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Raw SADCP data from the Marion Island Relief Voyage on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 007, April 2013

This is raw Shipboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (SADCP) data from the Marion Island Relief Voyage on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 007, 10 April to 16 May 2013. The 2013 Marion Relief Voyage 007 on board South Africa’s new polar research and supply vessel, the SA Agulhas II, afforded yet another opportunity to conduct multi-institutional (DEA, DAFF, UCT, SAEON, Rhodes University) and multi-disciplinary ship-based oceanographic research that focused on links and interactions between air and sea, ocean physics, biogeochemistry, plankton and benthic communities and island-based top predators. The overall aim is to establish an oceanographic observation and monitoring system directed by South African research institutions in support of South Africa’s needs – and where possible, the global requirements of the Southern Ocean Observation System (SOOS), CCAMLR, ACAP, etc., by documenting ship-board observations in the oceanic environment around the Prince Edward Islands in a holistic...

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Processed CTD data from the Marion Island Relief Voyage on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 007, April 2013

This is processed Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) data from the Marion Island Relief Voyage on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 007, 10 April to 16 May 2013.The 2013 Marion Relief Voyage 007 on board South Africa’s new polar research and supply vessel, the SA Agulhas II, afforded yet another opportunity to conduct multi-institutional (DEA, DAFF, UCT, SAEON, Rhodes University) and multi-disciplinary ship-based oceanographic research that focused on links and interactions between air and sea, ocean physics, biogeochemistry, plankton and benthic communities and island-based top predators. The overall aim is to establish an oceanographic observation and monitoring system directed by South African research institutions in support of South Africa’s needs – and where possible, the global requirements of the Southern Ocean Observation System (SOOS), CCAMLR, ACAP, etc., by documenting ship-board observations in the oceanic environment around the Prince Edward Islands in a holistic manner,...

DOI: 10.15493/DEA.MIMS.10000003
Agulhas Bank shelf and open ocean seasonal mean chlorophyll a time series, 1997 to 2018

Reconstructed seasonal mean chlorophyll a (mg m-3) for SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua in the Agulhas Bank (33.3-37.5°S;18.5-27°E) shelf and open ocean regions during austral summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Shelf and open ocean regions have been separated using the GEBCO 1000m isobath.

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Processed Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) data collection from the International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 (IIOE2) cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028, October 2017

This is processed Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) data from the IIOE2 on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028 from October - November, 2017. The International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 is a collaborative regional cruise to build capacity and strength within Africa. The focus will be on developing students in the region in the areas of physical oceanography, chemistry, biological oceanography, benthic biodiversity, marine top predators and marine plastics. This dataset was processed using older standards which may not align with international best practices and the standards currently adhered to by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). The Department is re-processing and replacing data to ensure everything has the same format and is of the same quality and datasets will be marked as obsoleted once that is done. As such the user assumes the entire risk related to the use of these data in its current state and format. DFFE disclaims all warranties of the data...

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Processed Chlorophyll data from the International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 (IIOE2) cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028, October 2017

The International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 (IIOE2) is a collaborative regional cruise to build capacity and strength within Africa. The focus will be on developing students in the region in the areas of physical oceanography, chemistry, biological oceanography, benthic biodiversity, marine top predators and marine plastics. This is processed Chlorophyll data from the IIOE2 cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028, between the 14th October and 15th November 2017.

DOI: 10.15493/DEA.MIMS.10000010
Agulhas Bank shelf and open ocean seasonal mean microphytoplankton proportion time series, 1997 to 2018

Reconstructed seasonal mean microphytoplankton proportion for SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua in the Agulhas Bank (33.3-37.5°S;18.5-27°E) shelf and open ocean regions during austral summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Shelf and open ocean regions have been separated using the GEBCO 1000m isobath.

DOI: 10.15493/DEA.MIMS.10000011
Agulhas Bank shelf and open ocean seasonal mean nanophytoplankton proportion time series, 1997 to 2018

Reconstructed seasonal mean nanophytoplankton proportion for SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua in the Agulhas Bank (33.3-37.5°S;18.5-27°E) shelf and open ocean regions during austral summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Shelf and open ocean regions have been separated using the GEBCO 1000m isobath.

DOI: 10.15493/DEA.MIMS.10000012
Agulhas Bank shelf and open ocean seasonal mean picophytoplankton proportion time series, 1997 to 2018

Reconstructed seasonal mean picophytoplankton proportion for SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua in the Agulhas Bank (33.3-37.5°S;18.5-27°E) shelf and open ocean regions during austral summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Shelf and open ocean regions have been separated using the GEBCO 1000m isobath.

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Processed PCO2 data from the International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 cruise on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 028, October 2017

This is processed PCO2 data from the International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 (IIOE2) cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028 in October 2017. The IIOE2 is a collaborative regional cruise to build capacity and strength within Africa. The focus will be on developing students in the region in the areas of physical oceanography, chemistry, biological oceanography, benthic biodiversity, marine top predators and marine plastics.

DOI: 10.15493/dea.mims.26500005
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Processed Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) and Total Alkalinity (TA) data from the International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 (IIOE2) cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 032, June 2018

This is processed Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) and Total Alkalinity (TA) data from the IIOE2 cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 032, between 18 June and 30 June 2018. The International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 is a collaborative regional cruise to build capacity and strength within Africa. The focus will be on developing students in the region in the areas of physical oceanography, chemistry, biological oceanography, benthic biodiversity, marine top predators and marine plastics.

DOI: 10.15493/dea.mims.26500004
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Processed Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) and Total Alkalinity (TA) data from the International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 (IIOE2) cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028 in October 2017

This is processed Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) and Total Alkalinity (TA) data from the IIOE2 cruise on SA Agulhas II Voyage 028, between 14 October and 15 November 2017. The International Indian Ocean Expedition 2 is a collaborative regional cruise to build capacity and strength within Africa. The focus will be on developing students in the region in the areas of physical oceanography, chemistry, biological oceanography, benthic biodiversity, marine top predators and marine plastics.

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Raw SDS data from ACEP Deep Secrets: The Outer Shelf and Slope Ecosystems of the Eastern Cape on the Algoa Voyage 230, September 2016

This is raw Scientific Data System (SDS) data collected on the ACEP Deep Secrets Cruise which set out to fill in gaps and shed light on the priority areas and research questions identified during the recent Marine Protected Area and Marine Spatial Planning Initiatives of Operation Phakisa’s Marine Protection and Governance Lab. Using underwater cameras (SkiMonkey and Drop camera), grabs, dredges and a CTD the study aimed to improve our knowledge on marine offshore habitats, as well as to build understanding of the effects of the expanding fishing and petroleum industries on marine offshore communities.

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Raw Distributed Data System (DDS) data from the African Coelecanth Ecology Programme (ACEP) Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 130, July 2004

This is raw DDS data from the African Coelecanth Ecology Programme (ACEP) Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 130, July 2004. The area covered includes the Western Indian Ocean; South African East Coast; Delago Bight - Mozambique; Tanzanian Coast; Comoros.

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Raw CTD data from ACEP Deep Secrets: The Outer Shelf and Slope Ecosystems of the Eastern Cape on the Algoa Voyage 230, September 2016

This is raw Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) data collected on the ACEP Deep Secrets Cruise which set out to fill in gaps and shed light on the priority areas and research questions identified during the recent Marine Protected Area and Marine Spatial Planning Initiatives of Operation Phakisa’s Marine Protection and Governance Lab. Using underwater cameras (SkiMonkey and Drop camera), grabs, dredges and a CTD the study aimed to improve our knowledge on marine offshore habitats, as well as to build understanding of the effects of the expanding fishing and petroleum industries on marine offshore communities.

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SDS data from the South Coast Mooring Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 208, July 2014

This is Scientific Data System (SDS) data collected on the South Coast Mooring Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 208, 9 to 24 July 2014. The South Coast Mooring Cruise had two scientific objectives: (1) Service, maintain and extend the in situ operational oceanography network currently deployed around South Africa and (2) to investigate the dynamics of the Port St Johns eddy and biological implications. Between 1988 and 2011, environmental and plankton sampling was conducted every summer along the South Coast during the annual pelagic spawner biomass surveys. Data collected during these cruises has provided valuable insight into environmental change in this region. There has been significant decline in copepod biomass on both the western and central Agulhas Bank over the past two decades, as well as a decline in the proportion of the large dominant species Calanus agulhensis, resulting in a shift towards a smaller copepod-dominated community. These changes are thought to have been largely...

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Raw CTD data from the Moorings and Monitoring Lines Cruise: Cape Point and Port St Johns on the Algoa Voyage 204, November 2013

This is raw Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) data from the Moorings and Monitoring Lines Cruise: Cape Point and Port St Johns on the Algoa Voyage 204, 25 November to 6 December, 2013. The South Coast Mooring Cruise had two scientific objectives: (1) Service, maintain and extend the in situ operational oceanography network currently deployed around South Africa and (2) to investigate the dynamics of the Port St Johns eddy and biological implications.

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Raw SAWS Weather data from ACEP Deep Secrets: The Outer Shelf and Slope Ecosystems of the Eastern Cape on the Algoa Voyage 230, September 2016

This is raw SAWS weather data collected on the ACEP Deep Secrets Cruise which set out to fill in gaps and shed light on the priority areas and research questions identified during the recent Marine Protected Area and Marine Spatial Planning Initiatives of Operation Phakisa’s Marine Protection and Governance Lab. Using underwater cameras (SkiMonkey and Drop camera), grabs, dredges and a CTD the study aimed to improve our knowledge on marine offshore habitats, as well as to build understanding of the effects of the expanding fishing and petroleum industries on marine offshore communities.

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SDS data from the South Coast Moorings and Monitoring Lines Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 213, December 2014

This is Scientific Data System (SDS) data from the South Coast Moorings and Monitoring Lines Cruise on Algoa Voyage 213 on 1 to 19 December, 2014. Between 1988 and 2011, environmental and plankton sampling was conducted every summer along the South Coast during the annual pelagic spawner biomass surveys. Data collected during these cruises has provided valuable insight into environmental change in this region. There has been significant decline in copepod biomass on both the western and central Agulhas Bank over the past two decades, as well as a decline in the proportion of the large dominant species Calanus agulhensis, resulting in a shift towards a smaller copepod-dominated community. These changes are thought to have been largely driven by predation by planktivorous fish, which have increased in biomass since the mid-1990s, but increasing sea temperatures have also played a role. It is vital that we continue to monitor the environment and plankton community in key areas off the...

(No DOI)
Raw SDS data from the Moorings and Monitoring Lines Cruise: Cape Point and Port St Johns on the Algoa Voyage 204, November 2013

This is raw Scientific Data System (SDS) data from the Moorings and Monitoring Lines Cruise: Cape Point and Port St Johns on the Algoa Voyage 204, 25 November to 6 December, 2013. The South Coast Mooring Cruise had two scientific objectives: (1) Service, maintain and extend the in situ operational oceanography network currently deployed around South Africa and (2) to investigate the dynamics of the Port St Johns eddy and biological implications.

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Raw SDS data from the Transkei Shelf Oceanography Cruise on the Algoa 241, July 2017

This is raw Scientific Data System (SDS) data from the Transkei Shelf Oceanography Cruise on the Algoa 241, 12 July to 11 August, 2017. The area covered includes the Transkei shelf and continental slope (20m to 1000m), of the Eastern Cape, between Cape St Francis and Port Shepstone in the South-West Indian Ocean.Our knowledge of the distribution of offshore benthic biodiversity on the Transkei shelf is very limited. The region between Algoa Bay and Port Edward is not only important for understanding the functioning of existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) such as Pondoland, Dwesa-Cwebe, and the Amathole, but is of particular relevance to the new Operation Phakisa proposed MPA network that will potentially include additional MPAs such as the Protea Banks, Amathole Expansion, and the proposed Addo MPA. In addition, further knowledge is needed to support decision-making about the offshore extent of the Dwesa-Cwebe MPA. The oceanography in the form of water column and energy...

(No DOI)
Raw SDS data from the Mooring Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 199, June 2013

This is Scientific Data System (SDS) data from the Mooring Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 199 from 29 June - 3 July, 2013. The area covered includes Slangkop, off of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa to Port Edward, south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

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Raw CTD data from Port St Johns Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) and Bathymetry Survey on Algoa Voyage 198, May 2013

Raw Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) data from Port St Johns Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) and Bathymetry Survey on Algoa Voyage 198, 8 May - 13 May, 2013. This cruise has two scientific objectives: (1) to investigate the dynamics of the Port St. Johns eddy and biological implications and (2) to investigate the existence of mesoscale eddies in the Agulhas Current. In the case of the former, Oceans & Coasts was asked to provide input to the recent spate of shark attacks off Port St. Johns. Very little is known about the oceanography except that Roberts et al (2010) discovered during a cruise a lee-trapped cyclonic eddy off Port St. Johns that caused substantial slope upwelling. The cold upwelled water is nutrient-rich and appears to provide a biological pump to the local ecosystem. This cruise will deploy an ADCP in a depth of approximately 80 m to determine the frequency of appearance of this eddy coupled with Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) lines to measure...

DOI: 10.15493/dea.mims.26052103
Short-term observations of currents and sub-surface temperatures on the continental shelf and slope off Port Edward, South Africa

Between 2005 and 2015, multiple short-term studies were conducted to determine the characteristics of moorings deployed in a region heavily influenced by the strong Agulhas Current, and to examine circulation patterns across the continental shelf and slope off Port Edward, along the east coast of South Africa.

DOI: 10.15493/DEA.MIMS.26052019
Long-term moored observations at the Prince Edward Island archipelago

Here we present long-term observations from the Prince Edward Island (PEI) shelf moorings. These moorings form part of the South African component of the International South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation project (SAMOC-SA), which aims to characterize the time-mean and time-varying components of the SAMOC in the South Atlantic Ocean and monitor the variability of the main Southern Ocean frontal systems associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), south of Africa.

DOI: 10.15493/DEA.MIMS.14712023
Long-term observations of bottom temperatures at Port St. Johns, South Africa

Here we present a collection of raw and processed temperatures from Underwater Temperature Recorders (UTRs) located off Port St. Johns. At selected sites around Southern Africa, UTRs have been used to obtain long-term records of bottom temperatures in the nearshore environment, at depths ranging from 2m to 34m.

Geographic extent

Temporal extent