Tlhonolofatso: Connecting Oceans, Climate, and Society Through Science

When Tlhonolofatso Tebele reflects on the ocean, his words reveal reverence and a deep understanding of its significance for life on Earth.“The ocean moves, breathes, and interacts with the atmosphere,” he notes with thoughtfulness. “Even the smallest changes in its temperature ripple through ecosystems, weather, fish populations and people’s lives.”

Amid the wild beauty of Marion Island, Tlhonolofatso joins research efforts to monitor elephant seals, which is vital work that helps scientists understand how life responds to changing ocean conditions.

As a Senior Technical Scientist at the SAEON: SAPRI in Cape Town, his work is to capture and track those changes in real time. Tlhonolofatso and his colleagues deploy scientific instruments along South Africa’s coastline to monitor sea surface temperatures, a critical climate indicator, essential for tracking the health of marine ecosystems and anticipating climate impacts.

“The team has seen subtle yet consistent warming trends in parts of South Africa’s coastline. What’s exciting is seeing how this localised data connects to global climate models. It shows that what happens off our own shores is tied to the bigger planetary story,” he explains with a quiet sense of wonder.

For Tlhonolofatso, these findings are signposts that guide fisheries management, inform conservation planning, and strengthen society’s ability to build climate resilience. It is a responsibility he carries with both pride and purpose.

The Journey Began Far from the Coast

Tlhonolofatso’s journey into ocean science began far from the coast. He grew up in Tlokoeng (formerly Mount Fletcher), a small town nestled in the mountains of the Eastern Cape, about an hour from Matatiele, surrounded by grasslands and rivers more familiar with summer storms than with tides. With no coastline in sight, he was curious about the oceans as he watched the weather, the gathering clouds, shifting winds, and rolling storms, and wondered how these patterns might be connected to the sea beyond the horizon.

That spark, rooted in a small inland town, eventually carried him all the way to Cape Town’s coastlines and labs, and far beyond.

At Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), he began by studying Cape Cormorants, a species of coastal seabird native to southern Africa, at the V&A Waterfront, observing their breeding behaviour amidst a working harbour. He then explored seabed reef communities in Table Mountain National Park’s Marine Protected Area for his Bachelor of Technology in Oceanography. By the time he completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Conservation and Marine Sciences, he was evaluating sea surface temperature data along South Africa’s coast, linking local observations to broader climate understanding. Along the way, a short course in Ocean and Atmospheric Modelling gave him hands-on experience with ocean prediction models like CROCO and ROMS that simulate currents, temperatures, and other physical processes, equipping him to turn data into insight.

But it was a single classroom moment that changed everything. During a practical at university, he watched live ocean data appear on a screen. Invisible processes of currents, temperatures, and movements suddenly became visible. “That was the game changer,” he says. “I knew I wanted to be part of that world.”

From coastlines to the deep sea, Tlhonolofatso’s work relies on advanced, autonomous instruments – silent observers that dive, surface, and glide through the water, collecting critical data on temperature, salinity, density and currents to help scientists track changes in ocean and climate systems.

Venturing into the World’s Most Remote Oceans

Tlhonolofatso’s first taste of life out at sea came while still a student at CPUT, aboard the SA Agulhas II, a South African icebreaking polar supply and research vessel owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, for the SCALE Southern Ocean Seasonal Experiment.

As part of the Biogeochemical team, he collected water samples to study phytoplankton dynamics in the Southern Ocean. “It was my first real experience of offshore research,” he recalls, “and it opened my eyes to how much life and climate are connected through the ocean.”

His second expedition took him to Marion Island, deep in the sub-Antarctic and right in the path of the roaring 40s, the belt of relentless westerly winds that circle the globe between 40° and 50° south. There, in a place defined by isolation, crashing seas, and unforgiving gales, he spent over a year as a Senior Meteorological Technician, coordinating weather observations and keeping instruments alive in the sub-Antarctic’s fierce winds. “One memory stands out for me,” he reflects, “We were launching a weather balloon in a blizzard; our fingers were frozen, the wind was tearing at us, but we couldn’t stop laughing. It was chaos and beauty at the same time.”

Tlhonolofatso’s longest mission carried him to Antarctica’s “White Desert,” where he spent 15 months at the South African National Antarctic Expedition IV (SANAE IV) station. “It was a great honour to represent South Africa, the only African country with a research presence there, and to contribute to atmospheric science in such a globally significant environment.” 

Braving Antarctica’s icy expanse, Tlhonolofatso (with goggles in the front) and his team conduct critical ocean and atmospheric research at the South African National Antarctic Expedition IV (SANAE IV) station, advancing global understanding of climate in one of Earth’s harshest frontiers.

Resilience, Teamwork, and the Responsibility of Science for Society

For Tlhonolofatso, science reaches past numbers and datasets; its purpose is to serve society. “I hope it helps build climate resilience,” he affirms with determination. “By improving our understanding of ocean–atmosphere interactions, we can contribute to better early warning systems, sustainable marine policies, and public awareness about climate change,” he continues.

Tlhonolofatso acknowledges that the path has not been easy. “Working in remote, harsh environments like Marion Island and Antarctica is physically and mentally demanding. Isolation, extreme weather, and technical challenges test endurance and problem-solving every day,” he adds. Yet these experiences also forged him. They taught him resilience and strengthened his teamwork and leadership abilities, skills that are as essential to science as the instruments and data themselves.

Battling harsh winds and freezing temperatures, Tlhonolofatso embodies the resilience and teamwork that make groundbreaking science possible.

Life Outside the Field and Lessons for the Next Generation

Outside of research, Tlhonolofatso finds balance in South Africa’s landscapes – hiking, photographing coastlines, reading, or spending time with family. These pursuits reflect a natural inclination to observe, explore, and understand the world, a trait that also shaped his childhood dream of becoming a radiologist, had he not become a scientist.

Drawing on the lessons of resilience, observation, and perseverance that fieldwork has taught him, he offers steady encouragement to aspiring scientists: “Stay curious and patient. Field science can be tough, but it's also deeply rewarding. Build both your technical and soft skills; resilience, teamwork, and communication matter just as much as your scientific knowledge.”

Amid the breeding grounds of elephant seals at Ship’s Cove, Marion Island, Tlhonolofatso enjoys moments of observation and reflection, connecting his love for nature with the insights he shares with future scientists.

Carrying the Story Forward

Reflecting on his journey, Tlhonolofatso is clear-eyed about what drives him: “Science is not just about data, it’s about passion, community, and purpose. Every expedition, every sample, every deployment contributes to something bigger.”

From a small mountain town in the Eastern Cape to the rolling waves of the Southern Ocean, and onward to the frozen expanses of Antarctica, his life is proof of where curiosity can lead. Today, he stands among a new generation of African scientists shaping how the world understands its oceans, ensuring that the story of climate change is also told from Africa’s shores.

“I’m proud to be part of a generation of African Scientists helping tell the story of our oceans,” he declares, mindful of the legacy this work leaves for future generations.

Connect with Tlhonolofatso on LinkedIn

Learn more: sapri.ac.za; egagasini.saeon.ac.za; marine.weathersa.co.za

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