SAMOS Student Collaboration: Plankton Sampling

On the 17^th of March 2026 the SAMOS students had their first field trip where they got a chance to see how phytoplankton is sampled and the appropriate procedures that follow. The class was divided into 3 groups each getting a chance to go out to Algoa Bay on the SAIAB Coastal Research Vessel. During the trip the students CTDs to assess the physical properties such as Temperature, Salinity, Oxygen, Chlorophyll etc. They also used mesh nets to sample plankton which they later identified in the lab under the guidance of Prof. Mark Gibbons (University of Western Cape), Dr. David Walker (Cape Peninsula University of Technology), Dr. Mfundo Bizani (SAEON) and Danielle Chetty (SAEON). Later that week the students presented their findings and engaged in a discussion session dissecting the findings of each group together.