support networks in taking actions forward cannot be underestimated. The CRD process started to identify ‘waste actors’ working in the metro, at various scales, including community-based organisations, business and local government. Continued work is needed to connect these collective efforts, and to build awareness and recognition of positive action towards a common goal. A collaborative presentation will share the work of representatives of these organisations, with messages of perseverance and opportunity.
The presentation was collaborative, inclusive of community recyclers, an NPO working with recycling and food security in education, the NMB Waste Sub-Directorate and representatives of the CRD consultant team. (Helenvale Recyclers. Giving Them Wings Foundation: NPO focused on food security and recycling in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Founded in 2014 by Siya Ntsumpa, the organisation has ballooned to become one of the NMB’s most active environmental organisations servicing township schools. NMB Waste Sub-Directorate: Planning section. CRD team – 8 independent consultants working under Wilderness Foundation Africa in a PCC-initiated process to develop the CRD Framework and Action Plan).
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Samantha Grusd and Ms Darcie Anderson
Introduction to Marine Ecosystem Modelling and the Ecopath with Ecosim (EWE) and Ecospace Modelling Approach
26 May 2025, 09:00 - 12:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Ecosystem modelling seeks to understand and quantify ecosystems and simulate potential responses to scenarios of various environmental and human pressures. Ecosystem models are designed and utilized for three core purposes: describing and understanding the current ecosystem, forecasting and hindcasting scenarios, and supporting management decision making. This seminar will introduce marine ecosystem modelling and principles behind them, with a specific focus on the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) and Ecospace modelling framework.
EwE is a quantitative end-to-end ecosystem modelling approach which represents trophic flows between functional groups in an ecosystem to describe and understand modelled ecosystems. The 3 core components of EwE are: Ecopath – a static, mass balanced snapshot which can be used to understand the structure and function of whole ecosystems; Ecosim – a time dynamic simulation model, which can be used to explore policy, fishing and environmental stressor impacts; and Ecospace – a spatially and temporally dynamic and can be used to understand the spatial structure of ecosystems, and the impacts of spatially variable pressures such as placement of MPA’s, fishing pressure, and ocean warming.
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Mfundo Bizani and Dr Phumlile Cotiyane-Pondo
International Day for Biodiversity - Showcasing Plankton Diversity and Community Dynamics within Algoa Bay
23 May 2025, 09:00 - 10:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Marine phytoplankton and zooplankton are fundamental and form the basis of the ocean’s food web. Plankton biodiversity is essential for ecosystem health and enables the various ecosystem services provided by coastal ecosystems. Shifts in phytoplankton community structure have significant implications on higher trophic levels. Zooplankton is one of the highly diverse and critical components of aquatic systems as it includes holoplanktonic (spend their entire life as planktonic) and meroplanktonic (spend part of their life as planktonic) organisms. Zooplankton functional and species diversity are key indicators of change in coastal ecosystems given their high sensitivity to environmental change; and because they are not commercially harvested; changes to their abundance and distribution can be attributed to environmental change. Increased anthropogenic pressures such nutrient loadings and warming events alter the natural oscillations and species distribution of zooplankton and ultimately impacting the entire ecosystem. This talk drew from an ongoing SAEON Elwandle Node’s Pelagic Ecosystem Long-Term Ecological Research (PELTER) monitoring programme and highlights zooplankton diversity, biodiversity hotspots and associated trends.
Dr Mfundo Bizani (Zooplankton Ecologist). – My primary research interests are in coastal zooplankton ecology, with specific interest in community composition of mesozooplankton dynamics and how they respond to different ocean features linked climate change. I am also involved in SAEON Elwandle Node’s pelagic ecosystem long-term ecological research (PELTER).
Dr Phumlile Cotiyane-Pondo (Phytoplankton Ecologist) – is a marine phytoplankton ecologist at the NRF-SAEON Elwandle Coastal Node. His research focus includes estuarine and coastal phytoplankton, and marine benthic diatoms, investigating the aspects of community composition, diversity and biogeography. He is involved in Elwandle Node’s pelagic ecosystem long-term ecological research (PELTER).
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Judy Mann-Lang and Dr Bruce Mann
20 May 2025, 09:00 - 10:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
TOPIC 1: Communicating for Marine Conservation – Lessons from South Africa
People are at the heart of marine conservation – they are our biggest challenge and our most powerful solution. Protecting the ocean is one of the most serious challenges facing humanity today. We have much of the science, and we know many of the solutions, what we need is a deeper understanding of people’s connections to the ocean, how this influences the decisions that they make, and how to communicate more effectively to inspire positive action. Drawing on over 30 years of experience in marine education, science communication, culture and behaviour change research, she shared some of the lessons that they had learnt about effective communication to inspire ocean care in an African context.
Dr. Judy Mann-Lang is passionate about the oceans, and inspiring people to care for nature. Throughout her career she has combined these two passions through education and training, management, leadership and research. After 30 years at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), she is now building the new People and Ocean Unit for the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation. She holds degrees in Ichthyology (MSc), Business Administration (BTech) and a PhD from the University of Queensland. With the realization that without a better understanding of people we are unlikely to solve our conservation challenges, she shifted her research focus from fish to people and she now studies communication, behaviour change, socio-cultural aspects of learning and marine protected areas, in a uniquely African context. She started Marine Protected Areas Day and the African Penguin NotOnOurWatch campaign. In 1999 she co-founded the South African Marine and Coastal Educators Network (MCEN). She serves on numerous international boards and committees and serves on the Ocean Decade Working Group 10 and the first IUCN Behaviour Change Task Team. Human behaviour fascinates her and getting out into nature keeps her inspired. Supporting the next generation of marine conservationists is now her focus.
TOPIC 2: Establishment and monitoring of the Pondoland Marine Protected Area in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
The Pondoland coast between Port Edward and Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape was identified as an important gap in the network of marine protected areas (MPAs) found around the South African coast during the 1990s. Following a two-year marine biodiversity survey conducted between 2002-2003, the Pondoland MPA was proclaimed in June 2004. Following this, a long-term monitoring project was established in 2006 to monitor the effectiveness of the MPA in protecting offshore reef fish. This talk will share some of the results and experiences of this monitoring project over the past 16 years (2006-2021).
Dr. Bruce Mann was employed as a research scientist at the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban, South Africa from 1992 to 2022 (30 years). He retired in March 2023. His research focused on the biology and management of marine linefish (i.e. fish caught by hook and line), including the importance of MPAs as a management tool. He is a keen angler and diver and is passionate about the conservation of South Africa’s marine fish species.
Dr Judy Mann-Lang's presentation is available via this link.
Dr Bruce Mann's presentation is available via this link.
Please click here to access the recording.
Prof Janine Adams
The endangered seagrass Zostera capensis from science to management
05 March 2025, 12:00 - 13:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
The endangered Zostera capensis is found in 37 South African estuaries that range from systems permanently open to the sea to estuaries that close. The dynamic estuary environment affects the distribution, growth and recovery of seagrass from multiple stressors. Estuary type accounts for the variability in extent of seagrass habitat. The ecological importance of Zostera capensis has been recognized through the multitude of ecosystem services it provides including the provision of nursery habitats, maintaining biodiversity, nutrient cycling and sediment stabilisation. Seagrasses are also effective carbon sinks, playing important roles in mitigating climate change. However, limited intertidal habitat and coastal development result in numerous pressures. This talk highlighted the transfer of knowledge and science to action activities related to this keystone species. It shows how research is integrated in Estuary Management Plans, Environmental Flow Assessments and the National Biodiversity Assessment.
Janine Adams is a distinguished professor at the Nelson Mandela University, Deputy Director of the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and a NRF South African Research Chair in Shallow Water Ecosystems. Investigating blue carbon ecosystems and responses to climate change, her research successfully links science, policy and management through extensive collaboration and networking.
Prof Janine Adam's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Dr Larry Swatuk
Urban Development and the water nexus - Climate issues globally and for the Nelson Mandela Bay
Monday, 28 October 2024, 13:00 - 14:30, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Larry Swatuk is Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo where he is also Director of the Master of Development Practice (MDP) program. Dr. Swatuk holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from Dalhousie University. At Waterloo, he is cross-appointmented to the Balsillie School of International Affairs, the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, and the School of Planning. In addition, he sits on the senior management committee of the University's Water Institute. Dr. Swatuk came to the University of Waterloo from the University of Botswana where he spent eleven years, seven on the main campus in Gaborone as Lecturer in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies and four as Associate Professor and Director of the Natural Resources Governance Unit in the Okavango Research Institute in Maun, Botswana. Among other things, Swatuk sits on the Board of Directors of Oxfam Canada, is Vice-President of the Environmental Peace building Association, and is Extraordinary Professor in the Institute of Water Studies at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. His research focuses on the challenges of governing and managing natural resources at various scales with a primary focus on freshwater resourcesin the Global South. Among his recent publications is the co-authored (with Dr. Natasha Tang Kai) book Prioritizing the Environment in Urban Sustainability Planning: Policies and Practices of Canadian Cities (Palgrave, 2023), and the multi-authored, open-access book Towards the Blue-Green City: Building Urban Water Resilience (Pretoria: WaterResearch Commission, 2021).
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Professor Erik Franckx
Access to courts under national and international law: A civil dichotomy with a salty international exception
Tuesday, 17 September 2024, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Unlike civil courts on the national level, where rulings in absentia are often times accepted, international courts and tribunals require the consent of States before they can look into the merits of an inter-state dispute. The International Court of Justice, for instance, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, even though well-established and generally accepted by the world community of States, nevertheless lacks jurisdiction. And it is only after the disputing States have consented to grant jurisdiction, that the Court will be able to look into the merits of the case. To this international system based on consent, the law of the sea forms today a notable exception.
Professor Franckx is a professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, vissiting professor at Ghen University, honorary professor at the Nelson Mandela University, as well as professeur émérite at the Université libre de Bruxelles. He holds teaching assignments at the Sorbonne Université Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; the University of Akureyri, Iceland; and the Nelson Mandela University. He is appointed by Belgium as an expert in marine scientific research for use in special arbitration under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 Convention) since 2004, as expert in maritime boundary delimitation to the International Hydrographic Organization since 2005, and as arbitrator under the 1982 Convention starting in 2014. For publications, see: https://researchportal.vub.be/nl/persons/erik-franckx/publications/.
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Dr Mia Strand
Reimagining Ocean Stewardship Through Arts-Based Participatory Research
04 September 2024, 13:00 - 13:30, Online
Current ocean governance approaches are often characterised by economic or environmental objectives, paying limited consideration to socio-cultural dimensions, as well as Indigenous and local knowledge systems. These approaches tend to inhibit ocean stewardship, often marginalising coastal communities or limiting people’s access to spiritual, traditional and recreational uses of the ocean and coast. Piloting arts-based participatory research methods to co-create knowledge with co-researchers in Algoa Bay, South Africa finds that these methods can be useful in highlighting cultural connections to the ocean, and remembering and imagining, or reimagining, ways in which people relate to and care for the ocean and coast.
Dr Strand is a Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Postdoctoral Research Fellow, who’s research centres around socio-cultural and equity dimensions of ocean governance and conservation, which are often overlooked or neglected. Her PhD research explored the value of arts-based participatory research for more inclusive and equitable ocean governance in South Africa, specifically emphasising the need to better recognise Indigenous and local knowledge systems in decision-making processes.
Dr Strand's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recordng of her presentation.
Professor Peter Jones
Incentive divesity is key to the more effective and equitable governance of marine protected areas
Tuesday, 01 August 2024, 13:00 - 14:00, Online
A target to conserve 30% of oceans by designating marine protected areas (MPAs) has been agreed, yet the effectiveness of existing MPAs is often low, with few weakly implemented restrictions on impacting uses. CMR honorary Professor Jones, will be presenting a multiple case study empirical analysis of the governance of 50 MPAs which demonstrates that:
(a) there is strong correlation between the effectiveness of MPAs and the number of governance incentives used;
(b) combinations of economic, legal, communication, knowledge and participatory incentives are shown to be employed in effective MPAs and mostly needed in less effective MPAs;
(c) whilst some incentives are frequently identified as being important to promote effectiveness, no particular 'magic wand' incentive or 'best practice' combinations of incentives guarantee this.
The findings from this study shows that effectiveness is not determined by any specific governance approaches or incentives, but rather the combination of a diversity of functionally integrated incentives, which interact with and support one another to promote MPA effectiveness and resilience, i.e. diversity is the key to resilience, both of species in ecosystems and incentives in governance systems.
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Professor Mike Elliot and Professor Alan Whitfield
Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles - Learn from the Experts
Tuesday, 30 July 2024, 10:30 - 12:30, Online
Key aspects that were discussed in this online event:
Publishing cycle and models | Ethics and plagiarism | Selecting a journal | Bibliometrics | Artificial Intelligence | Planning the article | General structure of a research article | Authorship: Do's and don'ts | Explanation of each part: abstract, keywords, introduction, methods.... | Submission | Reviewing process | Acceptance/rejection
Prof Elliot is the Director for International Estuirine and Coastal Specialists (IECS) and Emeritus Professor at the University of Hull. Prof Whitfield is a Chief Scientist Emeritus and Research Associate for the South African Instutute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB).
The presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of the presentation.
Prof Lorien Pichegru
A Decade of Biodiversity Management Plan for African Penguins - Lessons Learnt
05 June 2024, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
The African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plangazetted in 2013, was the first Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for a marine species in SouthAfrica. It was gazetted in 2013 to “halt the decline of the African penguin population(…)” within the five years of its implementation, by “establishing guidelines around various aspects of African penguin conservation and consolidating existing conservation work”. Many conservation actions were implemented or strengthened, with scientific monitoring, strong engagement took place across institutions. Despite these efforts, African Penguins numbers continued decreasing and the species is currently being considered for up-listing to “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. Reviewing the success and failures of this BMP allows to pave the way for successfully implementation stronger conservation actions for African penguins.
Professor Pichegru is currently an Adjunct Professor with the CMR. Her research focus is on seabird foraging ecology and life history traits in relation to prey availability and local competition with industrial fisheries. She is involved in marine waste initiatives and is active in public and community engagement. Professor Pichegru works closely with governmental institutions, NGOs and civic society to improve the conservation of these charismatic species.
Prof Pichegru's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recordng of her presentation.
Prof Sophie Von Der Heyden
Evolving Molecular Approaches for Conserving Southern Africa's (Marine) Biodiversity: From Data Generation to Supporting Conservation and Management
12 March 2024, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
The past 15 years have seen a concerted effort in generating phylogenetic and phylogeographic data for southern African marine systems, which has provided unique insights into the evolutionary history and processes driving the patterns of marine biogeography and biodiversity in the region. In South Africa, molecular tools, including mtDNA microsatellites and more recently analyses based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, have progressively been used to study a large variety of invertebrate and vertebrate taxa (and the odd angiosperm), however the uptake into the conservation and management of species and environments have been slow. This talk provided an overview of our state of knowledge of marine genetics and genomics in the region, including recent development in community genetics and the first attempts of biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA. Further, Prof von der Heyden provided examples of how seascape analyses can support the management of cross boundary fisheries and how genomic data can contribute to coastal spatial planning that could enhance the resilience of populations to ongoing climate and anthropogenically driven changes.
Prof von der Heyden is a marine molecular ecologist Her research is by necessity broad, but primarily focusses on the conservation and sustainable utilisation of species and the marine environment. Her particular interests lie in the applicability of molecular ecological and genomics tools to inform marine spatial planning, understanding MPA connectivity patterns and resilience and adaptation of marine species to ongoing and future change, as well as the impacts of changing marine communities on society.
Prof Von Der Heyden's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Prof Helmut Hillebrand
Are there tipping points for biodiversity change?
08 November 2023, 13:00 - 14:00, Zoom and Venue (Hybrid)
Understanding the anthropogenic transformation of biodiversity is a key target of current ecology and mitigating this transformation a major aspect of environmental policies. So far, our efforts to reduce the rate of change has not been successful as shown by the lack to fully achieve any of the 2020 Aichi targets. Ever increasing pressures on Earth’s biodiversity has led to concerns that we may exceed thresholds of impacts leading to a “tipping” in the biodiversity response.
In this overview seminar presentation, Prof Helmut Hillebrand has first explored whether we see indications of such threshold transgression and disproportional change in diversity in ecological data. In this context, he has addressed the scale sensitivity of biodiversity responses to environmental change and interpret these in the context of tipping risks. Then Prof Hillebrand turned the question around and asks whether diverse ecological systems have a lower risk of reaching tipping points in central ecosystem processes and whether we see erosion of this insurance effect. Finally, he has asked whether delimiting safe operating spaces for biodiversity (change) can be a valid strategy for environmental management – and if so at which scales this approach can be useful.
Prof Hillebrand is the director of Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, HIFMB, Germany. He is generally very interested in the mechanisms that constrain and alter biodiversity in a variety of ecosystems. Prof Hillebrand likes to think about the complex nature of biodiversity change and ecological stability. Trained as an experimental ecologist, recently he has focused more on research syntheses and data analyses.
Prof Hillebrand's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of his presentation.
Prof Lara van Niekerk
2030 Global Biodiversity. Framework: Opportunities for Estuary Protection and Restoration
15 August 2023, 13:00 - 14:00, Zoom and Venue (Hybrid)
In this seminar, Prof Lara van Niekerk has presented the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework focussing on the estuarine targets. She has discussed the challenges and solutions related to these proposed targets, as well as the immediate next steps.
Prof van Niekerk is a principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. She specialises in the physical dynamics of estuaries; estuarine condition assessments; environmental flow requirements; climate change impacts on estuaries; and estuary management and policy. Prof van Niekerk led the team of national specialists that assessed the health and ecosystem conditions of all the South African estuaries as part of the National Biodiversity Assessment in 2011, 2018 and will lead the planned assessment in 2024/5. She conceptualises the South African National Estuarine Management Protocol and forms part of the core team that developed the related planning guidelines. Prof van Niekerk is an author / co author of about +-50 papers in national/international peer reviewed journals and has published more than 70 scientific reports.
Prof van Niekerk's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Ms Nina Faure Beaulieu
Developing a Shark and Ray Conservation Plan for South Africa
Tuesday, 1 August 2023, 13:00 - 14:00, Online
In this seminar (2023 Marine Protected Area (MPA) Day), Ms Nina Faure Beaulieu has presented on the findings from her recently published article “A systematic conservation plan identifying critical areas for improved chondrichthyan protection in South Africa”. Owing to the wide ranging distributions of many sharks and rays as well as a lack of occurrence data, they are often overlooked in MPA design. Ensemble models were developed for 87 species' distributions, which informed a systematic conservation planning analysis The current representation of sharks and rays in South Africa's current network of 41 MPAs were assessed and priority areas for protection were identified.
Ms Faure Beaulieu joined the WILDTRUST team as a research assistant on one of their shark and ray protection projects after completing her Masters degree in 2021. This is where she started working on building a shark and ray conservation plan for South Africa under the guidance of Professor Mandy Lombard. This work involved collaborating with a wide network of shark and ray scientists across the country, developing distribution models for these species and then using these spatial data for a conservation plan.
Ms Beaulieu's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Dr Heidi van Deventer
Using GIS and Earth Observation to Report Changes in Extent and Integrity of Aquatic Ecosystems Aligned with Global Biodiversity Framework Targets
18 April 2023, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Four new Goals and 23 Targets have been set for the years 2030 and 2050 under the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Goal A focus on changes in the extent, integrity and connectivity of systems, including of Inland Waters, that includes rivers, estuarine and freshwater wetlands. Target 2 focus on ensuring that 30% of the extent of degraded ecosystems are under effective restoration, whereas Target 3 aims at 30% of the extent of systems are effectively conserved and managed. GIS and remote sensing play a key role in being able to track changes over time for reporting to these two targets of Goal A. The use of GIS and remote sensing in mapping and typing of Inland Waters for South Africa will be presented, demonstrating progress and challenges with ongoing projects. Challenges in the reporting to these targets will be raised, both from a South African and global perspective.
Dr Heidi van Deventer is a principal researcher at Natural Resources Enabling Infrastructure & Professional Services of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She focuses on the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Earth Observation (EO) technology or Remote Sensing (RS) for the mapping, classification, and monitoring of Inland Waters for the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, related to both estuarine and freshwater ecosystems.
Dr van Deventer's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Dr Tegan Carpenter-Kling
From High Seas to Coastal Islands: From Counting Seabirds to Spatial Analysis in R
22 February 2023, 13:00 - 13:30, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Dr Carpenter-Kling is a new post-doctoral fellow at the CMR working with Professor Mandy Lombard on the Algoa Bay Project. She specializes in working with spatial data in R and developed her spatial analysis skills during her PhD research in which she worked with tracking data from 8 seabird species. Dr Carpenter-Kling’s research included correlating seabird movements to oceanographic variables, creating multispecies ‘isoscapes’ and developing an agent-based movement model in R. More recently, she worked for BirdLife South Africa, where she applied her skills to provide or support scientific evidence for at-sea management and conservation strategies of South Africa’s Endangered coastal seabirds.
In this seminar, Dr Tegan Carpenter-Kling presented highlights of her past, present and future research. This has included her work on sub-Antarctic seabird species as well as how she applied her skills to contribute towards efforts to conserve South Africa's seabirds. She has briefly touched on the work she will be doing for the Algoa Bay Project and other future research plans.
Dr Carpenter-Kling's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Dr Ernita Flynn
Science-policy links for coastal research: an urban, multi-level governance perspective
26 September 2022, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
The science community’s contract with society puts a premium on knowledge generation to support societal well-being. In a world of climate change impacts, pressure on ecosystem services and unprecedented levels of urbanization, the importance of informed action at the level of local and sub-national governments is gaining traction in the global policy arena. This evolving and increasingly impactful world of sub-national sustainability policy relies on new knowledge to inform policy and action. But, how does science get to influence this complex space across different levels of urban sustainability policy from the local, to national to global? Using mainly coastal examples, this presentation offers reflections from two ICLEI scientists, focused on the supply of and demand for science in a complex, multi-level governance policy context.
Following initial training in ecology and conservation, Dr Flynn’s interests and work have focused on the design and implementation of research in the fields of invasive species, adaptive management, biodiversity mainstreaming and environmental stewardship, over a period of 25 years. She has a particular interest in estuary social-ecological systems and approaches that incorporate nature and biodiversity into urban planning and governance in developing country contexts. Dr Flynn holds a PhD in Environment and Development from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Dr Flynn's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of his presentation.
Professor Rose Boswell
Event organized by the SARCHI Ocean Cultures and Heritage Programme and the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research (CMR) (Four Seminars)
Heritage is often perceived as the tangible artifact and legacy of culturally defined groups within a nation state. However, cultural heritage can be intangible, multiply situated and implicated in macrosocial and macroeconomic processes. Heritage is also diversely located. Our research thus far locates cultural heritage in institutional cultural practices, underwater, in natural sites, everyday coastal objects and food. The findings suggest that more holistic and decolonial approaches are needed for heritage conservation and management. Rapid and extensive coastal development have also drawn our attention, the construction of ports, mega ports and other urban infrastructure is impacting on coastal communities and heritage. In the following we offer brief presentations and reflections, as well as insight into our research and findings thus far, indicating the importance of social science in global ocean strategy and research.
Thursday, 22 September 2022 | 11:00 – 12:00 | Zoom platform
Seminar 1 - Theme: Ports, Mega Ports and Services
Please click here to access the recording of seminar 1.
Thursday, 22 September 2022 | 13:00 – 14:00
Seminar 2 - Theme: Underwater Cultural Heritage, Heritage in Maputo and Heritage in Namibia
Please click here to access the recording of seminar 2.
Friday, 23 September 2022 | 11:00-12:00
Seminar 3 - Theme: The Senses
Please click here to access the recording of seminar 3.
Friday, 23 September 2022 | 13:00-14:00
Seminar 4 - Theme: Capacity Building and Learning in Cultural Heritage Research
Please click here to access the recording of seminar 4.
Professor Erik Franckx
Lawyers and Scientists under the Law of the Sea: Transdisciplinary Ideal and Ensuing Practice
Monday, 19 September 2022, 13:00-14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
This talk intends to substantiate this general observation by looking more closely at how the introduction of science in the definition of the continental shelf started a long and tortuous journey for courts and tribunals trying to determine how best to cope with these scientific aspects when deciding the many maritime delimitation cases that were subsequently submitted to them by States wanting to settle, once and for all, particular maritime boundary disputes existing between them. Subsequently, the experience of the Advisory Body of Experts on the Law of the Sea (ABE-LOS), an organ created by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, which consisted precisely of a mix of scientists and lawyers and whose task it was to provide advice on the IOC’s role in relation to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, will be the focus of this contribution. In both instances, the relationship between science and law will be explored.
Prof Franckx's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of his presentation.
Dr David Kaplan
Reducing plastic waste and other negative environmental impacts from drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) used by tropical tuna purse seine fisheries
Thursday, 18 August 2022, 12:00-13:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Tropical tuna purse-seine fishing vessels use an estimated - 100,000 drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (dFADs) per year worldwide to aggregate tunas and facilitate their capture. These man-made drifting objects are associated with a number of negative environmental impacts, including capture of juvenile tunas, higher bycatch rates, potential for ghost fishing and contribution to marine plastic debris and abandoned, lost or discarded (ALD) fishing equipment that can beach in sensitive coastal habitats such as coral reefs.
In this presentation, Dr Kaplan reviewed work that colleagues, collaborators and himself that finds viable solutions to these issues with a particular focus on reducing marine debris.
Dr Kaplan's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of his presentation.
Dr Christo Rautenbach
Modelling of low- and high frequency sea level variability and their drivers around the southern African coast
06 June 2022, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
Recent surveys indicate that marine operational forecasting is becoming increasingly important due the pressure to manage impacts associated with our changing climate. The methods with which forecasts are being produced are also changing as computational power is becoming more accessible. Nevertheless, understanding and improving the incorporation of oceanographic dynamics, underpinning hind- and forecasting models, will remain fundamental to the accurate prediction of physical ocean and coastal dynamics. Numerous recent studies have investigated current and possible future Southern Ocean dynamics. However, these dynamics are under studied in the continental shelf areas of southern Africa. Dr Rautenbach presented on how his study aimed to address this knowledge gap and will report results of a methodical exploration of water level and wave dynamics in these waters.
Dr Rautenbach has completed two PhDs, the first in Applied Mathematics and the second in Physical Oceanography, with a broad range of numerical modelling experience. His main interests are coastal and ocean hydro- and wave dynamics. Dr Rautenbach has over 10 years experience as a senior scientist in the disciplines of operational physical oceanography, coastal engineering and coastal dynamics research. Dr Rautenbach is currently a senior scientist at the New Zealand, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Centre for Coasts and Estuaries and a Research Associate at the CMR.
Dr Rautenbach's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of his presentation.
Prof Kerry Sink
Deep Secrets, Deep Forests and Deep Connections: Progress and Plans in Advancing Marine Ecosystem Protection in South Africa
30 March 2022, 13:00 - 14:00, Online and Venue (Hybrid event)
This presentation drew from 16 years of team work to improve marine ecosystem protection in South Africa. Prof Sink shared stories, imagery, and lessons from efforts to classify and map marine ecosystems, engage stakeholders and build the knowledge base to support the development of an effective and fair Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. These lessons included the value of systematic conservation planning, recognising, and addressing stakeholder complexity and the value of transdisciplinary research. Prof Sink has shared research results and plans from work undertaken through the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme including cruises to sample proposed and established protected ateas, map and manage Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems and better address connectivity in MPA expansion efforts.
Professor Sink is a principal scientist and the marine programme manager at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and serves as an associate professor at Nelson Mandela University.
Prof Sink's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Dr Jean Harris
Research Cruises in Support of Ocean Conservation
06 October 2021, 11:00 - 12:00, Online
Over the last 7 years, the classic research vessel RV Angra Pequena has been used for offshore research cruises along the east coast of South Africa, and up into Mozambique, Tanzania and Comoros. She has been the platform for some of the first mesophotic surveys (40-250m) in South Africa and in the WIO region. Equipment deployments, supported the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) team, have included the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP) Remotely Operated Video, Stereo BRUVs, plankton nets, drop cameras, oceanographic instruments and multibeam and boomer geoscience work. The team have also found and filmed coelacanths in sub-marine canyons on three cruises to the iSimangaliso MPA. She is also the ocean home for the Ocean Stewards initiative, providing opportunity for young marine scientists to go to sea and to engage directly with scientists.
Dr Jean Harris directs WILDOCEANS, the marine programme of the WILDTRUST, an NGO focused on biodiversity protection and building socio-ecological resilience in Southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
Dr Harris’s presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Prof Rose Boswell
Art and the Senses for Ocean Conservation
22 June 2021, 13:00 - 14:00, Online
In this seminar, Professor Boswell discussed the role of art and the senses in indigenous forms of ocean conservation. The presentation draws on the work of two artists who featured in the One Ocean Hub (OOH) Art and the Oceans webinar held during the UN World Ocean Week in 2020. Prof. Boswell discusses the sensorial nature of art and human beings, as well as the role that art can play in transforming ocean governance. It is argued human artistic endeavour is important to ocean conservation and should be considered in national ocean conservation plans and policy. By using art to leverage human sensory expression, ocean conservation advocates can refine and produce contextually relevant communication for ocean conservation. Recognising the senses and arts is fundamental to reorienting humanity as it enters a post-anthropocentric age, which is marked by dramatic ecological change.
Professor Rosabelle (Rose) Boswell is an anthropologist and a poet. She serves on the editorial board of SHIMA, a global journal on maritime societies. She has written several books, as well as more than 30 sole-authored papers on heritage, identity, sensory ethnography and the Indian Ocean World. Prof Boswell holds the DSI-NRF Research Chair for Ocean Cultures and Heritage at the Nelson Mandela University.
Prof Boswell’s presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of her presentation.
Dr Olivier Bousquet
Research activities in atmospheric, oceanic, marine ecology and climate sciences in the SWIO: Examples of recent projects initiated in Réunion Island
03 March 2021, 13:00 - 14:00, Online
Over the last five years, the University of Réunion Island, in collaboration with the European Union and numerous French and international research organisations, developed several ambitious and original research programmes in the fields of oceanic, atmospheric and climate sciences, and marine ecology. These include the ReNovRisk Project (impact of tropical cyclone activity on the inhabited territories of the SWIO basin at present and future horizons), SPY and STORM (use of seabirds and turtles as oceanographic samplers to collect hydrographic data in the western Indian Ocean), and IOGA4MET (monitoring the water vapour field and sea level rise on a regional scale), amongst others. The aim of this presentation was to provide an overview of the objectives and preliminary results of these major research projects, and to discuss other research activities and upcoming funding opportunities, to develop ocean science research programmes in the tropical and subtropical western Indian Ocean.
Dr Bousquet is the Director of Research for the French Ministry of Sustainable Development (MTES), and a Research Associate with the CMR.
Dr Bousquet's presentation is available via this link. Please click here to access the recording of his presentation.