The Marion Island research base has been successfully handed over to the M83 team, following the coordinated efforts of the research team and personnel from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) to reactivate the base.

A handover ceremony took place on August 25 celebrating the collaborative efforts of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the DPWI, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the National Research Foundation (NRF), academics and M83 team.

The M83 team will now be able to continue their research activity on the island, while the DPWI, DSTI, NRF personnel will return to South Africa aboard the SA Agulhas II, which is due to leave the island on August 31, and expected to arrive in Cape Town on September 4.

Reactivating the base saw 494 t of cargo and 300 t of polar diesel transferred onto Marion Island.

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister David Maynier congratulated all stakeholders on the successful handover.

“Reactivating the base following the evacuation of the previous team earlier this year has not been an easy task, and has been made possible by excellent cooperation and coordination by all roleplayers. We appreciate the work that our sister department is doing to maintain and repair base infrastructure, and the support being provided to the mission by all stakeholders.”

During their time at Marion Island, representatives from the DFFE, the DSTI, the NRF and the DPWI undertook a comprehensive assessment of work to still be completed.

During its planned voyage to the SANAE IV base in Antarctica in December, the SA Agulhas II will stop at Marion Island to allow a dedicated team of DPWI engineers to complete more extensive maintenance work on the base, and on the nine research huts to make the base more comfortable for the overwintering team.

The engineers will remain on the island until they are picked up in February 2027, when the ship is due to return from Antarctica.

Maynier highlighted the strategic importance of the work being done on the island.

“Climate change in the Southern Ocean has a direct impact on South Africa’s economy and security, so it is vital that our base on Marion Island is fit-for-purpose and able to sustain high-quality research into climate conditions and biodiversity in this region.”