David Sandi receives a certificate for 15 Years of Service at SAIAB

Wendy Sweetman has been working at SAIAB for 21 years

NomaBongwe Magqaza - Information Technology Intern

Amanda Gura - Collections Intern

Samella Ngxande - Research Intern



Vuyokazi Sifunzana - Research Intern



Seven days of Science Extravaganza….



SAIAB Stall at Scifest Africa
with learners capturing information about the organisation

“Cleared and stained” - the chemistry behind the National Fish Collection was the focus of SAIAB’s exhibition at this year’s Scifest Africa. This national science extravaganza was held in Grahamstown from 4-10 May 2011. Well attended by learners, students, teachers, scientists and anyone with a passion for science, it provided them all the opportunity to interact with and understand the diversity of science.

Themed “Science across Cultures,” the festival looked at what makes us human, what makes us different, the universality of science, the contribution of different cultures (past and present) to the development of modern science and highlighted the contribution indigenous knowledge systems make to mankind.

SAIAB participated in this seven day festival and showcased the chemistry behind the curation procedures involved in conserving different aquatic specimens for future generations. The display reflected 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry and consisted of banners with in-depth information about the organisation and the collections facility, special specimens, and simple models of the atoms that bond to form the chemicals used to preserve fishes and other aquatic organisms. A competition for learners with inquisitive minds was held which promoted their engagement with and awareness about SAIAB.

In addition, SAIAB ran apprenticeships throughout Scifest at which Grade 11 and 12 learners and members of the public had the opportunity to spend a morning at SAIAB for a hands-on experience of what scientists do in their day-to-day research. These apprenticeships included sessions on how to preserve fish and the different chemicals used in preservation, saving endangered species through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a day in the life of a research assistant.

Dr Gavin Gouws, Aquatic Biologist at SAIAB offered a session on the barcoding process, illustrating the DNA barcode and how it is generated in the laboratory, collection of data to accompany the barcode and the exploration of the barcoding database. SAIAB’s Chief Scientist, Professor Alan Whitfield took his group on a guided tour of the estuaries between the Great Fish and Kowie Rivers where the river meets the sea, highlighting the different types of estuaries and some of the animals and plants living in these specialized systems.



Competition draw


On the final day of Scifest, SAIAB’s Managing Director, Professor Paul Skelton, together with Ms Anja Fourie, Director, Scifest Africa, did the SAIAB competition draw. The winner was Litha Somdyala from Masixole Secondary School in Mdantsane. Somdyala will receive a hamper from SAIAB which consists of posters, booklets and two reference books which have been signed by the authors - A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa by Paul Skelton and the Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa by Phil and Elaine Heemstra.

Science Clubbing

“Get into your pockets, take out your keys and build your future towards science,” said Sivuyile Manxoyi of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town, while motivating high school learners to enhance their science education whilst they are still young. Manxoyi is the champion of a movement to establish active and successful science clubs in schools around the country.

The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) in collaboration with the Grahamstown District Office of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (DOE) invited Manxoyi and his colleague, Cedric Jacobs, to conduct a Science Club Workshop for learners from local schools in the Makana region who showed an interest in science.

Manxoyi and Jacobs addressed some 40 learner in Grade 11 at Graeme College about starting a science club at the school. Teacher, Rupert Jackson indicated that there was considerable interest among the boys to start such a club. Present at the two afternoon workshops at the District Offices of the DOE in Grahamstown were grade 10 to 12 learners from Hendrik Kanise School in Alicedale, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School, Ntsika Senior Secondary School, Mary Waters High School and Nombulelo Senior Secondary School. The reasoning behind the workshop is to equip these learners to go back to their schools and implement the skills learned to start science clubs. These clubs, based at the schools, are intended to provide opportunities for learners to explore science in interactive, fun, informative and challenging ways.

This initiative is the final activity of the SAIAB’s Bright Sparks Development Programme. This programme was developed in 2005 to identify learners who show talent and enthusiasm for science. It aimed to expose learners to careers in science and technology, encourage them to continue with science subjects at school and tertiary level and develop their skills, knowledge, values and attitudes.  In 2010 science kits were donated to the five schools represented at this year’s workshop as part of National Science Week. The workshop was a follow up to this to ensure that maximum use is made of the kits and optimum benefit derived from them for the whole school.

At the workshop the learners expressed that young people are not taking up science careers because “it’s too difficult…we are not exposed to science”. Manxoyi encouraged them to change their attitude “because when you start believing that you can master science then you will. Science clubs create a platform for the schools to work together and with other institutions such as Rhodes University and SAIAB where the learners can find resources, information, inspiration and role models.

At the workshop participants were taught the basics for starting a science club, where to position and locate them, their objectives, drawing up a science club constitution and publicising their club through social networking mediums such as facebook and blogs. Some of the activities that the learners enjoyed were games. One such game involved using a five litre bottle full of water and a three litre empty bottle. Out of that they were expected to produce a four litre bottle full of water. This activity was based on estimation and logic. A second game involved a cake which they were instructed to cut only three times to form eight pieces. The final game was to combine different coloured balloons to form atoms.

Learners from Mary Waters High School plan on doing activities for their science club and to invite other learners to join. They intend having an event for National Science Week 2011 to publicise their club. Ntsika SS and Nombulelo SS plan on peer tutouring one another as learners and further start a science club from there. Nathaniel Nyaluza High School launched their science club at a special event on Thursday 12 May 2011. The club joins a growing number of school science clubs country-wide. Present at this launch were science scholars from Nathaniel Nyaluza HS, Ntsika SS and Mary Waters HS representatives from the DOE, SAIAB and the Centre for Social Development (CSD) at Rhodes University. Sanele Ntshingana, Nathaniel Nyaluza Science Club President states that the club is interested in working closely with Rhodes University and establishing a partnership with the Dean of Sciences. They will have a monthly newsletter communicating all their activities.  More remote than the other schools, Hendrik Kanise learners in Alicedale will work closely with their teachers to develop a dynamic club that will create curiosity about science in other learners.

Mihlalikazi Swaartbooi, a grade 12 learner from Mary Waters, saw the workshop as very exciting especially the interactive games. “They help us communicate and interact with each other in the group. We learned to trust an each other’s opinion which teaches us interdependence,” she added. Banele Gojela a grade 12 learner from Hendrik Kanise enjoyed the water activity as it challenged them to think. Sanele Ntshingana shares Gojela’s sentiments, “It is a critical thinking weapon of science,” he said. The learners walked away from these workshops very enthusiastic and energised, feeling confident about establishing science clubs at their schools.

Working together for the benefit of our Marine Environments

Approximately 70% of earth’s surface is covered by oceans. Sustainable exploitation of marine resources needs the best science and technology available to establish efficient and sustainable environmental management. This is why research institutions such as SAIAB, which is a national scientific resource for knowledge and understanding of the biodiversity and functioning of globally significant aquatic ecosystems, participate in conferences such as the Southern African Marine Science Symposium. Held every three years, this gathering of scientists from all over the world results in new knowledge of and unexpected benefits for marine environments.

SAIAB students and Aquatic Biologist Dr David Gows

The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) recently helped convene the 14th Southern African Marine Science Symposium (SAMSS) with the Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA). ECSA publishes the well-known and highly respected journal, Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science, and each year organises one international conference. SAMSS is a very important and well attended meeting for marine scientists from all over the world to network and build good working relationships.

Under the theme ‘Estuarine, Costal and Oceanic Ecosystems – Breaking down the Boundaries’, this conference provided researchers from the northern and southern hemispheres the opportunity to mingle and exchange ideas and to establish links between estuaries and coastal ecosystems. “It was a very interesting conference, especially in the field of Fishery Management and also a chance to meet researchers I’ve read about which gave me an opportunity to establish collaborations,” said SAIAB Senior Aquatic Biologist, Dr Monica Mwale.

This year the event was held at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. As a research facility of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and an Associated Institute of Rhodes University, SAIAB works closely with the university’s Department of Ichthyology and Fishery Science (DIFS). This relationship has been maintained since 1981 when DIFS used the facilities of the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, now known as SAIAB, for lectures. SAIAB and DIFS maintain strong ties through the SAIAB library and SAIAB researchers supervise students from DIFS.

Various scientists from SAIAB represented the institution at SAMSS in a number of categories: these included Estuaries, Top Predators in Marine Ecosystems, Invasion Biology, Fisheries Management, Genetics and Phytogeography, Biodiversity and Biogeography.  “It was very interesting to see how different people observe issues around global change and the different approaches to it,” added Mwale. These are large scale environmental changes on earth; changes that have global reach such as deviations in atmospheric composition or ocean circulation.  Mwale further shares that, “there was a big section on estuaries. It was very interesting to see the work that other SAIAB researchers do on estuaries". There were also exciting talks linking to SAIAB on large marine ecosystems and oceanography “The conference was very significant for project logistics and working together,” added Dr Gavin Gouws, an aquatic biologist at SAIAB.

Networking session at SAMS

Nosiphiwo Springbok, a Masters candidate, found the conference very insightful and interesting particularly in the field of fish conservation. “Researchers shared a lot of information with us as aspiring scientists and it was good to be exposed to experts that commented and advised on our work, which made us gain confidence in our science,” she added. Moqebelo Morallana, also doing his Masters in Ichthyology, shares Springbok’s sentiments; he adds, “SAIAB was well represented with a huge part on estuary ecology which I was not familiar with being a genetics student and for me that was very informative.”

“SAMSS was well organised, we had an excellent attendance reaching all our targets. It was great to see student participation,” said SAMSS Assistant Conference Co-ordinator, Kendall Crous.