Modern laboratory boosts Knysna research

Abstract

Estuaries The new field laboratory of the Knysna Basin Project, situated in Knysna’s industrial area, was officially opened earlier this year by Executive Mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies. The laboratory, which houses state-of-the-art equipment used in aquatic science, forms a strong base from which the Project can serve its primary objective, which is to improve understanding of the biophysical processes that maintain the Knysna River estuary. The Knysna Basin Project was established after a need was established for a continuing research and monitoring programme to ensure the sustainable management of the estuarine embayment and other contiguous estuarine systems along the Cape South Coast. The primary responsibility of the Project is to contribute, through research and monitoring, to the ecological health of the estuary. Nursery of the sea The Knysna River estuary has the largest volume of seawater entering during neap and spring tides. It has one of the highest biodiversity levels of any estuary in South Africa, and is extremely energyproductive.

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