Professor Michael Roberts

Bilateral Research Chair: Ocean Science & Food SecurityNelson Mandela University | University of Southampton (UK) | UBO-IRD (France)

Growing Research Capacity in AfricaUsing the Innovation Bridge – Regional Hub Approach

Ocean Science & marine Food Security

Based at Ocean Science Campus

Ocean Production

Ocean Physics

Training Capacity: 50 Post Graduate students

Regional Foot print

Focus: Developmental Challenges: Poverty and Food Security (SDGs 1,2)

Worst situation is in Africa!

WIO

Chair focuses on the highest density of Lowest Developed Countries in the IO — a region where 60 M people are directly dependent on the ocean for their food and livelihoods.

9 DAC listed countries

Villagers awaiting the return of their fishers

Focus: Developmental Challenges: Poverty and Food Security (SDGs 1,2)

June- October (SW Monsoon) December-April (NE Monsoon)

ChlorophyllChlorophyll

Wide variety of upwelling systems in the WIO

Regional Oceanography and ecosystems are complex!

Regional Oceanography and ecosystems are complex!

Global distribution surface chlorophyll

June- October (SW Monsoon) December-April (NE Monsoon)

ChlorophyllChlorophyll

Oceanography and ecosystems are complex!

C

C

B

B

ChlorophyllNutrients (NO4)Temperature

Turbulence-driven ecosystem

A changing Indian Ocean | An impending humanitarian disaster?

Project Structure

The varying upwelling systems in the WIO can be grouped into 9 systems —referred to as regional "upwelling" projects (RUPs)

1. Agulhas Current driven upwelling2. Upwelling in the Mozambique Channel3. Madagascar Ridge and seamounts upwelling4. Southeast Madagascar shelf and (SICC) chlorophyll bloom5. Upwelling in the East African Coastal Current (EACC) and influence of major

islands (Mafia, Zanzibar, Pemba)6. Upwelling Somalia Current system7. Oman/Arabian Sea upwelling system8. Chagos-Seychelles upwelling dome (SCTR) and Chagos Ridge9. Mascarene Plateau induced upwelling

RUPs

Research Plan

Focus: Fisheries-Socio-Economic-Science to

Governance+

Research projects

Innovation Bridge – Regional Hub approach

U.K. Foot print

Regional Foot printFocus: Ecosystem Functioning

Partnership

The IB-RH components1

Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)

Regional links to infrastructure and resources

2

Partnerships

+

Regional Hub2

French Foot print

Pipeline Core Technologies: Robotics, Earth Observations, Models

Alliance: Ships

1 m

Innovation Bridge + Regional Hub approach

France DAFF Kenya

Project Structure

The varying upwelling systems in the WIO can be grouped into 9 systems —referred to as regional "upwelling" projects (RUPs)

1. Agulhas Current driven upwelling2. Upwelling in the Mozambique Channel3. Madagascar Ridge and seamounts upwelling4. Southeast Madagascar shelf and (SICC) chlorophyll bloom5. Upwelling in the East African Coastal Current (EACC) and influence of major

islands (Mafia, Zanzibar, Pemba)6. Upwelling Somalia Current system7. Oman/Arabian Sea upwelling system8. Chagos-Seychelles upwelling dome (SCTR) and Chagos Ridge9. Mascarene Plateau induced upwelling

RUPs

Research Plan Progress

Norway – a natural partner!