Marine water

South Africa's marine environment is one of its most significant natural assets, spanning approximately 3,924 kilometres of coastline and encompassing two major ocean systems – the warm Agulhas Current along the east coast and the cold Benguela Current along the west coast. These contrasting oceanographic systems support extraordinarily productive marine ecosystems, sustaining rich fisheries, high levels of marine biodiversity, and important coastal communities. Marine water quality, sea level rise, ocean temperature change, plastic pollution, and the sustainable management of marine living resources are all areas of growing concern as climate change intensifies pressures on South Africa's coastal and ocean environment.

While the WRO's primary focus is freshwater resource management, marine and coastal water resources are closely linked to land-based water systems through runoff, sediment transport, estuary dynamics, and the management of wastewater discharges to the coast. The resources below provide access to data, platforms, and information relevant to South Africa's marine and coastal water environment.

Data & Monitoring Platforms

National Oceans and Coastal Information Management System (OCIMS) South Africa's primary operational platform for the integration and dissemination of ocean and coastal data, providing access to real-time and historical information on sea state, coastal hazards, water quality, and marine spatial planning.

SAEON Oceans and Coasts Node Long-term monitoring of South Africa's marine and coastal environment by the South African Environmental Observation Network, including sea surface temperature, ocean acidification, and biodiversity datasets.

SANSA Earth Observation – Marine Applications Satellite-derived ocean colour, sea surface temperature, and coastal change data from the South African National Space Agency, relevant to monitoring phytoplankton blooms, upwelling zones, and coastal erosion.

Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) A European Space Agency service providing free global ocean data including sea surface temperature, salinity, currents, sea level, and ocean colour — widely used in South African marine research.

Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) An international framework for sustained ocean observations, coordinating data from buoys, satellites, and research vessels relevant to South Africa's surrounding ocean systems.

Fisheries & Small-Scale Fishing

ABALOBI A South African-based social enterprise developing digital tools to support sustainable small-scale fishing communities, connecting fishers, scientists, and seafood buyers to promote responsible ocean resource use.

DAFF / DFFE – Marine Living Resources The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment manages South Africa's marine living resources under the Marine Living Resources Act, including fisheries licensing, stock assessments, and marine protected area management.

FAO FishStatJ The FAO's fisheries statistics software providing global and country-level data on fish production, trade, and consumption — useful for contextualising South Africa's marine fisheries within global trends.

Ocean & Coastal Health

Reef Life Survey – South Africa A citizen science programme collecting standardised data on reef fish and invertebrate communities at sites around South Africa's coastline.

Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) International network monitoring ocean acidification globally, with growing relevance to South African marine ecosystems as CO₂ absorption continues to alter ocean chemistry.

NASA Sea Level Change Portal Satellite-derived sea level data and projections relevant to South Africa's coastal flood risk and long-term coastal management planning.