On 16 June we had planned a webinar by Professor Jennifer Thomson FRSSAf. We want to apologise for the technical problems that led to cancellation of the event. We will reschedule the webinar for a date in July. The new date will be posted shortly on our webinar agenda.
Message from the President of the Royal Society of South Africa
I am delighted to welcome you to the Royal Society of South Africa’s website. We are proud to present this new webpage, as window into our membership and the activities of the Royal Society in South Africa.
The Royal Society of South Africa stands for the promotion of science and the value of science in society. The RSSAf is a society of scholars and experts, whose voices should be heard and whose contributions and leadership should be highly visible. We uphold the principles of leadership and excellence in scholarly activities and we value our independence as a scholarly organisation. We are proud of our openness to debate on topical and scholarly matters.
A tribute to Bob Scholes
Two award-winning Fellows of the RSSAf speak about their passion
News from the RSSAf
Happy World Albatross Day! 🥳 Today we celebrate these majestic birds that can go years without touching the land. They also have the largest wingspan out of any living bird! Even these magnificent birds that spend so much time out at sea are threatened. 🌊
According to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) : “Thousands of albatrosses are dying every year as a result of fishing operations. These birds get caught on hooks, become entangled in nets and collide with trawl cables, leading to death by drowning or injury. Solutions are available to address this conservation crisis. This year’s World Albatross Day aims both to draw attention to the problem and to highlight best-practice solutions, such as the use of bird-scaring lines in both longline and trawl fisheries, line weighting and night setting or use of hook-shielding devices by longliners and management of offal discharge by trawlers. The theme this year is “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries”. The two Critically Endangered albatrosses, the Tristan of Gough Island and the Waved from the Galapagos, have been chosen to serve as ‘feature species’ to draw attention to the continuing threats all the world’s 22 species of albatrosses face at sea from fisheries.”
#savesseabirds #marineconservation #worldalbatrossday2021 #wad2021
First discovered by our Fellow JLB Smith… new data emerging about longevity…The coelacanth was long thought to have gone extinct until it turned up in South Africa in 1938.
This “living fossil” fish may live for up to 100 years, reproducing only in late middle age, and can be pregnant for as long as 5 years. Incredible! 🐟⏳🦈
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57518593
Fine Art Prints ~ Birds of AfricaBirds of Africa
www.theflacks.co.za/shop
A collection of photographs that hopes to drive awareness about the incredible birdlife we have in Africa and the importance of conserving their equally beautiful habitats.
Launch of Beinart and Dubow Scientific Imagination in South Africa | Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research