On this World Oceans Day, we honour the many people and organisations who advocate for the Great African Seaforest.



From the scientists and shark spotters on the frontlines, to the filmmakers and marine biologists bringing new communities home to the ocean — the people fighting for this biodiversity wonder are as extraordinary as the forest itself.



We see you @sanbi_za @saveourseasfoundation @sanparks @sharkspotters @aquariumfoundation @sanccob @tablemountainnationalpark — and every researcher, diver, educator and community builder working up and down this coastline.



In a time when the health of our planet and the health of our people are deeply entwined, your work is more than just preservation — it’s also hope.

@kerrysink2021 @explore_theshore @loyiso.dunga @shamier_ocean @sea_the_bigger_picture #worldoceansday #greatafricanseaforest

Shape-shifting cuttlefish, stingrays as big as tables, tiny shrimp prancing in the water. The Great African Seaforest thrums with life — including myriad crustaceans connecting so much of it together. Read our latest blog on these clean-up crews. Link in bio.

@tatjana_baleta @saveourseasfoundation #1001seaforestspecies #crustacea #greatafricanseaforest

Crustaceans of the Great African Seaforest will be in the spotlight this week when the Crustacean Society Mid-Year Meeting gathers in Stellenbosch, South Africa — a first for Africa.

From tiny amphipods navigating the kelp fronds to rock lobsters scuttling along the reefs, crustaceans are the seaforest’s great connectors.

The society is an international academic grouping, founded in 1981, gathering students, professional carcinologists and anyone interested in the Crustacea from around the world. It’s the only international society for carcinologists, with roughly 400 international members.

The meeting is being hosted by a team of crustacean researchers from Stellenbosch University, including Sea Change’s biologist Dr Jannes Landschoff.

Sea Change Project, supported by the Save Our Seas Foundation, is bringing its 1001 Seaforest Species project to the gathering. Using rigorous marine biology, the art of underwater tracking and deep storytelling, it creates a baseline dataset unlike any other. Over thousands of hours of dives in the Great African Seaforest, we have described new species and behaviours, creating a living record of what this ecosystem truly contains.

@saveourseasfoundation @naszoea #1001seaforestspecies @stellenboschuni #greatafricanseaforest #biodiversity

#0060 Barnacle-burrow amphipod - Ampelisca excavata

Some homeowners make the space work for them, but these little amphipods have made themselves work for the space. Females occupy empty burrows dead barnacles, which are most commonly excavated into the shells of mollusks, but can also occur in sheets of coralline algae – and they have adapted their bodies to fit their homes.

Their limbs have become short, stout and spinose (kind of hairy) to grip the walls of the burrow. Even more ingenious is a plug-like structure on the dorsal surface that appears to be used to close off the opening to the burrow when disturbed.

And the males? Still a mystery. Likely roaming free, while the females remain in their snug homes.

@saveourseasfoundation #1001seaforestspecies #1001speciesproject #seachangeproject #greatafricanseaforest

‘Biodiversity is the immune system of the planet. The more varied it is, the healthier the planet.’ – Swati Thiyagarajan

#biodiversity #greatafricanseaforest #seachangeproject @swatithiyagarajan #natureconnection

#0059 Plum anemone - Actinia ebhayiensis

Plum anemones enjoy living the high life — they’re one of the few species adept at surviving in air when the water recedes during low tide. Their glossy red colour makes them unmistakeable from False plum anemones (#0023), which are purple tipped.

When their tentacles – which number about 90 – are retracted, they resemble shiny, squishy studs fixed to the rocks.

As is often the case in taxonomy, Plum anemones were once thought to be a European species but are now recorded as endemic to South Africa.

@saveourseasfoundation #1001speciesproject #seachangeproject #greatafricanseaforest

Kelp forests deserve the same recognition and protection as land forests — and these stories point to a shift in the right direction.

Image 4: @eduardo.sorensen courtesy @rewildingchile

@rewildingchile @porelmar_org #kelpforest #kelp #biodiversity #seachangeproject

#0058 Hairy chiton - Chaetopleura papilio

As the name suggests, these large, handsome mollusks have an impressive sprinkling of stubble on their soft fleshy girdle. Often found in crevices and under rocks in low tide pools or on shallow reefs, Hairy chitons are topped with eight shell plates that are near rectangular but rounded to the front with lifted sides. These plates are often brown or maroon with striking light brown or black stripes, sometimes even with blue or white spots. If you’re lucky, you might spot a rare blue-coloured one. Like other chitons, this distinctively stubbly species rasps algae off the rocks using its radula – which is kind of like a muscular tongue.

@saveourseasfoundation #1001seaforestspecies #seachangeproject #taxonomy #1001species

When we think about biodiversity, we might look out of the window and see plants, trees, the ocean, birds, insects. But if we dive deeper, we see how all living things are connected, and every thread supports our very existence.

#seachangeproject #biodiversity #greatafricanseaforest #natureconnection #rememberyouarewild