Advancing understanding of seasonal sea ice in the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone

by Rabia Mathakutha | Dec 7, 2025 | Announcements, Antarctica, Data, Environment, LTO-Ocean, NRF-SAEON, Polar Lab, SANAP, SAPRI, Southern Ocean, Sub-Antarctic, Uncategorized

Sea ice is a defining feature of the Southern Ocean, yet significant gaps remain in our understanding of how it forms, evolves and interacts with the broader climate system. My PhD research focused on the physical and biogeochemical properties of seasonal sea ice in...

SAPRI delivers a keynote address at the 2025 MARiS Early Career Researcher (ECR) Conference

by Rabia Mathakutha | Dec 7, 2025 | Antarctica, Conference, Lecture/Seminar, Long-term observations, NRF-SAEON, Polar Lab, Prince Edward Islands, SANAP, SAPRI, Society, Southern Ocean, Sub-Antarctic, Uncategorized, Workshop/Training

The 2025 MARiS Early Career Researcher (ECR) Conference, held on 12 September 2025 at the University of Cape Town (UCT), brought together early career researchers from UCT, Wits University, Stellenbosch University, and beyond for a day of presentations, discussions,...

SAPRI deploys first Slocum Ocean Gliders on Agulhas Bank

by Rabia Mathakutha | Dec 1, 2025 | Data, Environment, LTO-Ocean, NRF-SAEON, SAPRI, Uncategorized

The South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI) has successfully deployed its first two Slocum Ocean Gliders – named Chappie and Imvubu – on the eastern Agulhas Bank, marking a significant milestone in local marine research technology and SAPRI’s...

Monitoring the Agulhas Current during SEAmester VIII

by Rabia Mathakutha | Dec 1, 2025 | Data, Environment, LTO-Ocean, NRF-SAEON, SAPRI, Southern Ocean, Uncategorized

The Agulhas Current is a fast-flowing western boundary current that transports warm Indian Ocean water along the southeast coast of South Africa polewards. The current plays a key role in regional and global ocean circulation, influencing weather patterns, heat and...

National Science Week 2025: Science, Technology and Innovation are for everyone

by Rabia Mathakutha | Nov 16, 2025 | Antarctica, DPS, Environment, LTO-Land, LTO-Ocean, NRF-SAEON, Polar Lab, SANAP, SAPRI, Society, Southern Ocean, Sub-Antarctic, Training

National Science Week (NSW) is a nationwide annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in South Africa, designed to increase public awareness and participation in science. The programme is coordinated by the National Research...