Category Archives: Important Dates

4th International sub-Antarctic Forum – registration opening soon

  Thursday September 5th, 2019 - 07:55 AM | , , , , ,
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The 4th International sub-Antarctic Forum will be held in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on 29-30 July 2020. Save the date in your calendars, and please feel free to circulate this information with your colleagues.

It will be a short forum over 2 days with opportunity abstract submission for short presentations on research, management, policy and science relevant to the sub-Antarctic. There will also be several keynote speakers, panel and large facilitated workshop on future challenges and opportunities for the sub-Antarctic.

It will be a wonderful Forum for researchers and students alike to come and share their findings and explore future opportunities. Some early career researcher travel assistance will be available.

Stay tuned for more information and updates via the website and Twitter @subant2020

Registrations and abstract submissions are yet to open.

 

Regards

Justine Shaw – Chair of the SCAR Action group “Integrated Science for the sub-Antarctic”

 

FROM THE WEBSITE

There is nothing sub about the sub-Antarctic!


In July 2020 the Tasmanian Government, with the support of the New Zealand Department of Conservation, is hosting the 4th International sub-Antarctic Forum.

Previous sub-Antarctic Forums have been mainly science focused.  The 4th Forum will be multi-disciplinary, encompassing science, policy, management, tourism and fishing, heritage.  It will bring together people passionate about the sub-Antarctic to discuss the challenges and pressures facing this special region, share knowledge and explore connections.

Already there has been international interest, and we are keen to ensure that as many countries, organisations and individuals with interests in the Sub Antarctic as possible hear about the Forum and have the opportunity to attend to make the most of the opportunity to cement existing relationships and develop new ones.

The forum will be held in the Antarctic gateway city of Hobart on 29-30 July 2020, immediately before SCAR/COMNAP, also being held in Hobart in 2020.

More details including registration will come in the next few months.

We would be grateful if you could spread the word within your networks.

Women’s Month 2019

  Tuesday August 13th, 2019 - 03:48 PM | , , , , , , , ,
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August is a very special month for women in South Africa and this said we would like to salute women within the South African National Antarctic Programme.

SANAP is filled with strong women in Antarctic, sub-Antarctic and Southern Ocean research. The programme also consist of a number of brave women overwintering at the South African research stations (Marion Island, Gough Island and Antarctica).

There are 29 National Research Foundation/Department of Science and Technology  funded projects within SANAP and 13 of these are managed by women. This is evident that women definitely have a place within Antarctic research.

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) sends four volunteers to Antarctica every year. These volunteers assist with hard work (physically and mentally). The last take-over to Antarctica, three of the four South African National Space Agency (SANSA) volunteers were women.

During my trip to Antarctica earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet a number of very inspiring women – in the video below, meet the three SANSA volunteers of the 2018/2019 Antarctic take-over and the new VLF (Very Low Frequency) SANSA Engineer, who is currently overwintering at the South African National Antarctic Expedition station (SANAE IV).

 

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 13 August 2019.

Mid-Winter greetings from DEA

  Friday June 21st, 2019 - 09:22 AM | , , , , , , , ,
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Mid-Winter is celebrated right across Antarctica by all the nations & stations.  It is the 0ldest tradition in Antarctica and refers to the Winter Solstice (or hibernal solstice).  It occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.

At the pole, there is continuous darkness or twilight around the winter solstice. Its opposite is the summer solstice.

The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere’s winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (usually 20 or 21 June).   Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term sometimes refers to the day on which it occurs. Other names are “midwinter”, the “extreme of winter” (Dongzhi), or the “shortest day”.

So, for Antarctic Expeditioners / Overwinterers the worst is over with regards to dark (lack of light and sunlight).

Happy Mid- Winter to all – share this email far and wide.

From all of us

Jasmine Arnold

Office Administrator to The Ship’s Operations Manager | Directorate: Southern Oceans & Antarctic Support | Office address: East Pier, Waterfront | Direct no: 021 405 9485 | Switchboard: 021 405 9400

Mid-winter Event Pretoria, South Africa – organised by Carol Jacobs :

Marion Island take-over coming to an end

  Tuesday May 7th, 2019 - 03:35 PM | , , , , ,
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Time on the island is rapidly running out for all passengers returning to Cape Town, this includes everyone except the 76th Marion Island Overwintering Team. The take-over scientists are wrapping up field work and packing containers for back-loading  started at this research station.

The first containers were transported to the research and supply vessel, S.A. Agulhas II. Watch the video below to see how a container is transported by helicopter.

These last few days are bitter sweet on the island. The 75th overwintering team returning to Cape Town have to say goodbye to the place they called home for 13 months. A place that was at first maybe something to get used to, and now a very special memory that will last a lifetime. For many this might be the last time they get to visit this pristine island in the Southern Ocean, but for the 76th overwintering team the departure of the vessel is something to look forward to, as they will be able to unpack their personals in their own rooms and settling in, preparing for the year ahead.

The vessel is expected to depart from Marion Island on the 9th of May and the expected time of arrival at East Pier, Cape Town Harbour, is 16 May 2019. The longer return voyage will be used toward oceanographic research on transects between the Prince Edward Islands and Cape Town.

Bon Voyage, see you soon!

https://www.facebook.com/UltimateAviationsa/videos/408739073050873/

 

Photo Credit: Daniela Monsanto (PhD Candidate, University of Johannesburg)

Video Credit: Ultimate Aviation Group

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 07 May 2019

Announcement: 4th International Forum on the sub-Antarctic

  Friday May 3rd, 2019 - 10:32 AM | , , , ,
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Date: 29 – 30 July 2020

“Come and discuss the challenges facing the sub-Antarctic in a changing world and share ideas for the future”.

Sessions include:

  • climate
  • conservation
  • biosecurity
  • geoscience
  • tourism
  • fishing
  • heritage
  • connectivity
  • management challenges.

Website: Click here.

Follow subant2020 on Twitter!

UPDATE: SCAR Open Science Conference 2020

  Thursday May 2nd, 2019 - 08:56 AM | , ,
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The information below was sent through by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Secretariat. .

Preparations are well underway for the 2020 SCAR meetings and Open Science Conference to be held in Hobart, Australia in July-August 2020. The COMNAP Annual General Meeting will run concurrently with SCAR and the organisers are working to schedule events to encourage participation across the two groups.  The OSC theme ‘Antarctic Science: Global Connections’ highlights the scientific connections between Antarctica and the global system and collaboration in our Antarctic science community.

The Local Organising Committee are working closely with the SCAR and COMNAP Secretariats on meeting preparations including an excellent program of conference and side events. Planning for SCAR COMNAP 2020 includes efforts to minimise waste, encourage sustainable resource management and to foster participation inclusion and diversity.

The first pre-conference circular is now available and outlines some key pieces of information about SCAR COMNAP 2020. This includes the conference structure and indicative dates for abstract submission and registration.

The International Science Organising Committee has also developed a draft list of sessions based on input from the SCAR community – it is available for comment on the SCAR COMNAP 2020 website. Comments, suggested changes, proposals for additional sessions and suggestions for sessions to be merged together should be made to info@scar.org by 28 June 2019.

For more information, please check the SCAR COMNAP 2020 website or contact the SCAR COMNAP 2020 Project Manager, Rhonda Bartley at the Australian Antarctic Division – email: SCARCOMNAP2020@aad.gov.au

We look forward to seeing you all in Hobart next year!

Kind regards,

The SCAR Secretariat

Antarctic Earth Scientists take note…

  Monday April 1st, 2019 - 12:45 AM | , , , , , ,
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SCAR Event Announcement
XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences

The abstract submission deadline for the XIII International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences has been extended to 21 April 2019.

Please go to the event website (click here) for more information.

 

ETA of the S.A. Agulhas II – 15 March 2019

  Thursday March 14th, 2019 - 08:46 AM | , , , , , , , ,
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SA Agulhas II, Antarctica, ETA Cape Town

The S.A. Agulhas II is currently on her way home, after being in the Antarctica waters for 3 months. Onboard is the returning 57th SANAE (South African National Antarctic Expedition) overwintering team, 2018/2019 SANAE take-over personnel, Weddell Sea Expedition members and ship based scientists of different South African universities.

Expected time of arrival (ETA): 15 March 2019, around 08:30

MORE DETAIL:
The S.A. Agulhas II will arrive in Cape Town at 2am, tomorrow morning.

The vessel will then proceed to Landing Wall 1 for inward clearance and shifting in to east pier around 08:30.

SA Agulhas II, Antarctica, ETA Cape Town

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 14 March 2019

Antarctica Day – 01 December 2018

  Saturday December 1st, 2018 - 07:00 AM | , , , ,
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– Commemorating the agreement of the Antarctic Treaty –

On the 1st of December 1959, 12 Nations (including South Africa, the only African signatory) signed the Antarctic Treaty agreeing to 14 commands, including that Antarctica will be used for peaceful purposes only. Today, Antarctica is seen as “a natural reserve, devoted to peace and SCIENCE”.

South Africa has been part of scientific exploration in the Antarctic since 1960, the year of the first South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE). Scientist travel annually with South Africa’s research vessel, the S.A. Agulhas II, to the Antarctic. Once the vessel has reached the ice shelf, cargo and passengers are swung over with the ship’s crane. The helicopters onboard also assist in this regard. Passengers then travel about 200km to SANAE IV, which is situated in Dronning Maud Land (71°S, 2°W) where an overwintering team consisting of 10 people are housed.

South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) – this is the name of the South African government’s programme for research in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions.

You might be wondering how we will be celebrating Antarctica Day/Month – keep an eye on Antarctic Legacy of South Africa’s Facebook Page or Instagram as from Monday (3 December 2018).

The Antarctic Treaty document can be downloaded  here.

Also check out this book: Celebrating Antarctica; A Treaty Protecting a Continent. Authors:  Julie Hambrook Berkman & Allen Pope

Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 01 December 2018.

58th SANAE team departing next week

  Thursday November 29th, 2018 - 09:22 AM | , , , , ,
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SA Agulhas II, SANAE58

The 58th South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) team is almost done with 3 weeks of training. As from tomorrow this team will be prepared for their 14 month expedition to South Africa’s Antarctic base, SANAE IV.

They will depart today in a week’s time, 06 December 2018, and return around middle February 2020.

Watch this video to learn more about Antarctica, South Africa’s involvement in the Antarctic Continent and South Africa’s research vessel (S.A. Agulhas II) built by STX Finland.

 

Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 29 November 2018.

Call Announcement – Belmont Forum

  Tuesday November 6th, 2018 - 10:11 AM | , ,
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Belmont, Call Announcement, Oceans2018

Belmont, Call Announcement, Oceans2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Belmont Forum, in collaboration with Future Earth and JPI Oceans, is launching a call for proposals on “Transdisciplinary Research for Ocean Sustainability”. The call is aiming at bringing together researchers and other expertise across the globe to innovate solutions to accelerate sustainable use of oceans and minimize the effects from global change (www.bfgo.org).

Call Timeline:

  • Call Opens: 29 October 2018
  • Pre-Registration Open: 12 November 2018
  • Pre-Registration Closes: 31 January 2019 23:59 UTC
  • Full Proposals Open: April 2019
  • Full Proposals Close: August 2019

Click here for more information.

(All call announcements will be placed under the Research Tab – Latest Calls).

Celebrating SA’s Polar Heritage

  Friday September 14th, 2018 - 04:32 PM | , ,
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As South Africans we celebrate our Heritage during the month of September. Also, during the second last week of September all over the globe researchers celebrate ‘International Polar Week’. In 2017 Antarctic Legacy of South Africa came up with a slogan to combine the two celebrations: “Celebrating South Africa’s Polar Heritage’.

This slogan is to remind all South Africans of our involvement in the Antarctic region since 1947/1948, when South Africa Annexed the sub-Antarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands. In 1955 the first South African (Hannes la Grange) set foot on the Antarctic Continent and the foundation was laid for all future South African Antarctic expeditions. On 3 December 1959 South Africa’s first Antarctic overwintering team (South African National Antarctic Expedition – SANAE1) departed from Cape Town Harbour on the Polarbjørn.

This year South Africa’s Polar Heritage will be celebrated by four events (three organised and hosted by APECS South Africa and one event hosted by Iziko Museums of South Africa):

2018 Polar Heritage Celebrations (Events)

OrganiserEvent Location Date More information
APECS-SATalk: CHEMTAX determination of southern ocean phytoplankton distribution and adaptation.Stellenbosch University, Geology Building, de Kock Venue (room 1004), 13:00 - 13:5017 September Click here
APECS-SASeries of talks that involves the sub-Antarctic Marion Island and Antarctica. University of Pretoria, Geography building, (Hatfield campus),
12:30-13:20		17 - 21 September Click here
APECS-SATalk: Life on Marion Island and Stellenbosch's legacy in Antarctic research.Stellenbosch University, Department of Botany and Zoology, Room 206 (The Broom), 13:00 - 14:0021 September Click here
Iziko Museums of South Africa
(ALSA supplied material) 		Antarctic related activities in the Marion Island Exhibition area (ground floor).Iziko Museum - Cape Town 24 September Click here

Why is ‘Polar Week’ celebrated in September (and also in March)?

“The equinoxes in September and March are the only time when everywhere on earth the day length is 12 hours, a perfect opportunity to celebrate the poles on a global scale!” (APECS – Association of Polar Early Career Scientists).

 

Click here to see where Antarctic Legacy of South Africa was in involved in 2017.

 

Author: Anche Louw (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), 14 September 2018

 

Happy Women’s Month

  Tuesday August 28th, 2018 - 02:50 PM | , , , , , ,
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May you be inspired by the women within South Africa’s Antarctic Programme.

All the women that attended the 5th South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) Symposium, earlier this month in Hermanus.

Women sitting here have been dreaming about a career in science and science related positions within the South African National Antarctic Programme.  These are all ordinary women, but due to ambition and extremely hard work they are, or are becoming the best in their fields of research.

There is an increasing trend with regards to female Principal Investigators (PI’s) within South Africa’s Antarctic Programme (See Figure below). Of the 29 DST-NRF funded research projects within SANAP (for the period of 2018 to 2020), the Principal Investigator for 13 of these are women.

Women are represented in all four research themes within SANAP (Themes: Earth Systems, Living Systems, Human Enterprise and Innovation: Southern Ocean and Antarctic technology and engineering). Read more about these themes in South Africa’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan for 2014 to 2024 (Click here).

Who is the Principal Investigator (PI)

“A Principal Investigator is the primary individual responsible for the preparation, conduct, and administration of a research grant in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and institutional policy governing the conduct of sponsored research.” (www.umass.edu)

Women are represented in all four research themes within SANAP (Themes: Earth Systems, Living Systems, Human Enterprise and Innovation: Southern Ocean and Antarctic technology and engineering). Read more about these themes in South Africa’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan for 2014 to 2024 (Click here).

To all the women who:

  • are or have been principal investigators of research projects within SANAP;
  • obtained an Honours, Master’s, PhD or Post-Doc through South Africa’s Antarctic programme (SANAP);
  • still study to become a scientist through SANAP;
  • worked on research vessels, studying towards a scientific degree;
  • overwintered on Marion Island, Gough Island or SANAE (Antarctica);
  • spent a take-over on Marion Island, Gough Island or SANAE (Antarctica);
  • started their careers within South Africa’s Antarctic programme;
  • work behind the scenes of the Antarctic Programme (DST, NRF and DEA);
  • feel SANAP meant the world to them by being the stepping stone for their futures,

…may you keep inspiring women to become what they want to be!

Only a few of the ladies who are or were involved in SANAP.

Inspiring female SANAP Scientist: Prof Isabelle Ansorge (UCT, Department of Oceanography) – read her inspiring story here!

Prof Isabelle Ansorge, as a young researchers, on the Marion cruise onboard the S.A. Agulhas I in 2003.

 

Author: Anché Louw (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), 28 August 2018