RESEARCH
EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE
The diverse oceans of South Africa provide rich opportunities for researchers to learn more about marine life and make valuable additions to global knowledge about marine ecosystems. Our oceans are living laboratories.
Yardstick for measuring change
MPAs help us to understand what a healthy ecosystem looks like. We can use this information to measure change happening in unprotected areas of our coasts or in our ocean waters. These scientific baselines, enable us to measure the impacts of climate change, invasive alien species, or pressure from fishing, mining and other activities outside the MPA.
BIOMEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The ocean has many secrets that we are only just beginning to unravel. Cancer-fighting compounds have been found in sea slugs and sponges that occur nowhere else but in South Africa's rich oceans.
To find out more about the scientists that have contributed to the extensive knowledge of marine life in South Africa, see Science.
