SA Agulhas II embarks on winter research expedition

23 July 2015 - 18:33 By RDM News Wire

Icebreaking polar supply and research ship‚ the SA Agulhas II left Cape Town on Wednesday night for a winter research expedition‚ during which researchers will gather physical‚ biological and chemical oceanographic data. The Department of Environmental Affairs said on Thursday the expedition aimed to fill a significant research void in the ocean and climate numerical models‚ which were unable to accurately simulate seasonal processes.“This voyage is particularly important as it will highlight changes in the abundance‚ distribution and diversity of plankton communities in the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Oceans to the south of Africa‚ which have generally not been studied in much detail‚ particularly in winter.“It will also use the sensitivity of plankton species to environmental variability and climate change as indicators of the health of the Southern Ocean‚” the department said.The voyage would also serve as a practical expedition for selecting postgraduate students in the field of Marine Biosciences and Southern Oceans research.“South Africa is the closest country to Antarctica‚ which lies 4‚200km south of the country‚ and is also the only African nation with a foothold in Antarctica. The country therefore bears the responsibility to serve as a channel for broader African research in the Antarctic region.”..

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