3.1 The RI Life Cycle
3.1.3 Running the RI
consortium partner that will host the infrastructure, if not directly managed by SAPRI. However, it will remain the responsibility of the SAPRI to ensure the correct protocols are followed and all documentation is properly archived in case of faults further down the line. The approval of the commissioning phase will be done by the Management Team. As part of Phase 1, the IF Coordinating Officers will need to receive additional training in SHE-Q and facilities management (if they do not have this already).
3.1.3 Running the RI
❏ Development of innovative observational devices and communication.
LTO-Ocean ❏ Planning and management of the SAPRI long-term
observation networks in the Southern Ocean, sea ice, deep ocean sites and the overlying atmosphere
❏ Management of sea-going technicians and maintenance of equipment for ocean (shipboard and mooring) sampling and under-ice exploration, ocean mapping and deep-sea underwater research
❏ Management and maintenance of autonomous devices as agreed upon in Phase 1
❏ Coordination between multi-site warehouses and provision of services as required by the HOST-HUB
❏ Provision of expert guidance and training on ocean sampling and instrument calibration
❏ Development of the oceanic component of new observational devices and communication, in collaboration with the other IFs and other partners
DPS (including SAPRI Data
Centre) ❏ Coordination of the human aspects of Antarctic research
❏ Promotion and marketing of SAPRI
❏ Dissemination of research findings to the broader scientific community and general public.
❏ Stakeholder support and consultation for ATS policies and international programme, including the coordination of the scientific representation in international bodies
❏ Coordination, management and organisational support of the joint capacity building programs between the IFs (e.g.
SEAmester, summer schools, etc.)
❏ Management of the training assistance for students, technicians and scientists accessing the IFs
❏ Maintenance of the SAPRI Data Centre
❏ Consolidation of historical data
❏ Retrieval, processing and archival of data according to the management protocols (see details in Appendix D)
❏ Update and provision of data management protocols
Polar Lab ❏ Day-to-day management and maintenance of the
laboratory facility
❏ Access control and booking in coordination with the HOST-HUB
❏ Provision of expert guidance and training on ice sampling and storage
❏ Technical assistance for science projects and design of new instruments
❏ Maintenance of scientific equipment and gear for ice sampling and fieldwork
❏ Storage and archiving of samples as necessary and in accordance with the data management protocols
Maintenance
Maintenance of the SAPRI equipment is distributed between the various IFs Table 5. It will be ongoing to ensure continuous operations and quality control of the generated data before transmission to the data centre. As part of the SLAs and MoUs with stakeholders and IFs, a detailed maintenance schedule will be established for each piece of infrastructure procured by or shared with the SAPRI. Detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) will be established from the start, so that any change-over of staff may successfully continue the maintenance of SAPRI-procured and shared infrastructure over the life cycle of the SAPRI.
Certain maintenance will be linked to the ship’s schedule and planned according to take over cruises.
The maintenance of largescale polar infrastructures is the responsibility of DEFF, which will communicate periods of extended maintenance and/or limited availability. For instance, dry dock periods of the SA Agulhas II will be noted in SAPRI plans in order to carry out any equipment additions in agreement with DEFF.
The SAPRI data centre will undergo regular maintenance as laid out in Appendix D Building Community
The SAPRI will begin its life-cycle with over 20 national stakeholders keenly involved with its inception and success going forwards. The SAPRI also builds on extensive regional and international collaborations, both scientific and in terms of treaties which look to the safe-guarding of the Antarctic continent and key species inhabiting these marine and polar regions. These will mostly consist of scientists directly using the SAPRI platforms for research and student training
The SAPRI will build on the existing skills within the South African community of researchers while working to transform successive generations of technicians, engineers, scientists, humanitarians and decision-makers. The SAPRI will link to other research infrastructures working in both the marine, atmospheric and terrestrial spaces, such as SMCRI, BIOGRIP and EFTEON. In accordance with the strategic planning delineated in the ASOP by DEFF, the SAPRI should be developed into a uniquely African Gateway to the marine and Antarctic region south of Africa and use the opportunity to engage researchers from neighbouring African countries. Given the diverse array of disciplines involved in the SAPRI there will be many users interested in the data products from different disciplines to enhance their own work or international scientists.
Further to this are users such as government departments who require higher-level value-added data products to inform policy for example. This group will expand rapidly as SAPRI is able to create 3.1.3.2
3.1.3.3
products from historic and present data and make them more widely available. In addition, there will be a community of interested and affected parties (public) and citizen scientists who will be engaged in the SAPRI through the DPS and other outreach activities.
Capacity Development through Education and Training
As noted earlier and further elaborated on in Chapter 5, one of the key successes of the SAPRI will be the engagement of early career professionals (exemplified by APECSSA) to continue and extend the work undertaken within the marine and polar space encompassed by the SAPRI thus far. Much of the vigour of the older generation of researchers has gone out of marine and polar science due to a lack of funding, infrastructure and logistical constraints. Through the SAPRI, a new generation of researchers will receive the critical mix of skills necessary to extend long-term observation records and undertake strategic research which has been put on hold for years due to the above mentioned constraints Experience, regardless of whether it is technical or scientific in nature, cannot be taught in a classroom. It is a hands-on, taught, and sometimes re-taught process, requiring many hours of dedicated teamwork in the field. The use of digital twin technologies and the possibility to partly supplement some field experiences in a virtual or simulated laboratory way will further increase the capacity.
Whereas some disciplines can benefit and use extensive robotic automated data logging equipment on land and offshore, other disciplines require trained people on the ground (geology, geophysics, geomorphology, biology) for data observation and sample collection. In this context it is important to maintain continuity of personnel in safe operation in the field, recognizing the subtle but inherent dangers in field operations from tented camps and overland travel. Experienced field personnel are also required in the event of search and rescue operations. This training is currently done within the SANAP-Logistics component, and it will be further enhanced within the LTO-Land IF to ensure that the new generation of polar scientists and technicians will operate safely in the field.
In addition to this are the metrics of any scientific endeavour - postgraduate student theses and peer- reviewed scientific publications. In support of these more traditional aspects should be those of instrument patents, methodological papers including those constituting standards and best practices, data downloads and citations, policy input, teaching resources that can be used for secondary and tertiary education, blogs and vlogs from the ocean or laboratories and other less-traditional training and educational materials. As highlighted in Section 6, SAPRI will keep track of all students using infrastructure and of all outputs produced for reporting purposes and to ensure SAPRI is meeting the needs of and being responsive to its stakeholders. We anticipate that the postgraduate student numbers will increase with time as the national and international collaborators and infrastructure users grow.
Education will be further enhanced through the well-established SAEON science engagement program to reach secondary learners and educators from all over South Africa and to use polar science to support the curriculum in schools and involve them in SAPRI-led annual camps, schoolyard LTER, workshops, Expos, internships etc. In addition to this, education of society is vital, and this will be supported through both the SAEON science engagement program and the DPS IF.
Upgrading, Replacement and Extension
In addition to the maintenance schedules and SOPs mentioned in Section 3.1.3.2, which is required for each piece of SAPRI-procured infrastructure, there should be an equipment upgrading, 3.1.3.4
3.1.3.5
related budget cover a period of 15 years and were driven by the proposals presented by the science community during the meta-design phase. Availability of commercial instruments will change over the years, as well as the currency fluctuations will affect the priorities indicated in this proposal document.
All the upgrades, replacements and extensions will be discussed within the Management Team in consultation with the advisory structures (Chapter 4). Given the vast array of equipment within the SAPRI the replacement of equipment lifespan will vary: in situ marine instrumentation will need to be replaced every 5-8 years, however there will be a certain amount of redundancy so this can be set to a 5 year rolling period. Gear and fieldwork equipment for terrestrial and ice activities may require shorter replacement times. This task and the relative replacement plans will be undertaken by the respective IF Coordinating Officers. The current fleet of gliders that has been procured and maintained by CSIR-SOCCO is obsolete and its replacement has been distributed over the first 15 years of the SAPRI life cycle. Larger equipment such as the deep-sea rovers, the Antarctic supply vehicles or the wave-ice tank will likely be replaced only once during the SAPRI lifespan. This will include IT upgrades for the SAPRI data centres, as highlighted in Appendix D.
3.1.4 Shutting down