WILDOCEANS and Ocean Champs Team up

Climate change and pollution is a global issue and has a significant impact on the ocean. Conserving marine and coastal ecosystems is essential. Global issues tend to bring together like-minded projects spanning across continents. One such project is the Bremen-Durban Marine Environmental Education Network also known as Ocean Champs. This project is jointly implemented by eThekwini Municipality and the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (Germany) as part of a climate change partnership between the two cities.

The partnership targets three groups, namely learners in grade 8 and 9, matriculated youth aged 18 to 25 and marine educators and school teachers. Being largely youth-focused the project strives to empower the youth to take an active role as “Ocean Champions” in the protection of the sea and the reduction of marine pollution which will ultimately influence the rate of climate change.

Last week WILDOCEANS facilitated, on board it’s research vessel the Angra Pequena, the implementation of one of the modules for the Ocean Champs project where the group has been learning about marine pollution. The group gained first-hand insights into how to obtain samples for data and analysed the samples collected on board the Angra.

The module is led by Anne Jager and Lara Stuthmann from the Lebniz for Tropical Marine Research in Bremen, Germany. “After completing my Master’s in Marine Biology, I looked at the importance of closing the gap between science and the general public. I wanted to give the knowledge back to the community and school children,” said Anne Jaeger. “I remember taking a trip to the Mediterranean Sea and collecting samples. Each sample contained microplastics. It was at that point where the idea to write a curriculum on microplastic pollution was birthed. This curriculum has been taught at a school in Bremen for half a year, to date.”

The experience of sharing knowledge is vital because there is much to learn from each other’s country in terms of the way marine pollution is dealt with. When asked if a project like the Ocean Champs existed before in Germany, Anne responded saying, “There is no project like this. Those who study marine ecology often go on to become scientists, but the approach used in South Africa is different. People who have no formal background in marine science are receiving training and in turn, are going back into the communities to educate people about marine pollution. These growing initiatives are needed. WILDOCEANS, as a service provider, has put this group in a really good position to learn about the marine environment, not just for themselves, but for the general public.”

A typical full day of training on the Angra Pequena for the Ocean Champs project started off with the collection of data through various ways; the analysing of the data followed by discussion, swimming, returning to the harbour, picking up litter and ending off with a nurdle hunt. “Co-facilitating this training, seeing their interest in marine science being piqued, and knowledge being imparted on a small scale, is a great way to encourage them to be champions of the ocean. It is also a way to increase the marine science cohort”, said Summer Newton, Ocean Stewards Coordinator at WILDOCEANS.

The future of marine science looks bright.

WILDTRUST – YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (YES) PROGRAMME

The WILDTRUST is participating in the Youth Employment Services (YES) programme, funded by NEDBANK, aimed at reducing Youth unemployment levels and building a future that works. The YES programme provides a one-year work-based job and training experience aimed at affording unemployed youth practical and meaningful work opportunities.

The WILDTRUST invites applications from unemployed youth, graduates and scholars who are between the ages of 18 and 27 years to apply for the following vacancies.

Assistant Training Administrator (6 Positions)

Finance and Admin Clerk (3 Positions)

HR Assistants and Data Capturers (6 Positions)

Support Team Data Capturers (5 Positions)

IT Support and Admin Assistant (1 Position)

Vehicle Fleet Assistants (2 Positions)

WILDOCEANS officially part of the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI) community

WILDOCEANS, a programme of the WILDTRUST is just over a year old with its focus being on marine conservation, research and advocacy and awareness. WILDTRUST prides itself in partnering with passionate organisations working on conserving the marine environment and innovating ways to save the planet and make it sustainable for everyone. One such organisation is the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI). GOBI is an international partnership of 40 organisations committed to advancing the scientific basis for conserving biological diversity in the marine environment.

Since GOBI’s inception in 2008 it has extended its reach in many countries. GOBI is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Central to GOBI’s objectives is the need to support relevant regional and global organisations to identify ecologically and biologically important areas of ocean through research. GOBI is under-represented in the Southern African region, but the partnership with WILDOCEANS hopes to change this.

In an effort to continuously improve our knowledge of local and regional marine ecosystems, WILDOCEANS embarked on a few expeditions in 2018 on board its 72ft research vessel, the Angra Pequena. The expeditions have led to wonderful discoveries, including new species like the sea bat fish (Halieutaea sp) and a sighting of a coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) – otherwise known as the dinosaur fish, once thought to be extinct. The contribution of such expeditions to marine research makes the new GOBI partnership that much more appreciated. “We are excited about joining GOBI and the opportunities to partner on important marine issues”, said Dr Jean Harris.

GOBI’s current central project is a 5-year programme which consists of scientific activities which will ultimately provide a basis for promoting environmental protection and management for specific areas of the world’s oceans. The scientific themes of the project include important marine mammal areas and biogeographies for the south-west Pacific and Indian oceans. This is a step in the right direction for many data-deficient marine ecosystems in the Southern African region. WILDOCEANS recently applauded cabinet’s approval of 20 new and expanded marine protected areas. The move brings the total protection of the oceans around South Africa up to five percent (up from 0.4%).

The organisation looks forward to engaging and contributing as much as it can to the goals of GOBI.