The state of marine The state of marine science in South Africascience in South Africa

PW FronemanRhodes University

Background•Number reports exist on the state of marine research in

South Africa.•SANCOR estuaries programme•South African Southern Ocean Research programme•SANCOR occasional reports

•Many outdated/regionally/discipline biased and thus provide little support/indication of the current state of marine research in South Africa.•Questions thus arise of where should SANCOR be focussing its future research and how it can address any perceived weaknesses within the marine science community.•Current study was commissioned by NRF (covered the period 1994-2008).•Study was conducted by Scherman Colloty and Associates

cc.

Tertiary groups & affiliated institutes

Albany Museum

Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Oceanography)

Nelson Mandel Metropolitan University

Oceanographic Research Institute / South African Association for Marine

Biological Research

Rhodes University

South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

University of Cape Town

University of Fort Hare

University of Johannesburg / ECON&UJ

University of KwaZulu-Natal

University of Pretoria - Mammal Research Institute & CWMS

University of Stellenbosch (incl CREST)

University of Zululand

Walter Sisulu University

Government & Parastatal

Cape Nature

Council for Geosciences - Marine Geosciences Database

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Department of Science & technology (NRF/RISA)

Department of Water Affairs (RDM & RQS)

Eastern Cape Parks Board

Ezemvelo – KZN Wildlife

MCM / Oceans & Coasts / DAFF

Natal Museum

Portnet (Transnet)

River Health Programme - Provincial Technical Teams (Estuaries)

South African Biodiversity Information Facility (SABIF)

SANBI Marine Programme

South African National Parks Board

Water Research Commissions

14 tertiary/research institutes

15 Governmental/parastatal institutions

Programmes & Networks

African Coelacanth Programme

AfrOBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System)

Agulhus / Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem Programme

Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Programme

Cape Action Plan for People & the Environment

Consortium for Estuarine Research and Management (CERM)

Eastern Cape Research Association for Marine Researchers (ECRAM)

KwaZulu-Natal Marine and Coastal Management Research Group (KZN-MRG)

Marine and Coastal Educators Network (MCEN)

Marine Linefish Research Group (MLRG)

River Health Programme - Provincial Technical Teams (Estuaries)

South African Environmental Observation Network

SANCOR

SEAchange

South African Marine Linefish Management Association (SAMLMA)

Companies & NGO's

Birdlife International

EnviroFish Africa

Ocean Planet

Ocean Research Africa / Biotech

Ocean Research Conservation Africa (ORCA)

World Wildlife Fund

DataData

•Total of 45914 citations /documents were reviewed during the study of which 9568 were marine and coastal related.

•During the study, the following data bases were populated:

•Total/type of publication•Discipline•Geographic variability•Gender contribution•Cohort contribution•Transformation

OutputsOutputs•34% of publications appeared in peer reviewed journals•72% of the peer reviewed publications appeared in

ISI accredited journals.•Strong preference for local journals (e.g. South African Journal of Marine Science (African Journal of Marine Science), South African Journal of Science, African Journal of Aquatic Science, African Journal of Zoology).•Book/book chapters contributed < 1% of the total

number of publications per annum.•Significant increase in production of “grey literature”

•Changes in environmental legislation• Management reports•Need to disseminate information in popular press.

Disciplines

ConclusionsConclusions Findings of the current study are broadly in agreement

with similar studies conducted in South Africa (e.g. Dieb & Gevers, 2009).

Significant increase in total number of peer reviewed articles over period of study.

Natural sciences still strongest discipline within marine research (54% of all publications).

Strong regional differences in output/postgraduate students (dominance by Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal).

Little evidence in support of emergence of new generation of young researchers.

Some progress with respect to transformation◦ Increase in contribution of woman and HDI in outputs

Thank youThank you