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UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
Looking towards
Our Oceans
Marine ecosystems are extremely vulnerable and sensitive to
climate change. UCT’s Marine Research Institute is conducting
various programmes and research projects across the African
continent that focus on the effects of human activity on marine
ecosystems, fish populations and health as well as other
related topics.
T
he University of Cape Town has gained an international reputation for its cutting-
edge marine research. The location of the Marine Research Institute (Ma-Re)
at the tip of the African continent and its proximity to three major oceans has
contributed to its importance.
There are two South African Research Chairs with close ties to Ma-Re: Marine
Ecology and Fisheries, headed by Associate Professor Astrid Jarre, and the Chair in
Ocean Climate Modelling, which is hosted by the Oceanography Department and
is currently vacant.
Under the leadership of Honorary Professor Larry Hutchings and Associate Professor
Astrid Jarre and in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs, St
Helena Bay has been the focus of research into ocean change. St Helena Bay is
a very productive ocean region and a nursery ground for many juvenile fish. The
results from this research have highlighted variability and changes in the Benguela
region, and the importance of human activity on observed ecosystem changes.
This project is funded by the SARChI Chair in Marine Ecology and Fisheries, the
Department of Environmental Affairs, and NansClim.