NRF Annual Report 2018

PART B: PERFORMANCE
10.3 Biodiversity, environmental and conservation sciences – SAIAB and SAEON
10.3.1 The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)
The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
SAIAB provides scientific leadership and expertise in aquatic biodiversity that is vital to national interests
when dealing with issues arising from exponentially increasing pressures of human population growth and
development. The facility focuses on the full spectrum of African aquatic biodiversity, from marine offshore to
continental freshwater catchments.
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE
Remote
Imagery- ROV
Coastal Craft-
RW Ukwabelana
Coastal Craft-
Phakisa
Collection
Platform
SAIAB RESEARCH AGENDA SUPPORTS:
• Conservation biology and ecology, which focuses on understanding aquatic biodiversity in order to inform
the conservation of those resources; and
• Molecular biology and systematics, which is the exploration and description of Southern African
biodiversity from the molecular to a faunal level.
SAIAB actively engages in a range of national research interventions and provides research which is relevant to a range of
different national priorities. Recent strategic interventions in which SAIAB has played a significant role are:
• Operation Phakisa – Oceans Economy (DST);
• Formulation of the Marine and Antarctic Research Plan (DEA);
• Drafting of the South African Marine Research Strategy (DEA);
• Steering Committee of the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR);
• Partner in the SARIR South African Marine and Coastal Research Infrastructure programme (SMCRI);
• Partner in the Natural Science Collections Facility (NSCF);
• National Biodiversity Assessment in partnership with South African National Biodiversity Institute – SANBI; and
• National Shale Gas Strategic Environmental Assessment (SANBI).
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NRF Annual Report 2017/18