SAAMBR Celebrates 70 years of helping people to care for the ocean.

Seventy years ago this organisation started an incredible journey – the founding of a new non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to ocean research and conservation in South Africa.

Amazingly, this journey continues today as the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) celebrates its 70th Anniversary.

The dream of helping people to secure food sustainably from the sea has developed into the largest and oldest n dedicated to marine conservation in South Africa.

SAAMBR is the parent organisation for the Oceanographic Research Institute, uShaka Sea World and Sea World Education.

Since they were founded, SAAMBR has introduced over 20 million people to the wonders of ocean life – firstly at the Durban Aquarium and, since 2004, at uShaka Sea World.

For many, a visit to the aquarium is their first opportunity to experience the wonders of the ocean.

They work to Inspire their visitors to Care for the ocean, Connect them to life in our seas and Empower them to take action for nature.

For the millions of children who have participated in their educational activities, the aquarium represents an opportunity to experience a new world, ponder new career opportunities and become ambassadors for the ocean.

In fact, many current marine scientists in South Africa attribute their love of the ocean to a visit to the Durban Aquarium at a young age.

The Oceanographic Research Institute, SAAMBR’s research division, has undertaken applied marine research along much of the east coast of Africa.

Ann Kunz of SAAMBR says their scientists are active in many fields including research on fisheries, estuaries, coral reefs, marine protected areas (MPAs) and coastal zone management.

“We are especially proud of their contribution to policy through close working relationships with various government agencies.”

Many of the protected areas along their east coast were declared with input from their scientists and several fish species owe their continued existence to the timely research conducted by their scientists.

Their animal rehabilitation efforts have enabled them to care for stranded seals, turtles, sea snakes, penguins and many other marine species.

Each year their dedicated staff care for many animals that have washed up along our shores. With experience and dedication, their teams have returned most of these animals to the ocean.

They are quite sure that their founders had no idea that their dream would grow to reach so many millions of people and have such direct, positive impacts on the ocean. In 1951 people thought that the ocean was too big for humans to ever impact.

They now know differently as human impacts reach every part of the ocean through pollution, habitat destruction, over-fishing and climate change.

Ms Kunz said they also know that the health of human beings depends on the health of the oceans and they simply must care for the ocean.

SAAMBR has been advocating ocean care for over 70 years – truly an NGO established before its time!

We pay tribute to our board members, staff, volunteers and animals, past and present. And thank-you to all our partners for being an essential part of our journey.

They look forward to the next 70 years of helping people to care for the ocean, never before has this been as critically important as it is now!

For further information please contact Ann Kunz at 031 328 8152 or alternately 083 392 4147.

Link to SAAMBR website : SAAMBR – The South African Association for Marine Biological Research.