The South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), a long-term environmental observation and research facility of the National Research, is participating in the Around Africa Expedition, the National Research Foundation said.
Led by global ocean exploration non-profit organisations, OceanX and the newly established Ocean Quest, Around Africa Expedition is a pioneering collaborative expedition along the African coastline and is an endorsed action programme of the United Nations Ocean Decade framework (2021-2030) for its contributions to capacity building and scientific understanding of the ocean.
“Its journey began on 30 January 2025 in Moroni, Comoros aboard OceanX’s state-of-the-art research and media vessel, OceanXplorer. The first leg of this expedition, conducted in collaboration with NRF-SAEON, aimed to map and conduct biodiversity surveys of Indian Ocean seamounts on the Madagascan Ridge and Agulhas Plateau,” said the National Research Foundation (NRF).
The guest science team onboard included established and early career researchers from South Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Comoros, Portugal, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
In its statement, the NRF said the measurement of both the physical features and biodiversity at these seamounts will advance scientific knowledge and help to guide informed decisions on conservation and restoration efforts in these remote ocean areas.
“Although these seamounts are located in the high seas, far from any human populations, their contribution towards serving as larval transport corridors are critical and can influence population connectivity across vast ocean distances, supporting ecosystem resilience and replenishment of fisheries in both deep-sea and coastal environments.”
South African benthic ecologist, Dr Lara Atkinson from NRF-SAEON is part of the team leading the exploration of seamounts, including Walters Shoal and the Africana II seamount.
“A seamount is an underwater mountain that rises from the seafloor but does not reach the ocean’s surface. Seamounts are formed primarily by volcanic activity, often at tectonic plate boundaries or hotspots.
“Their height can range from hundreds to thousands of meters, depending on the intensity and duration of volcanic activity. They play an important role in influencing ocean currents, creating nutrient-rich upwelling that supports diverse marine life, including plankton, corals, sponges, fish, and marine mammals,” said Atkinson.
Meanwhile, a group of Cape Town high school learners from Luhlaza, Ocean View, Bulumko, Masiphumelele and Usasazo High Schools had the privilege to join a live-streamed session from OceanXplorer on its journey towards Cape Town, as researchers onboard conducted a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dive on Walters Shoal seamount.
The curious learners in attendance were fascinated by the live view of the seabed at a depth of nearly 500 m and this inspired them to ask many interesting questions to gain further insights about the science being conducted during the expedition.
Thabo Mbuyazi, a technician from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), explained the importance of ensuring that all scientific equipment is maintained to the highest of standards to be able to collect data for researchers.
He introduced the learners and educators to the two submersibles onboard the vessel, Neptune and Nadir. These three-person submersibles hosted some of the research team during deployments to 500 m depths during the expedition. -SAnews.gov.za
