“Algae are a source of food and energy: they are essential for dealing with climate change.
Without them, we will probably all die.”
Thankfully, SANPCC is looking out for algae in South Africa.
Vital climate change research
The SANPCC (South African National Phycology Culture Collection for microalgae) might sound like a niche organisation, but in fact, they are providing a vital service to South Africans – whether or not we’re aware of it.
“Algae are essential for dealing with climate change,” explains SANPCC founder Pierre Durand. He started the organisation and website three years ago because there weren’t any individuals or institutions maintaining microalgal cultures in South Africa. SANPCC keeps and provides algal samples to researchers doing biodiversity research – an essential component of climate change research.
The only one of its kind
SANPCC is the only one of its kind in South Africa. They provide a permanent site and repository for marine and freshwater microalgae from the Southern African region. “The custodian of the SANPCC is the Phycological Society of Southern Africa,” explains Pierre, “with the material ultimately belonging to the people of Southern Africa.”
The SANPCC website builds awareness for the organisation, offering an overview of their work, details of the culture collection and information about the researchers involved in the organisation.
“We chose xneelo as our hosting partners because they were recommended by a colleague. So far so good!” says Pierre.
