Delegates convene in Cape Town to discuss marine conservation

Celebrating growth in marine science

SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town played host to the delegates from the marine conservation sector last month as the Society for Conservation Biology’s (SCB-Marine) Global Marine Program hosted the 7th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC7).

With the overall theme of Making Marine Science Matter, the motivation was to drive stakeholders, policy makers, and practitioners to understand the importance of marine science for effective marine conservation.

With over 800 delegates in attendance, IMCC is the single largest gathering of ocean conservationists in the world.

Hosted by SCB-Marine, a non-profit professional scientific society, the convention included pre-meeting workshops and focus groups followed by the main session of plenaries and parallel events on specific topics. Delegates could also sign up for optional field trips to explore the coastline.

A diverse programme included topics addressing marine protected areas as well as understanding the challenges faced by developing countries within the scope of marine conservation. Sharks featured prominently as did the need to apply pressure to broaden conservation policies to include the high seas.

The broad scope of topics made for an ambitious depth of content that aimed to cover the current challenges being faced on a global level.

CSIR researchers contribute

To promote an understanding of the CSIR’s work in the marine sciences and policy environment, principal researchers Dr Lara van Niekerk and Dr Brent Newman, as well as senior researcher Dr Marie Smith and researcher Anisha Velayudan all participated during the convention.

They presented on the protection of South Africa’s estuaries; the restoration of blue carbon ecosystems for a resilient future; the occurrence and potential hazard posed by pharmaceutically active compounds in the coastal waters of Cape Town; and support for monitoring coral bleaching in the Western Indian Ocean.

“It’s a thrilling opportunity to join ocean conservation scientists from across the world,” says Newman. “Raising awareness of the country's marine and coastal environments during October as National Marine Month, and inspiring action to protect marine life also create a platform for science and technology in this domain.”

Van Niekerk shared, “South Africa is celebrating and engaging everyone involved in marine conservation to share ideas and promote action for the long-term health of oceans.”