Research

SOCCO is a South African born programme whose Integrated Science and Innovation Strategy links the value chain from basic science to societal impact in technological innovation and policy. In addition SOCCO serves as a technological innovation system and an end-to-end Human Capital Development platform. The innovation potential, research enterprise, scientific knowledge and Human Capital that SOCCO generates is at the epicentre of national development and is aligned with strategic initiatives that are embedded in the necessity for social impact.

SOCCO’s historical niche approach to investigate the Southern Ocean carbon-climate system through the lens of the seasonal cycle is underpinned by a need to resolve fine scale ocean dynamics that  are key to understanding the variability of air-sea fluxes of CO₂ and heat and thus the role of the Southern Ocean in global and regional climate. Addressing the relevant time and space scales that link physical forcing mechanisms associated with climate change to ocean physical and ecosystem responses requires innovative fine-scale observations (ocean robotics and satellite remote sensing) and innovative modelling techniques (prognostic and empirical) that can be used together to link the temporal and spatial scale gaps in our knowledge of a hitherto under sampled Southern Ocean. 

The SOCCO science strategy builds on its historical niche of fine scale dynamics and seasonally resolved long-term carbon observations but also expands to build new national capabilities in modelling and model infrastructure. The science that these capabilities will produce is anticipated to be necessary to develop effective policy around future ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) requirements. Overall it will extend the historical excellence in basic Southern Ocean carbon-climate science expertise closer to addressing societal needs more explicitly.  

This is achieved through four priority areas that link SOCCO science to societal benefits through models, observations, data products and capacity building:

1. Advancing models and modelling capabilities towards strengthening Earth System Model projections.

2. Advancing process understanding for improved model parameterisation.

3. Advancing observational-based constraints for models for ocean carbon.

4. Building a nationally integrated observational and modelling capability to support robust policy development around ocean CDR.

The SOCCO Integrated science innovation research strategy is organised into four primary research themes for delivering high impact research: 

Theme 1: Advancing the understanding of the physics-CO₂-heat nexus in the Southern Ocean: improving the confidence of Earth System Model projections and feedbacks

Theme 2: Understanding the sensitivity of the Southern Ocean biological carbon pump to climate change

Theme 3: Long-term observations and ocean carbon-climate projections for national, regional and global policy support

Theme 4: CDR: Building a new national science capability to support the assessment of ocean CDR in South Africa