The Department of Science and Technology (DST) made funding available to ACEP through SAIAB to acquire a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and a coastal research platform (large ski-boat) to operate the ROV from. The new 13 m Research Vessel was launched in Port Alfred on 30 September 2009 and is based in Port Elizabeth. The research platform is kitted out with the following scientific instruments:
1. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to measure ocean currents
2. Integrated GPS Echo-sounder to map the seafloor
3. Davit and winch system to launch and retrieve scientific instruments, e.g.
a. 80 micron mesh phytoplankton ring nets
b. 90 micron mesh modified WP2 zooplankton net
c. 100 and 200 micron mesh Bongo net to collect zooplankton and ichthyoplankton
d. 60 micron mesh Plankton Pump
e. van Veen grab to collect sediment samples from the seafloor
4. Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and flight panel in the cabin. The ROV will be equipped with:
a. Cameras (2 high resolution colour video cameras and one low light black and white camera)
b. Sonar
c. Ultra Short Baseline (USBL) navigation system
d. 5-function manipulator arm to collect samples from the seafloor
5. Compressor to fill SCUBA cylinders
The vessel is fully equipped for overnight passages and is licensed as a Category A vessel that allows it to venture more than 40 nautical miles offshore. This allows marine scientists to sample the entire ecosystem (physical oceanography, marine geology, phytoplankton, zooplankton, infauna, fish, marine mammals and birds) from nearshore to past the continental shelf.
The vessel is managed by ACEP through SAIAB and as a National Facility of the National Research Foundation (NRF), the boat and its equipment is available to all researchers around the coast of South Africa. The vessel will also be made available to the rest of the South Western Indian Ocean region through ACEP’s partnership with the ASCLME Project.
R/V uKwabelana is currently being used by of the following research programmes, some of which use it on a monthly basis, which to date include 5 PhD, 2 MSc and 3 BSc Honours projects:
• SAEON Algoa Bay Long Term Ecological Monitoring Research Programme.
• Phytoplankton of Algoa Bay - Berny Snow, Eileen Campbell and Tommy Bornman.
• Fort Hare University Honours Student coastal plankton research programme
• Great White Sharks - Matt Dicken
• The proposed Greater Addo MPA - Russel Chamers and Warwick Sauer
• Penguins of St. Croix and Bird Island - Lorien Pichegru
• MPA biodiversity studies in the Tsitsikamma National Park - Ali Gotz and Anthony Bernard
• ACEP Agulhas Shelf Project - Christopher McQuiad and Charles von der Meden
In all cases the ROV will provide capacity to undertake observation in areas previously too deep to be monitored.
For details on the use of the ROV see the ROV Quarterly Reports below:
ROV Quarterly Report - June 2010.pdf
To find out about using uKwabelana please contact Shaun Deyzel s.deyzel@saeon.ac.za or Sean Bailey s.bailey@saeon.ac.za or phone them on 046 622 9899.
