Two of our three Flow offices have something in common, something those of us in the Johannesburg office envy – can you guess what it is?
If you guessed oceans and beaches you hit the nail right on the head.
Luckily for us landlubbers here in Johannesburg, we had the pleasure of attending a talk by Judy Mann, CEO of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), who took us behind the scenes of a long-standing Flow client.
SAAMBR is a not-for-profit and non-governmental organisation established in 1951 with the main purpose of conserving local marine resources.
“We work with rural communities to empower them to manage their natural resources,” said Judy.
Judy talked us through what goes on at SAAMBR, including daily animal check-ups (even the seals have learned to inhale and hold their breath when the stethoscope comes out); managing water quality in every tank and exhibit; how conditions have been adapted to suit various inhabitants; and the all-important feeding routine at the aquarium.
The organisation comprises three divisions:
- uShaka Sea World
- The Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI)
- The Sea World Education Centre
uShaka Sea World forms part of uShaka Marine World, a theme park that also consists of uShaka Wet ‘n Wild – home to the largest water slide in Africa – uShaka beach, and the uShaka Village Walk, which offers visitors a unique shopping experience.
The Sea World Education Centre and ORI create awareness in communities by encouraging an appreciation of our marine environment and motivating the sustainable use of the marine environment through research and investigation.
“So much of the ocean is ‘out of sight, out of mind’. We have to empower people to know about the ocean,” said Judy.
To this end the Sea World Education Centre hosts teachers’ workshops, a volunteer guide programme and educational tours for thousands of schoolchildren every year.
The Flow team was intrigued by some of the information that Judy shared with us, like how oceans provide us with more oxygen than the world’s forests; how more than 30-million tons of seafood is caught each year; and how, apart from food and water, oceans also provide us with medicine, minerals and transport.
After such an insightful and interesting talk by Judy, the Flow team fully agrees with science-fiction writer, undersea explorer and futurist Sir Arthur C Clarke, who once said: “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.”
