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A high-level scientific research agenda is then outlined, emphasising research in three main research themes,
supported by several specific focus areas, as follows:
Several cross-cutting imperatives are also identified, including human capital development, the development
and deployment of various platforms for data collection, and collaboration on relevant aspects of big data.
2
Table of contents
Synopsis 2
1. Background 4
2. Importance of the South and Tropical Atlantic and the Southern Oceans 4
2.1 Relationship to environmental and climate change 5
2.2 Relationship to socio-economic development 6
2.3 Technology development and innovation 7
2.4 Policy and science diplomacy 8
3. Context for South-South collaboration 8
4. Strategic purpose 9
5. Research and development focus 10
5.1 Thematic areas of collaboration 10
5.2 Coordination and networking 13
5.3 South-South Ocean Research Framework task team 13
5.4 Financing instruments 13
5.5 Communication and networking 13
5.6 Training, capacity building and exchange/science policy interactions 14
5.7 Expected results 14
3
1. Background and chemical contaminants, degrade the health of
coastal marine and estuarine ecosystems, and impair
The South and Tropical Atlantic and Southern Oceans the ability of ecosystems to support goods and
are changing in ways that directly affect the well- services.
being of society and the future of the Earth.
Oceans are becoming more acidic and model
The global and regional influences of these ocean projections suggest even greater acidity by the
bodies in the 21st century can be understood only end of this century. This is leading to changes in
through an integrated approach involving sustained, seawater carbonate chemistry and decreases in the
long-term observations and research, from the calcification rates of calcareous organisms. Lower
tropics to the high latitude polar systems, in fields calcification rates are resulting in the loss of coral reef
including oceanography, primary production, carbon habitats and decline in the abundance of plankton
dioxide and nutrient fluxes, deep-sea environments, species, both of which have profound effects on
trace elements, and climate impacts on biodiversity. the capacity of marine ecosystems to support living
The countries of the region face socio-economic marine resources.
challenges that require sound science to overcome. Southern nations must therefore undertake the
Excessive inputs from anthropogenic sources are now research needed to address these challenges,
widespread in coastal marine ecosystems. Domestic combining long-term observations aimed at a
sewage discharge, discarded plastic and agricultural better understanding of the biological, physical
waste, for example, lead to the destruction of and biogeochemical dynamics in the Southern
marine plants, fish and invertebrates, and the loss of Ocean-South Atlantic Ocean coupled system with
biologically structured habitats. an improved capacity to describe or represent these
Globally, exposure to infectious waterborne microbes in terms of parameters that can be used to model
in coastal waters via direct contact with and the improved century-scale predictions.
consumption of fish and shellfish are increasing
Collaboration will allow countries bordering the
as coastal waters warm, point and diffuse inputs
Atlantic Ocean to develop new technologies and
of faecal matter increase, and population density
intensify research that will improve their capacity to
grows along the coastline. Problems associated
forecast ocean events, and to respond appropriately.
with harmful algal blooms appear to be increasing
in severity and extent. Globally, more than 60 000 2. Importance of the South
cases of human illness caused by exposure to algal and Tropical Atlantic and
toxins are reported each year. Marine habitats are
the Southern Oceans
being destroyed at an alarming rate due to coastal
development, land-based inputs of sediments and The South Atlantic occupies a crucial place in terms
nutrients, aquaculture, overfishing, destructive of scientific, economic, environmental and strategic
fishing practices, channelisation, rising sea levels, interest. However, the area has historically been
ocean warming and ocean acidification. among the least studied of the planet, especially with
regard to ocean chemistry, ecology, biodiversity and
The effects of tropical cyclones, extratropical
the potential for a sustainable exploitation of natural
storms and tsunamis on coastal populations will
resources. Habitats, species, ecosystems, sources,
be exacerbated by climate-driven sea level rise and
sinks and internal cycling of carbon, micronutrients
the loss of ecological buffers to coastal flooding.
and contaminants are not well known and studies
Flooding and subsequent runoff events will increase
are mainly restricted to the margins of continents.
the risk of public exposure to waterborne pathogens
4 On these margins, marine species and ecosystems
have been depleted and fishing resources have been or southwards) and on continental regions, such as
overexploited. Mining of offshore oil and gas has north-eastern Brazil and the neighbouring Western
economic potential but holds environmental risks. Africa (Sahel) region, as well as on the formation of
More study is needed of cobalt-rich ferromanganese cyclones in the North Atlantic. The Agulhas Current,
crusts, polymetallic nodules and sulphide deposits which flows westward around the southern coast of
associated with seamounts, ridges and the abyssal South Africa, contributes strongly to the upper limb
plains as future sources of minerals essential to of the MOC northward flow in the Atlantic Ocean.
technological development. The same is true for
potentially valuable products that could be derived
from organisms living in these environments. It is vital
that we use these resources sustainably to conserve
oceanic environments for the future, but our ability
to do so is limited by our inadequate understanding
about main ecosystem processes in the South
Atlantic.
8 on the South Atlantic, the Tropical Atlantic and the 8 International Centre for Education, Marine and Atmospheric
Sciences over Africa
BCLME9, among others, have proven to be highly Historical science partners from the North Atlantic
successful, and have seen the establishment of long- (the USA, the EU and Canada) have made progress
term monitoring arrays across both the South and in setting a scientific agenda through the Atlantic
Tropical sectors of the Atlantic Ocean, enhanced Ocean Research Alliance. This agenda would not be
use of numerical models, and the exchange of complete without a large-scale overview, including a
postgraduate students and emerging researchers. focus on understanding the Atlantic Ocean through
These programmes are broad in scope and coverage. both basin and inter-basin connectivity. In this
The research on the South Atlantic has focused on context, the Atlantic research communities face the
the long-term monitoring of physical, chemical, challenge of coordinating their work with efforts
geological and biological processes that affect and to study the Atlantic Ocean as a whole, bridging
are affected by human activities, the atmosphere and observational systems, exchanging data, researchers
land, with some interest in the shelf and deep ocean. and equipment East to West and South to North. The
South-South Framework for Scientific and Technical
Any research in the South Atlantic needs to incorporate
Cooperation in the South and Tropical Atlantic and
the adjacent ocean basins. The Southern Ocean has a
the Southern Oceans is intended to address and
significant influence and forms a critical link on the
build-on current collaborative research programmes
atmospheric and oceanographic characteristics of
between Southern countries, and in alignment with
the South Atlantic Ocean, particularly the carbon
Northern countries, with the aim of developing basin-
drawdown and iron chemistry that influences the
scale ocean science and technology development,
climate and weather. Changes to Southern Ocean
enhancing human capacity, strengthening ongoing
ecosystems have consequences for the global carbon
projects, and identifying potential activities and
cycle, for the sustainable exploitation of fisheries
opportunities for further development within this
resources and for the conservation of threatened
marine species. Scientific research under this theme cooperation.
is helping scientists understand the impact of global 4. Strategic purpose
change on Southern Ocean ecosystems, on the
effective conservation of Antarctic and Southern The Framework is intended to promote scientific
Ocean wildlife, and on the sustainable, ecosystem- cooperation and capacity building among South
based management of Southern Ocean fisheries. Atlantic countries, and the exchange of expertise in
and knowledge of ocean science and technology for
South-South cooperation in this space would address the environmental and socio-economic benefits of
high-profile scientific questions that could provide these countries.
relevant information to address national priorities as
well as lead to opportunities to play an active role in The collaboration will address national and global
the global sphere. A good example of this partnership knowledge gaps towards meeting obligations
is ZOPACAS10, established in 1986 by countries in under international agreements like the United
South America and Africa sharing the South Atlantic Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the
Ocean as a platform for fostering understanding and Convention on Biodiversity, and achieving the goals
regional cooperation. The research efforts carried of the Food and Agricultural Organization and the
out under the scope of the India-Brazil-South Africa International Whaling Commission.
grouping, for example, have devoted considerable To enhance the knowledge needed to learn from the
energy to establishing overlapping interests, and past, understand the present and predict the future
oceans are a key element in the cooperative research. states of the ocean and the climate, a large amount
of data, and resources and a great many scientists will
9 Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem
be needed. 9
10 The Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic
Sustained observations are the core of all long- 5. Research and
term research questions aimed at understanding
development focus11
climate and ecosystem productivity and biodiversity
sensitivities to global change. However, although Our understanding of the ocean has become
the benefits are great and long lasting, the costs of increasingly based on quantitative analysis, with
building research and development infrastructures observations being augmented by measurements of
and sustaining observations at the required inter- seawater properties and by a greater understanding
basin scales are significant and mostly beyond the of physical, biological, chemical and geological
scope of individual countrys resources. Collaboration processes. Marine science is an applied and cross-
among countries (South-South and South-North) disciplinary field, and marine scientists need for
is therefore essential. This will not only optimise a sound understanding of the basic principles
results by reducing direct costs, but also facilitate of mathematics, biology, physics, geology and
cooperative career development, training and chemistry. They also need to be highly numerate to
capacity building. analyse and interpret the expanding observational
and modelling datasets that now exist.
In addition to supporting domestic and regional
development efforts, regional scientific and technical This document further highlights the importance of
cooperation can also contribute to the greater working at the science-policy interface to address
economic, political and diplomatic alignment of current global challenges in the Tropical and South
South Atlantic nations, through the development Atlantic Ocean, and Southern Ocean. The exchange
of common and joint imperatives for the South and of ideas between policy officials and scientific
Tropical Atlantic and the Southern Oceans. researchers is important if national/regional science
plans are to be aligned to achieve mutually agreed
It is the intention of this cooperation framework to
priorities.
position South Atlantic Ocean countries as global focal
points leading joint and individual South and Tropical 5.1 Thematic areas of
Atlantic and the Southern Oceans observational and collaboration
research endeavours. This document is intended
To understand and predict the role of the South
to provide a strategic approach that will help
Atlantic Ocean System in the regional climate and
collaborating governments and the relevant research
global Earth system there are three areas that offer
communities to identify and address common issues
enormous potential for a regional science and
such as ocean science, technological development
technology collaboration to address Earth systems
and innovation, ocean observations and monitoring
model biases and support resilience in ecosystem
programmes, the ecosystem-based management
management. The Framework therefore makes these
of resources, improved ocean numerical models,
areas its main scientific themes, shown as columns
and the co-development and transfer of ocean
in the table below, all based on a foundation
technology, to enhance knowledge in and for the
of interoperable ocean-observing systems in
region. collaborating countries.
11 The scientific content of this framework has been informed
by two workshops aimed at identifying joint research
priorities. The workshops involved scientific and governmental
representatives from Brazil, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay,
Namibia and Angola. One was held in Brasilia in October
2015 and another in Pretoria in January 2017. Researchers and
10 officials from the EU and its member states also attended these
workshops.
In addition to the themes and the foundational mutual access to research infrastructure, technology
support of the ocean-observing systems, there is development, innovation and science-policy
also a horizontal, cross-cutting focus on a series interaction components.
of research and development areas common to
The table below presents a summary of the areas for
all themes. These cross-cutters include research
collaboration. More detail can be found in the Annex.
training, capacity development, scientific exchange,
The specific issues below were highlighted for attention under each theme:
11
Climate variability and change on ships of opportunity (commercial and
research vessels).
Ensure adequacy of the observing systems in
scales of variability and long-term trends. Adopt international standards for deep ocean
and shelf observing systems (guidelines
Assess the adequacy of existing observations for procedures, data quality control and
(SAMBA12, PIRATA, MOVAR13, GoodHope, measurements and policies for data
ASCA14, Benguela, among others) and management).
optimise additional requirements in long-term
observations. Define and adopt key set of common
ecosystem indicators.
Develop an integrated South Atlantic and
Southern Oceans observing system (common Combine data from similar equipped
platforms). instruments and platforms.
Establish a data open access and sharing policy. Seek ways to foster concurrent cruise
opportunities across the South Atlantic and
Standardise methods between southern and Southern Ocean.
northern countries on trace elements and
their isotopes promoting ultra-clean sampling, Expand development and sharing of end-to-
analysis and data control and assurance. end ecosystem models.
Support the research and monitoring actions The group is intended to work mostly via electronic
of the South Atlantic Whales Sanctuary communication, but will meet face-to-face when
Management Plan18. necessary.
5.2 Coordination and networking 5.4 Financing instruments
Ocean science is an expensive and collaborative field The initial point of departure is to build on the existing
of research and it is therefore necessary to find the national funding instruments and, where applicable,
projects that the scientific community want to work optimise the use of existing cooperation platforms to
on collaboratively, identify special opportunities enhance South and Tropical Atlantic and Southern
to work together and share resources. With this Oceans research. The application of optimising
framework, South Africa and Brazil have agreed to co-funding opportunities and competitive access
work on common priorities and cross-cutting issues to the existing North-South cooperation funding
that it is hoped will in due course underpin broader instruments would also be investigated. For
collaboration on a South-South and South-North example, opportunities offered by the European
basis. Brazil and South Africa also agree that this Commissions Horizon 2020 programme should
initiative is open to all South Atlantic countries willing be explored to enhance collaborative research
to participate and cooperate. participation, potential and leadership in open calls,
and to promote the inclusion North-South Atlantic
5.3 Framework task team
Ocean Research Collaboration as a core theme.
South Africa and Brazil will appoint relevant
government officials and representatives of the 5.5 Communication and
marine and oceanic scientific community to a task networking
team charged with giving effect to the intended It is essential to establish a communication
cooperation. The role of the task team, will include mechanism in which nations can share information
the following: on the instruments and available projects; the needs
Establishing coordination mechanisms and of researchers and policy makers in terms of logistics,
frameworks. finances and training; key areas in which researchers
have been working; knowledge gaps identified; and
Holding necessary meetings, conferences or the research infrastructure available in the South
similar technical events. Atlantic. The aim is to develop a common platform
Establishing monitoring instruments to for mapping research landscapes across the South
evaluate products and outcomes. Atlantic, sharing challenges, opportunities and best
practices among countries.
Providing necessary information and
establishing communication platforms.
Training courses for specific key subjects Climate variability and change
(e.g. oceanographic instrumentation, data
Addresses acknowledged biases in current
quality control and management, bioassays,
climate models with respect to the tropical
aquaculture techniques, stock assessment,
Atlantic and eastern boundary upwelling
carbon dioxide and carbon analytical chemistry,
ecosystems (temperature).
etc.).
Linkages and transport between the Indian and
Intercalibration exercises following
Atlantic Oceans.
international standard protocols for chemical
analytical measurements. Heat, carbon dioxide and oxygen exchanges,
transport and storage; role of the MOC;
Ship-based training through South Africas
exchanges between Indian and Atlantic;
Oceans Economy Operation Phakisa (e.g. South
processes in the Southern Ocean; interactions
Africas SEAmester postgraduate programme).
between the Tropical Atlantic and South
Academic exchange (visiting professorships, Atlantic; ventilation of the S Atlantic.
mini-sabbaticals, student mobility, joint
Links between changes in the tropical Atlantic
degrees, etc.).
and climate over both South America and
Postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowship southern Africa; teleconnections.
exchanges.
Increased understanding of palaeo-evolution in
Research coordination and funding. the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean.
Foster or develop data repositories for fisheries 1 The Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations