Above Picture: Robyn Adams, enjoying the Langebaan Lagoon, West Coast National Park
In this “Meet the Team” post, we formally introduce Robyn Adams, who recently took up the role of Communications Officer and Project Assistant for the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project.
Robyn is a marine scientist, science communicator and illustrator. Growing up with the ocean, mountains and green spaces of Cape Town, South Africa, and Table Mountain National Park at her doorstep, she has always been passionate about conservation.
Robyn completed her tertiary education at the University of Stellenbosch, where she pursued an undergraduate degree in Biodiversity and Ecology and an Honours degree in marine invasion biology. Robyn’s relationship with Marion Island began in 2015, when she visited the islands as part of her Master of Science degree. She spent a month sailing around the rugged coastline of the Prince Edward Islands using a tow camera to sample seafloor invertebrate communities. Her research focused on long term changes in invertebrate communities due to climate induced shifts in physical oceanographic patterns.
In 2018, Robyn began working within the Marine Unit at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), where she continued her work on Marion Island ecosystems, co-authoring the first National Biodiversity Assessment for South Africa’s sub-Antarctic realm. While working within SANBI’s Marine Unit, Robyn began combining her ‘hobby’ of illustration and design with science to better communicate important science stories. She has communicated the benefits of Marine Protected Areas for a variety of stakeholders and produced graphics for the National Biodiversity Assessment marine and sub-Antarctic realms. In early 2020, Robyn co-developed an ocean literacy project that used art and storytelling to communicate the science behind South Africa’s marine ecosystems for children, educators and decision makers.
One of Robyn’s digital illustrations of a pair of Wandering Albatrosses
Robyn reports that she is excited for the opportunity to share stories about Marion Island and to help support a project that aims to provide a healthy future for its globally important seabirds and other biodiversity. “When I visited Marion Island in 2015, as part of the oceanographic crew, we were only able to visit the island for one day but it was an unforgettable experience. It was while sitting at the bow of the S.A. Agulhas II trying to combat seasickness that I really began to appreciate how exceptional the Prince Edward islands are. I am excited to be able to be part of the project working to secure a positive conservation future for Marion Island and its seabirds.”
Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, 10 August 2021
