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Journey of a lifetime: Marike Stander joins research expedition to Marion Island

05 August 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

The Prince Edward Islands are the most southerly part of South Africa’s official territory and consist of Marion Island and Prince Edward Island. On Marion Island, about 270 km² in size and situated in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean, 1 920 km from the South African shore, activities are restricted to research and conservation management.

This is where Marike Stander, Lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of the Free State (UFS), was granted the opportunity to assist a research group led by Prof Werner Nel (University of Fort Hare) and Prof David Hedding (Unisa) – based on her knowledge and experience in tracer sampling.

Back home, Stander is working to complete her doctoral research, investigating the often-overlooked major issue of soil erosion. She believes the management of soil erosion, a global issue, is key. According to her, it impacts the storage of carbon and nutrients, and therefore the production of food, but it can also act as a pollutant in water sources.

Fieldwork and data collection

She was approached by the Sub-Antarctic Landscape-Climate Interactions (SANAP-LCI) Research Group, a project funded by the South African National Antarctic Programme-NRF. One of their research objectives is to explore the viability of using geochemical tracers in the substrate on Marion Island, the focus of Stander’s doctoral research.

With the support of the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Geography, she was released to accompany the research group for the first time in her life on their annual relief expedition with the SA Agulhas II from Cape Town to Marion Island, where she assisted with fieldwork and data collection. During this three-week field campaign, Stander collected sediment samples for the tracer project, as well as rock and peat samples.

With the SANAP-LCI group collaborating with research labs in the United Kingdom and France, she was able to bring her expertise to the table, while at the same time learning about other geochronological techniques and field methods.

She was also excited about the exposure to the work of a myriad of researchers in various fields from around the world. Stander says in a time when the importance of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work is being emphasised, it was invaluable to meet and learn from various distinguished scientists. “It changes your perspective and allows your mind to not only think outside the box, but also to think about all the interconnected boxes and how they affect each other.”

She believes being exposed to various sampling strategies from different scientists also broaden one’s skill set and experience. “Using your capabilities and skills in a different setting builds depth to your skill set and expands your horizon.”

Volcanoes and albatrosses

Very few people get the opportunity to visit Marion Island. Thus, just the chance to visit and experience life on the island is described by many as one of their most memorable events. Always fascinated by volcanic features, Stander was completely captivated by this relatively young volcanic island. “There are so many interesting features, such as the pahoehoe and a’a lava flows, as well as the numerous scoria cones,” describes Stander, who cannot believe that she managed to cover the vast distances in gumboots, the only footwear that are effective to cross anything – from razor-sharp rocks to deep waterlogged mires.

She was also overwhelmed by the flora and fauna on the island. “It is so very different from what we are used to and from what I’ve experienced before. Seeing these animals in a relatively untouched remote location really captivated me,” she says.

“More specifically, I fell in love with the albatrosses. These remarkable seabirds cover vast distances over the ocean looking for food. They are unfortunately threatened by the invasive mice on Marion Island.” Stander invites people to help organisations such as Mouse-Free Marion to take on the difficult task of eradicating these mice. Find them at www.mousefreemarion.org.

On a lighter note, Stander also learnt a thing or two that was totally new to her. For instance, that there are radio telescopes installed on the radio-quiet Marion Island, searching for the universe’s first stars. And that male elephant seals that drive out all other male competitors during mating season are called ‘beachmasters’. She learned that these ‘beachmaster’ bulls have a harem of female elephant seals and can weight up to three tons.

• She wishes to thank Prof Werner Nel, Prof David Hedding, and Dr Liezel Rudolph (UFS) from the SANAP-LCI project for affording her the opportunity to join the expedition. She also thanks the SANAP-NRF and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment for making the expedition possible.

News Archive

UV vestig hom afgelope eeu as leier op verskeie terreine

2004-05-11

Michelle O'Connor - Volksblad - 11 Mei 2004

Ondank terugslae nou 'n 'gesonde volwassene'

HOEWEL die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) vanjaar sy eeufees vier en met 23 000 studente die grootste universiteit in die sentrale deel van die land is, was dié instelling se geboorte glad nie maklik nie. MICHELÉ O'CONNOR het met prof. Frederick Fourie, rektor, oor die nederige begin van dié instelling gesels.

DIE behoefte aan 'n eie universiteit in die Vrystaat het reeds in 1855, kort ná die stigting van Grey-kollege, kop uitgesteek.

Grey se manne het hulleself teen 1890 begin voorberei om die intermediêre B.A.-eksamens af te lê. Dié eksamen het hulle toegang gegee tot die tweede jaar van 'n B.A.-graad aan die destydse University of the Cape Good Hope, nou die Universiteit van Kaapstad.

"Presidente F.W. Reitz en M.T. Steyn het destyds albei die stigting van 'n universiteit hier bepleit. Die grootste rede was sodat die seuns van die Vrystaat nie weggestuur word nie.

"Dié twee se droom is op 28 Januarie 1904 bewaarheid toe ses studente hulle onder dr. Johannes Bril, as hoof/rektor van Grey-kollege, vir die graad B.A. ingeskryf het. Dié graad is aanvanklik deur die Kaapse universiteit toegeken.

"Net die klassieke tale soos Latyns en Grieks, die moderne tale, Nederlands, Duits en Engels, filosofie, geskiedenis, wiskunde, fisika, chemie, plant- en dierkunde is aanvanklik aangebied.

"Die UV se geboue het gegroei van 'n klein tweevertrek-geboutjie wat nou naby Huis Abraham Fischer staan, en verblyf in die Grey-kollege se seunskoshuis," sê Fourie.

Volgens hom is die universiteit se eerste raad en senaat tussen 1904 en 1920 saamgestel. Die eerste dosente is aangestel en die eerste geboue opgerig. "Dié tyd was egter baie moeilik.

"Die instelling het teen 1920 net 100 studente gehad en was geldelik in die knyp. Daar was geen vaste rektor nie en geen vooruitgang nie. Vrystaatse kinders is steeds na ander universiteite gestuur.

"Ds. J.D. Kestell, rektor van 1920 tot 1927, het egter dié instelling finaal gevestig.

"Hy het self studente van oor die hele Vrystaat gewerf en geld by onder meer kerke en banke ingesamel. Kestell het selfs Engelse ouers oortuig om hul kinders na die Greyuniversiteitskollege (GUK) te stuur en teen 1927 het dié instelling met 400 studente gespog.

"In die tydperk tussen 1927 en 1950 het die GUK weer verskeie terugslae beleef.

"In dié tyd was dit onder meer die Groot Depressie en die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Die armblanke-vraagstuk het regstreeks op studente en dosente ingewerk en die politieke onderstrominge van dié tyd het die instelling ontwrig.

"Die GUK het egter oorleef en die Universiteitskollege van die Oranje-Vrystaat (UKOVS) is in 1935 gebore," sê Fourie.

Hy sê in dié tyd is verskeie fakulteite gevestig en teen 1950 het die UKOVS met 1 000 studente gespog.

Teen 1950 het dit 'n onafhanklike universiteit geword en die naam is verander na die Universiteit van die OranjeVrystaat (UOVS).

Dié tydperk is gekenmerk deur Afrikaner- en blanke selfvertroue en heerskappy. Studentegetalle het tot 7 000 in 1975 gegroei en heelwat vooruitgang het in dié tyd plaasgevind.

"Tussen 1976 en 1989 sukkel dieuniversiteit weer met onder meer ekonomiese krisisse, die land se politieke onstabiliteit en word die UOVS geï soleer.

"Een ligpunt in dié tyd is die toelating van die eerste swart studente, die nuwe Sasol-biblioteek en die fakulteit teologie wat die lig sien.

"Tussen 1990 en vanjaar het die UOVS verskeie op- en afdraandes beleef. Die universiteit doen nie net die eerste stappe van transformasie nie, maar begin ook aan 'n beleid van multikulturaliteit werk.

"Die UOVS se naam verander in 1996 na die Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State en in 2001 word die Sotho-vertaling bygevoeg.

"Geldelike druk en probleme neem drasties toe en personeel word gerasionaliseer.

"Teen 2000 begin die UV met 'n draaistrategie en studentegetalle neem tot meer as 23 000 toe," sê Fourie.

Hy sê die UV het die afgelope eeu nie net verskeie terugslae oorleef nie, maar homself ook op verskeie gebiede as 'n leier gevestig.

Die universiteit behaal sy eie geldelike mikpunte, neem 'n nuwe taalbeleid van veeltaligheid aan en herbelê in personeel.

Die instelling inkorporeer die kampusse van die Vista- en Qwaqwa-universiteit en groei internasionaal.

Die UV vestig ook fondamente van 'n institusionele kultuur van verdraagsaamheid, geregtigheid en diversiteit.

"Die baba het in die afgelope eeu 'n gesonde volwassene geword."

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