Have our provincial aquatic scientists become critically endangered?

Abstract

Capacity development Have our provincial aquatic scientists become critically endangered? South Africa is a country blessed with extraordinary levels of biodiversity (ranked third in the world) and is the only country to have one of the world’s six floral kingdoms (Cape Floral) contained entirely within its borders. There are also a wide variety of inland aquatic ecosystems present, including seven of the world’s freshwater eco-regions; namely the Cape Fold, Karoo, Western Orange, Amatolo-Winterberg highlands, Drakensberg-Maluti highlands, Southern Temperate Highveld and Zambesian Lowveld. These ecoregions are characterised by a wide range of river ecosystem types and wetland groups. The national Atlas of freshwater ecosystem priority areas (FEPA) produced in 2011, identified 223 river ecosystem types in South Africa as well as 133 wetland groups. Housed within these ecosystems are an amazing diversity of aquatic animals and plants that are dependent on ecologically healthy inland waters for their survival.

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