Above photo: The takeover team posing in front of the S.A Agulhas II on 17 April. From left: Otto Whitehead, Keith Springer, Roelf Daling, Josh Kemp and Vonica Perold.

Since 2022, the Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project has maintained a research presence on Marion Island. Each year, field assistants are deployed to conduct critical research that informs the planning of the operation to restore the island’s degraded ecosystem by eradicating invasive mice. This year is no exception and, in April 2025, we once again set sail for Marion Island.
The annual Marion Island relief voyage saw the S.A. Agulhas II, South Africa’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research and support vessel, journey to the island to relieve the current overwintering personnel and resupply the research base with food, fuel and provisions to sustain them for the year they will spend on the island. The takeover period is essential for ensuring a smooth transition between outgoing and incoming field assistants and support staff, as well as for training the new team members.

Each year, the MFM Project deploys new research personnel. We are pleased to introduce Vonica Perold and Roelf Daling, who will be relieving Monique van Bers (M81 2024/2025) after her year-long stint on Marion Island. Vonica and Roelf will form part of the M82 overwintering team and join the larger MFM Project team participating in the takeover voyage. Keith Springer (MFM Project Operations Manager) and Josh Kemp are accompanying them on the month-long voyage and overseeing the research activities planned for the takeover period. After closely examining possible reasons for two recent failed eradications, this research will include new field trials specifically designed to investigate key parameters relating to bait and mice, further refining our approach to eradication planning. Filmmaker and scientist, Otto Whitehead, is also part of the MFM Project team for the voyage, and he will assist with the fieldwork, document activities and help raise awareness for the project.

During the 2025/2026 period, Vonica and Roelf will continue to advance various monitoring initiatives that have been established to inform the planning of the baiting operation and support long-term monitoring of the ecological outcomes. Addressing key knowledge gaps through well-designed field trials plays a critical role in ensuring the success of the eradication operation.

With the S.A. Agulhas II departing for Marion Island on the 18th April, Vonica and Roelf share their personal stories and why they are looking forward to their year on Marion Island.
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Vonica Perold

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Mouse-Free Marion team as an overwintering Field Assistant! This is a huge milestone for me—both professionally and personally—because Marion Island and its seabirds hold a special place in my heart.
My journey with Marion began in 2014 when I spent a year on the island as a seabird Field Assistant. Here I saw the devastating impact of invasive mice on albatross and petrel chicks—a heartbreaking sight that solidified my commitment to island restoration. In 2020, I gained valuable experience in mice eradication fieldwork as a Field Officer for the Gough Island Restoration Programme with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Witnessing the immediate relief the seabirds experienced after the eradication attempt only deepened my passion for this work and fueled my commitment to Mouse-Free Marion!
Academically, I hold a Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and an MSc in Zoology from the University of Pretoria, and I’ve just graduated with a PhD in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. In fact, my graduation happened just a week before we set sail! I can’t wait to apply my skills and collect crucial data to support the planning and implementation of this groundbreaking project.
Beyond the research and preparation for the aerial baiting trials, I’m looking forward to experiencing Marion’s breathtaking beauty once more—its unique wildlife, spectacular landscapes, and the undeniable magic of the island. I’m also eager to share this experience with the M82 team as we take on the challenges and adventures of island life together.
This expedition is a rare and exciting opportunity, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of it. Here’s to an unforgettable year of trailblazing research and conservation in action in one of the wildest places on Earth!”

Above photo: Vonica with a pair of Albatrosses

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Roelf Daling

“After hearing countless stories from former Marion Islanders, I felt as if I had already lived a part of their experience. Now, the incredible opportunity to visit the island myself feels almost surreal. The vivid images and imagined scents that once filled my mind will finally come to life—what a privilege!
My career is deeply rooted in the arts. I hold an Honours degree in Fine Arts from the University of Pretoria, along with a Postgraduate Diploma in Interactive Media Design. As an artist, I work at the intersection of art, conservation, and technology. I believe that solving the world’s challenges requires fresh perspectives, not outdated ways of thinking. That’s why I value interdisciplinary collaboration and whole-system approaches—a necessary shift from ‘ego’ to ‘eco.’ The urgency of conservation work drew me in, and by merging my artistic and technical background with my passion for science and nature, I have cultivated a unique skill set.
Several fieldwork trips with the FitzPatrick Institute, along with my role as a Technical Field Officer during the mouse eradication project on Gough Island, have strengthened my scientific expertise and reinforced my purpose. I’m eager to bring that experience to Marion—contributing to the critical mission of eliminating invasive mice and restoring the island’s delicate ecosystem. The sheer complexity of this operation both excites and motivates me.
I’m also a keen photographer, and I can’t wait to document both the beauty and the challenges of life on the island—capturing moments through a lens that blends creativity with science. Hopefully, these images will help raise global awareness for the Mouse-Free Marion Project. And, of course, I’m looking forward to my first “Killers in the Bay!” moment—the legendary call that signals a Killer Whale sighting in the surrounding waters off the base.
Here’s to an unforgettable year in the wild—and to making a lasting impact in protecting Marion’s precious ecosystem!”

Above Photo: Vonica and Roelf on Gough Island

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We will report more on the 2025 Marion relief voyage and activities on the island once the takeover team, along with Monique van Bers, return safely to Cape Town in May. Until then, we wish the team all the best, safe travels and smooth seas as they sail to Marion Island.

Robyn Adams, Mouse-Free Marion Project Communications Officer and Project Assistant. 23 April 2025

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The first view of Marion Island, photo: Roelf Daling

The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean.  The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.  Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate.  For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.