SAEON in the media

Tweet

A presentation by Dr Lara Atkinson of SAEON’s Egagasini Node at this year’s Science Forum South Africa, was given a positive mention in an article titled ‘Politics dominate Science Forum SA’ published in Mail & Guardian on December 8: “The world is a better place, knowing that two scientists – Dr Lara Atkinson from the South African Earth Observation Network and Dr Kerry Sink from the South African National Biodiversity Institute - spend their days collaborating to figure out what creatures are living in South Africa’s offshore waters. Atkinson said that she and colleagues had “rediscovered” four marine species thought to be extinct, and discovered 21 new species. “Sink takes this knowledge and applies it: whether it is to bioprospecting or developing policy for marine protected areas. She ended her presentation with a coral found off South Africa’s coast, pointing out that they can live for 4 000 years and contain the history of our climate and world. “So, while there are challenges and politics, day one also told the story of two scientists, building our understanding of the world, one species at a time.”

SAEON scientists won an award from the United Nations Data for Climate Action Challenge contest for a prototype near-real time monitoring tool that reports on the state and changes in vegetation based on satellite observations. SAEON’s team was led by Dr Jasper Slingsby of the Fynbos Node, and included Dr Glenn Moncrieff of Ixio Analytics and a SAEON Research Associate, and collaborator Professor Adam Wilson from the State University of New York at Buffalo. This achievement resulted in significant media coverage in international and local media, including:

• Scientific tracking app to help save fynbos vegetation: Times Live, 28 November 2017 
• Fynbos-monitoring tool beats a trail for fire-prone areas: Business Day, 30 November 2017 
• These are the winners of the Data for Climate Action Challenge: Blog, UN Global Pulse, 29 November 2017
• Scientists win U.N. data prize for monitoring threats to South African biodiversity hotspot: News release issued by the State University of New York at Buffalo.

The memorandum of agreement signed by SAEON and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) to implement the integrated environmental management plan for the SKA project in South Africa elicited significant media interest, including:

• How environment curbs may impede siting of SKA dishes: Business Day, 6 December 2017
• Integrative science: Engineering News, 17 November 2017 
• Giant telescope’s mobile-phone ‘dead zones’ rile South African residents: Nature 551, 23 November 2017 

An article in GroundUp, ‘Water crisis: the more we know, the better we can respond’, links to an article published in the previous edition of SAEON eNews titled ‘What do long-term records reveal about Cape Town’s water shortage?’ and SAEON’s drought monitor.

'Go with the flow', an article written by Katherine Hutchinson on her PhD research, was published in Mail & Guardian's 2017 Science Today magazine. The magazine celebrates "South Africa's best postgrad science writing". Katherine is a Professional Development Programme (PDP) student at SAEON's Egagasini Node. 

An article written by Yondela Nqadala, an intern at the Wolwekraal Conservation and Research Organisation, titled ‘Learners visit Wolwekrans Nature Reserve’, was published on Prince Albert Friend of November 2017.

Dr Juliet Hermes, Manager of SAEON’s Egagasini Node, has been nominated to be vice chair of the Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Observations Coordination Group (OCG). The following news release has been issued on JCOMM, an important think tank for Earth systems science and policy: Meteorologists and oceanographers join forces on sustainable development agenda.