SAEON's node for coastal-inshore systems is named

Loosely translated, elwandle means "coast or sea" in Xhosa, and "at or on the sea" in Zulu .

Following consultation of the SANCOR Forum, the SAEON Advisory Board named the new node for coastal inshore systems the SAEON Elwandle Node.

Loosely translated, elwandle means “coast or sea” in Xhosa, and “at or on the sea” in Zulu, thus adding a uniquely South African flavour to the node. The name is also in line with SAEON’s naming policy which uses SAEON as a prefix to an appropriate term from an indigenous language. The first node to be established, SAEON Ndlovu Node, was named after the elephant as a key driver in savanna systems. Ndlovu means elephant in Zulu.

SAEON’s Elwandle Node is hosted by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) in Grahamstown. A research facility of the National Research Foundation, SAIAB is well placed to provide open access to data for the broader marine and coastal community. This growing and active facility has excellent collaborative networks that are also international. Several programmes driven by this network of organisations will become important data providers to SAEON’s Elwandle Node.