Earlier this week South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) hosted a two-day strategic workshop to discuss a way forward with academic and other scientists who conduct research within the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP).
The workshop was held at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), a NRF National Research Facility, in Observatory, a suburb of Cape Town . The NRF’s Tracy Klarenbeek, Professional Officer, Knowledge Fields Development led the workshop with support from Dr Gilbert Siko, Director: Marine and Polar Research, Palaeosciences of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Several veteran SANAP researchers gave thought-provoking introductory talks to lead the ensuing discussions. Extraordinary Professor and Senior Research Fellow Marthán Bester of the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute, who for many years led the Marion Island Marine Mammal Programme before retiring last year, gave a challenging talk that delved into his long experience to compare and comment on changes within SANAP from the 1970s to the present day.
Youth was also represented among the speakers with the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa’s Anché Louw introducing the idea of a virtual South African Antarctic Museum. In the absence of a dedicated polar museum in the country ( even though Cape Town is recognized as an Antarctic Gateway City) a virtual museum will help fill a gap in creating awareness of South Africa’s past and present activities “down south” among the country’s population. At the same time, ALSA’s archivist Ria Olivier was in Oslo, Norway describing the virtual museum concept to an international audience at the 1st Polar Museums Network Conference (click here).
Discussions were forthright and wide-ranging on how best to continue to undertake world-class research in Antarctica, at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands and at sea in the Southern Ocean, with a consensus developing from the SANAP research community present on what the future direction should be. It was pleasing to discern general support from the workshop attendees for a continuation of the Antarctic Legacy project after 2017 and ideas and suggestions for its future were aired.
The workshop ended with a consideration of the expected 2017 call for project proposals for the next three-year (2018-2020) funding cycle for SANAP.
Feature photograph: SANAP researchers gather for the strategic workshop. Left: Tracy Klarenbeek (NRF, back turned); Centre: Isabelle Ansorge (Oceanography, University of Cape Town) with Ian Meiklejohn (Geography, Rhodes University); Right: Rosemary Dorrington ( Biochemistry & Microbiology, Rhodes University) chats with Anché Louw (Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University)
John Cooper, Principal Investigator, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 22 October 2016