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Anne M. Treasure
Department of Oceanography and Marine Research Institute (Ma-Re), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Coleen L. Moloney
Zoology Department and Marine Research Institute (Ma-Re), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Marthán N. Bester
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Christopher D. McQuaid
Southern Ocean Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Ken P. Findlay
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Peter B. Best
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Don A. Cowan
Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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P. J. Nico de Bruyn
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Rosemary A. Dorrington
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Ake Fagereng
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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P. William Froneman
Southern Ocean Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Geoff H. Grantham
Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, South Africa
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Brian P. V. Hunt
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
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K. Ian Meiklejohn
Department of Geography, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Evgeny A. Pakhomov
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
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Alakendra N. Roychoudhury
Department of Earth Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Peter G. Ryan
Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Valdon R. Smith
Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Steven L. Chown
Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Isabelle J. Ansorge J. Ansorge
Department of Oceanography and Marine Research Institute (Ma-Re), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Keywords:
Southern Ocean, research, NRF, DST, SANAP
Abstract
South Africa has a long track record in Southern Ocean and Antarctic research and has recently invested considerable funds in acquiring new infrastructure for ongoing support of this research. This infrastructure includes a new base at Marion Island and a purpose-built ice capable research vessel, which greatly expand research opportunities. Despite this investment, South Africa’s standing as a participant in this critical field is threatened by confusion, lack of funding, lack of consultation and lack of transparency. The research endeavour is presently bedevilled by political manoeuvring among groups with divergent interests that too often have little to do with science, while past and present contributors of research are excluded from discussions that aim to formulate research strategy. This state of affairs is detrimental to the country’s aims of developing a leadership role in climate change and Antarctic research and squanders both financial and human capital.
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