Only 0.5% of South Africa’s marine territory under protection
South Africa marine research cruises have identified unique ecosystems in the ocean and these discoveries have informed its proposal for 22 Marine Protected Areas‚ scientist Sizo Sizakele Sibanda said on Sunday aboard the SA Agulhas II.
The state-of-the-art research ship is currently sailing from Cape Town to Durban in rolling seas. On Wednesday it will depart from Durban as part of the International Indian Oceans Expedition II‚ with a team of African scientists doing research during the voyage up the east coast of Africa to Tanzania.
Sibanda‚ from the SA National Biodiversity Institute‚ said the important ecosystems found by scientists on prior cruises had included seamounts‚ cold water corals‚ fossilised corals and reef-building corals.
CIFOR