SAPRI - The South African Polar Research Infrastructure

As the SCAR Open Science Conference came to an end last week, our team remained actively involved in a range of activities and engagements. Dr Riesna R. Audh and Kelebogile Kelly Mogotsi participated in a panel session for the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) .

The important panel discussion was on Science Communication: Meeting Polar Outreach Needs as Early-Career Researchers, a session focused on the role of communication and outreach in making polar science more accessible and engaging.
Part of the panel members was our Engagement Officer, Kelebogile Kelly Mogotsi, and our Polar Lab Research Coordinator and Scientific Officer, Dr Riesna R. Audh, convened the session alongside other international APECS members
We are proud to see our colleagues contributing to these important conversations and helping to strengthen the connection between polar science, researchers and society.

Thank you for your valuable contributions and dedication at this prestigious international conference, and for actively engaging in networking opportunities and fostering collaboration within the SCAR community.

APECS South AfricaThe Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

Advancing our understanding of seasonal sea ice in the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone.

Dr Riesna R. Audh, SAPRI’s Polar Lab Research Coordinator and Scientific Officer, delivered a talk at the SCAR Open Science conference 2026, in Norway.

Her research highlights evidence of active microbial nutrient cycling within Antarctic sea ice - a process that has not previously been documented or investigated in this context.

Congratulations, Riesna! We are incredibly proud of you and your contribution to polar science!

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research APECS South Africa Antarctic Legacy of South Africa

Our Engagements Officer, Kelebogile Kelly Mogotsi, presented a poster titled SAPRI: Bridging Antarctic Research and Society through Engagement and Mentorship at the SCAR Open Science Conference.

The work focuses on strengthening connections between Antarctic research and society through engagement and mentorship, creating opportunities to share knowledge and inspire greater public interest in polar science.

Well done, Kelly! Thank you for making polar research more accessible.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Antarctic Legacy of South Africa

Are you at the SCAR Open Science Conference? Stop by and come visit our Data Management Help Desk!

Dr Anne Treasure and colleagues including Ria Olivier and Johnathan Kool are running a Data Management Help Desk throughout the week as part of SCADM (Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management).

The Help Desk provides researchers with:

-Practical guidance on data management
-Metadata standards
-Repository submissions
-Secure data storage
-SCAR data requirements
-FAIR Data principles
-And helps researchers navigate SCAR’s data management framework and connect with National Antarctic Data Centres.

SAPRI - The South African Polar Research Infrastructure and Antarctic Legacy of South Africa worked together on the exhibit stand, collaborating to support knowledge sharing and strengthen Antarctic and Southern Ocean research.

Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS)

The SAPRI Data Centre at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Oslo, Norway.

Our Data Curator, Belinda Nhesvure, presented a poster on Automating the Archive: Developing FAIR Data Pipelines for Oceanographic and Animal Tracking Observations at the South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI).

Well done, Belinda!

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

Our Data, Products and Society Manager, Dr Anne Treasure, and colleagues from SCADM, convene a session focused on sharing Antarctic Research Data FAIRly at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Norway.

Convening: Anne Treasure, Johnathan Kool, Ria Olivier, Petra ten Hoopen, Anton van de Putte, Taylor Ziegler, Sophie Orendorf

The SCAR Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SCADM) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) are working to build strong data communities and develop services that promote best practices in data sharing.

South Africa, through the SAPRI Data Centre, is part of this effort, helping to develop tools and systems that enable Antarctic and Southern Ocean data to be shared, accessed and reused effectively.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Antarctic Legacy of South Africa

SCAR Open Science Conference 2026 update.

Our Polar Lab Research Coordinator and Scientific Officer, Dr Riesna R. Audh, was part of the key panelists in the Joint SCAR/COMNAP/NPISymposium.The Mini-Symposium was focused on Investing in Observational Infrastructure and Expertise to Ensure Success for IPY-5 and Beyond.

The panelists and conveners included Deneb Karentz, Camilla Brekke, Agnieszka Kruszewska, Gary Wilson (President of SCAR), Johnathan Kool, Alyce Hancock, Shailendra Saini, Riesna Audh.


Antarctic Legacy of South Africa APECS South Africa Department of Science,Technology and Innovation SA National Research Foundation The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

Voyage update: The S.A. Agulhas II has arrived at Marion Island on 9 August 2026 after departing from Cape Town, South Africa on 5 August 2026.

Thank you to the Captain and crew. We wish the M83 Takeover and Overwintering personnel every success on their time on the island.

📸: Megan Clarkson

African Marine Solutions Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Department of Science,Technology and Innovation SA National Research Foundation Antarctic Legacy of South Africa