Research
The MARiS Centre is structured around inter-related scientific objectives - celebrating inter-and-trans-disciplinary collaboration, innovation, problem solving, training and building capacity within ocean sciences.
UCT-MARiS Research Framework & Objectives
The MARiS Research Framework demonstrates how interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration underpins our research, innovation, training, policy engagement, and public outreach activities. By integrating diverse knowledge systems and scientific disciplines, MARiS serves as a bridge between science and society, advancing sustainability, biodiversity conservation, societal well-being, and innovation in support of healthy marine and polar ecosystems in South Africa, the Southern Hemisphere, and beyond.
During 2025, a more circular and integrated approach to the UCT-MARiS Research Strategy was conceived and further developed by the network, to better reflect the interconnected nature of the Centre’s research, partnerships, and societal engagement activities. While the core objectives of UCT-MARiS remain unchanged, their implementation is intentionally less linear and more adaptive, enabling greater flexibility and resilience in responding to emerging opportunities and challenges.
At the centre of the framework are the four guiding pillars of Sustainability, Society, Biodiversity, and Innovation, positioned on the African continent and surrounded by the ocean to reflect both MARiS’s Southern Hemisphere context and the foundational role of marine natural and social sciences in addressing global challenges. These interconnected themes underpin the Centre’s commitment to advancing knowledge, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and developing innovative solutions for sustainable ocean futures.
The outer circle further illustrates the key mechanisms through which MARiS delivers impact: Innovation & Problem Solving, Inter- and Transdisciplinary Collaboration, and Training & Capacity Building. Together, these elements demonstrate how MARiS integrates expertise across the natural and social sciences—including oceanography, marine ecology, microbiology, climate science, engineering, governance, and policy—to co-create knowledge and innovative solutions for marine and polar environments. Through research, field campaigns, data analysis, stakeholder engagement, science communication, and partnerships with government, industry, civil society, and international collaborators, MARiS serves as a bridge between science and society, contributing to healthy oceans, resilient communities, and sustainable development in South Africa, the Southern Hemisphere, and beyond.
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