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A status report on the
Sea and Coast II Programme
Renee Le Roux and Coleen Moloney
The Sea and Coast II Programme, which was developed by SANCOR, aims to provide information, advice and training in support of optimal and sustainable use and development of our sea, coasts and estuaries. This programme was implemented in 2001 and should conclude by 31 March 2006, subject to the annual renewal of a Joint Venture contract between Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEA&T) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). This programme which is incorporated within the NRF’s Conservation and Management of Ecosystems and Biodiversity focus area, has the following seven Thrusts:
  • Coastal Processes
  • Biodiversity
  • Ocean Dynamics
  • Mariculture
  • Innovative Technologies
  • Resources for the Future
  • Tourism and Development
Click here for detailed descriptions of these Thrusts.
For logistical and administrative purposes, the NRF has clustered these seven separate Thrusts under four sub-focus areas. These are: Coastal and Oceanic Processes (Coastal Processes and Ocean Dynamics), Ecology, Systematics and Conservation of Marine Life (Biodiversity), Mariculture, and Sustainable Marine and Coastal Resources (Innovative Technologies, Resources for the Future, and Tourism and Development).
The joint sponsorship of this programme by the NRF and DEA&T in 2001 was R4,999,382 with an average grant size of R80,635. The breakdown of grants awarded and number of projects per sub-focus area are illustrated in Table 1. The NRF grant-holders supported in this programme in 2001 and their projects are listed in Table 2.
Table 1. The allocated funding and number of projects per sub-focus area of the Sea and Coast II Programme in 2001
Sub-focus area
Number of Projects
Total amount
allocated
(R)
Ave Grant Size(R)
Coastal and oceanic processes
16
1,846,750
115,422
Ecology, systematics and conservation of marine life
24
1,478,974
61,624
Mariculture
7
738,000
105,428
Sustainable marine & coastal resources
15
935,658
62,377
TOTAL
62
4,999,382
80,635
The percentage of black students who received grant-holder linked bursaries in the Sea and Coast Programme increased
Moreover the NRF was concerned that only 53 % of the allocated grant-holder linked bursaries in this programme was taken up by students (89 bursaries granted and 12 reserved for the 2nd half of 2001) and the remaining 47 % of the bursaries was reverted to the NRF. The NRF thus challenged SANCOR to address these two issues.
SANCOR has indicated that there are a number of factors that could contribute to this process. First, a number of students are unable to complete their studies within the registered prescribed period of the NRF, and are no longer recipients of grant-holder bursaries despite still being marine students. Second, students might receive funding from other bursary sources at their universities and technikons. Third, negative perceptions about career prospects could influence students' decisions to study further. The SANCOR Steering acknowledged these above issues and possible causes, but believes that more information is needed before deciding how best to address these issues.
The SANCOR Steering Committee hence requested an overall survey, which aims to provide a comparison of the total number of grant-holder linked bursaries within the Sea and Coast Programme and marine projects in the Institutional Research Development Programme of the NRF with:
  • The total number of students registered for post-graduate degrees in the field of marine and coastal science in South Africa.
  • The total number of grant-holder linked bursaries within the other focus areas of the NRF.
  • The total number of students that have graduated with post-graduate degrees in marine and coastal science in South Africa.
This survey is intended to span a period from 1996 to 2001.
Furthermore some concern was expressed with regard to the first year of implementation of Sea and Coast II because:
a) Some applications were not sufficiently focused towards meeting the key objectives of the various thrusts
b) There was a lack of coordination between applications, resulting in either duplication of effort, or, more frequently, failure to address key aims of some of the thrusts.
c) Some projects were either submitted under the incorrect thrust, or were inappropriate to the aims of the thrust.
In an effort to optimise the match between funding applications and the needs of joint venture partners SANCOR, through the Steering Committee, has decided to provide assistance to researchers (i.e. existing grant holders, and prospective new applicants), with their preparation of proposals to Sea and Coast II. This would be accomplished by asking researchers to submit brief pre-proposals to SANCOR. These will be assessed by review panels appointed by the SANCOR Steering Committee, who will provide feedback to applicants as to how best to optimise their applications. By use of this "pre-screening" mechanism the SANCOR Steering Committee hopes to enhance the quality of applications and coordination of the programme (and by inference the chances of funding).
If you wish to avail yourself of this opportunity please contact Renee le Roux (rleroux@mcm.wcape.gov.za) no later than 30 June 2001.
Table 2. Projects supported in the Sea and Coast II Programme in 2001
Grant-holder
Project short title
Institution
JB Adams
Estuary management : botanical support
Estuarine catchment processes
Port Elizabeth
MJ Alport
Surf zone video imaging
Natal
ME Anderson
Marine fish biodiversity
JLBSII
D Baird
Chemical processes in estuaries
Port Elizabeth
AD Barnabas
Salt tolerance in marine grasses
Durban-Westville
LE Beckley
Recruitment of reef fishes Richards Bay fisheries
ORI
PB Best
Conservation of Heaviside's dolphin
West coast humpback whale migrations
Pretoria
MN Bester
Foraging areas of phocid seals Somatic growth in fur seals
Pretoria
P Bloomer
Marine conservation genetics
Pretoria
JJ Bolton
Adding value to seaweed diversity Seaweed/abalone integrated culture
Cape Town
GM Branch
Dynamics of nearshore ecosystems
Cape Town
PJ Britz
Abalone aquaculture technology
Rhodes
DS Butterworth
Fisheries assessment management
Cape Town
EE Campbell
Surf microalgae as indicators
Port Elizabeth
LJV Compagno
Biology of class Chondrichthyes
SA Museum
PA Cook
Mariculture opportunities/constraint
Cape Town
VE Coyne
Marine biotechnology and mariculture
Cape Town
MT Davies-Coleman
Marine natural products research
Rhodes
JG Field
Benguela Ecology Phase IV
Cape Town
AT Forbes
KZN penaied prawn resource
KZN mariculture of penaeid prawns
Natal
PW Froneman
Estuarine foodwebs
Rhodes
MJ Gibbons
Marine invertebrate taxonomy
Western Cape
A Govender
Long-term linefish data analysis
ORI
 
Grant-holder
Project short title
Institution
T Hecht
Finfish mariculture
Rhodes
PC Heemstra
Systematics of marine fishes
JLBSII
IR Jandrell
Elasmobranchii and EM radiation
Witwatersrand
DWK Keats
Crustose algal biology biodiversity
Western Cape
GIH Kerley
People and beaches
Port Elizabeth
RN Kilburn
SA marine molluscan database
Natal Museum
JRE Lutjeharms
Oceanic impacts on southern Africa
Cape Town
DJ Marshall
Marine invertebrate biodiversity
Durban-Westville
DJ Mather
The hake fishery : A case study
Rhodes
CD McQuaid
Threats to exploited species
Rhodes
DA Mulholland
Marine chemistry
Natal
G Naidoo
Plant communities in coastal zone
Durban-Westville
VM Peddemors
Raggedtooth sharks and scuba divers
Natal Sharks Board
R Perissinotto
Ecology of temporarily-open estuaries
Natal
RN Pienaar
Marine microflora
Wits
MJ Samways
Coral reef integrity and health
Natal
WHH Sauer
Paternity studies in cephalopods Marine protected areas Estuarine fisheries and management Assessment of trawl discards
Rhodes
MH Schleyer
KZN coral reefs Coral culture KZN marine invertebrate management
ORI
FA Shillington
Satellite oceanography
Cape Town
MJ Smale
Shark ecology and ecotourism Octopus resources and fishery
PE Museum
SD Sym
Cell biology of microalgae
Wits
AS Thandar
Taxonomy of the holothuroidea
Durban-Westville
LG Underhill
Seabird conservation and management
Cape Town
JH van der Merwe
Coast development impact management
Stellenbosch
HN Waldron
Limited exchange marine ecosystems
Cape Town
AK Whitfield
Estuarine biodiversity and management
JLBSII
TH Wooldridge
Temperate-subtropical estuaries
Port Elizabeth