DEEP SEA BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

Webinar

Award-winning scientist, Dr Lara Atkinson, takes you beneath the surface to explore the fascinating world of deep-sea biodiversity research in South Africa - where we are, the opportunities available and the OceanX expedition. 

Lara has served as the Offshore Biodiversity Scientist with the NRF South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) since 2010, focusing on long-term monitoring of offshore benthic epifaunal invertebrates and assessing human impacts on the marine environment. Her work led to the publication of South Africa's first Offshore Marine Invertebrate Field Guide (2018), and between 2022–2025 she led the SeaMap project, generating and collating national-scale invertebrate and bacteria occurrence records and barcodes.

Lara collaborates actively with offshore industries including commercial trawl and petroleum mining, promoting sustainable resource use and marine conservation. As an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Cape Town, she contributes to capacity development through lecturing, mentoring, and postgraduate supervision. Most recently, she co-led the first science leg of the OceanX-OceanQuest Around Africa expedition, uniting early-career researchers from six African nations for their first deep-sea research experience.