Unisa students voyage to the Southern oCean seAsonal Experiment winter 2022 cruise

Sandra Maluleke and Udoka Ogugua from the Department of Agriculture and Animal Health embarked on a voyage to Antarctica. Both students were part of a South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI) team collaborating on the Southern oCean seAsonal Experiment (SCALE) winter 2022 cruise. The teams participating in the voyage were CO₂-Heat, BUOYS, SEAICE, Microbiome (University of Pretoria), Engineering Team VESSEL 4.0 (Stellenbosch University), and Science team N-CYCLE (University of Cape Town), under the leadership of Professor Marcello Vichi (University Cape Town) as Chief Scientist on board.

Sandra Maluleke and Udoka Ogugua

The two students were trained in ocean surveillance, basic meteorology, biodiversity analysis, and water sampling techniques. Reflecting on her three-week voyage, Maluleke says: "Interacting with such brilliant marine scientists and researchers in just 21 days broadened my understanding of the field of Marine Studies immensely. I'm grateful for the new friends and acquaintances I made during the journey." She adds: "The most important things I brought back are the memories we created and the skills I acquired."

Sharing his experience, Ogugua says: "It was such a great privilege to join the SCALE winter 2022 team to explore the Southern Ocean. Studying the influence of the ocean on our climate was amazing, as was doing water sampling at a depth of 2 000 metres and more." He adds: "It was interesting to spot ocean birds and whales. Meeting more than a few research teams on board from several universities and research centres from as far as Finland and the United Kingdom, and finding out more about their research studies, was inspiring."

Maluleke and Ogugua say the voyage widened their research views and thoughts about learning, especially about the climate and biodiversity. "I am excited by the possibility of future research collaborations. In addition, the reminiscences of seeing the Antarctic ice sheet, the biggest mass of ice in the world, will forever remain vivid in my mind," Ogugua says. He continues: "The skills gained during this short voyage have boosted my career."

Since returning from the trip, both students want to pursue careers in microbiome diversity analysis, the physical properties of water, ocean observation and environmental conservation. Maluleke and Ogugua, who completed their MSc and a PhD, respectively, are grateful to their supervisors for allowing them the time and space to experience dynamic learning.

* Submitted by the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science