Many unsung sea heroes are responsible for the protection of marine life along our coastlines! Here’s a glimpse into a mission one team undertook:
De Hoop, South Africa (05 August 2024) — In celebration of Marine Protected Area Day, which took place on 1 August, Cape Nature and the National Research Foundation (NRF) have spotlighted their ongoing efforts! These behind the scenes of the sea efforts help protect marine life thanks to unsung sea heroes, clever tech and the positive impact that’s been able to unfold through the Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP) in the Western Cape’s Marine Protected Areas.
What Are Marine Protected Areas?
You might be wondering what an MPA is and why they have their own day of celebration. The short story is that an MPA is a defined region designated and managed for the long-term conservation of marine resources, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. But, there is a longer story to MPAS and you can find out more here!
The Unsung Sea Heroes Mission
Between 18 and 19 June, a CapeNature team that included a marine specialist and field rangers collaborated with the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB) to perform essential maintenance ATAP acoustic receivers in the De Hoop Marine Protected Area.
ATAP (supported and funded by the Department of Science and Innovation) makes sure that over 250 moored acoustic receivers along 2,200kms of South Africa’s coastline (from St Helena Bay to Ponta do Ouro at the Mozambique border) are deployed.
This makes for an extensive network that tracks marine animals with acoustic tags, providing invaluable data on their movements and habitat use.
CapeNature’s vessel dubbed Storm Petrel played a big role in making the mission a success by deploying receivers in De Hoop and adjacent sites like the Breeze estuary. This mission involved a 130km round trip all the way from Witsand; navigating challenging conditions including a 28-knot gusting NW wind to get the job done!
Despite the obstacles for a mission like this, the team was successful in visiting six receiver sites on Day One, where they utilised innovative acoustic release technology to retrieve and replace devices. Only one of the acoustic releases was not received, but future recovery efforts will be made.
The next day, the team tackled three more offshore sites; tallying their stretch to 220kms over the two-day journey.
What Does This Technology Do for Marine Life?
This kind of tech (the acoustic release) helps the NRF-SAIAB researchers to release deployed receivers at each site from an actor using surface based technology!
The data collected through ATAPs then helps networks assist Marine Protected Area managers understand how targeted species utilise their areas, their migration patterns and helps provide insight as to the significance of adjacent habitats such as bays and estuaries. For marine life conservation efforts, this data and evidence becomes crucial and helps inform the expansion of protected areas.
About CapeNature
CapeNature is a public institution mandated to promote and ensure biodiversity conservation within the Western Cape, including managing most of the mountain catchments and reserves that supply ecosystem services to the citizens of the province.
This overarching mission needs good scientific data, a sound understanding of fynbos ecology and commitment to the principles of integrated biodiversity management and planning. While most of this work happens in remote areas out of the public eye, it has a direct bearing on the quality of life of millions of people in the Western Cape!
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