SA Scientists and Conservation Teams Recognised in NASA Award!

Organisations, researchers, and scientists from South Africa have been recognised in a group achievement award – one of NASA’s highest honours!

South Africa (28 May 2026) – A huge collaboration between international teams and conservation researchers, scientists, and organisations in South Africa has earned the prestigious NASA Group Achievement Award.

The award is regarded worldwide as one of the space agency’s absolute highest honours for collaborative scientific achievement!

The international accolade celebrates the teamwork and dedication that went into the BioSCape project. A groundbreaking initiative, it was NASA’s first-ever airborne and field mission, focused on mapping out the biodiversity found in South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region.

The project involved more than 150 scientists from 40 institutions across the world to study our unique biodiversity. At the centre of the world-first initiative were our very own local ecologists, scientists and conservation authorities.

In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of the most important planet – the one we live on – NASA turned their attention earthward.

The space agency sent over two of their specialised aircraft fitted with advanced scientific cameras and sensors; tech that is often used for making groundbreaking space discoveries.

The project involved flying these aircraft above the Cape, monitoring using light and heat that human eyes can’t see. These tools measured everything from the temperature of the ocean to the health of the plants.

At the same time, teams of scientists were on the ground, wading through wetlands and muddy estuaries to collect soil and water samples. By matching the data from the planes with the physical samples from the ground, NASA is creating an ultimate blueprint of nature that will help protect ecosystems from climate change.

Among the proud South Africans recognised by NASA were researchers from the University of the Free State’s Centre for Environmental Management.

PhD student Petri Oberholster, alongside fellows Dr Piet-Louis Grundling and Dr Anthea Grundling, spent weeks out in the field. Petri worked in the Garden Route National Park, digging up mud samples (called sediment cores) from local estuaries. It involved recording ‘blue carbon’ which in simple terms is carbon dioxide trapped naturally by coastal and marine ecosystems. By measuring how much carbon our wetlands and estuaries pull out of the air, the UFS team is helping the world understand how these environments act as natural shields against global warming.

Dr Piet-Louis Grundling, an expert in wetlands, stepped up as a team leader in the field to guide the international scientists through our unique ecosystems.

While the UFS team did incredible work, this group award belongs to a massive coordinated international group.

The project was co-led locally by the University of Cape Town’s Jasper Slingsby, working hand-in-hand with major South African environmental agencies.

“The campaign’s partnerships with South African agencies, including CapeNature, South African National Parks (SANParks), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), ensured the data would support both U.S. and South African conservation goals, advancing ecosystem management and aligning with global biodiversity frameworks.” shares the BioSCape project.

The BioSCape project praised leading South African organisations for being leaders in conservation across Africa.

“South African organizations like SANBI, CapeNature, and SANParks are leaders in conservation efforts across Africa, and BioSCape’s outputs support these efforts, setting a model for other Southern African countries to follow. Post-campaign feedback showed 100% of surveyed science team members agreed BioSCape advanced scientific knowledge and was well-executed.”

To tie this entire world-class achievement together, you don’t just have to read about it…you can watch it!

The historic collaboration is the subject of a beautiful, inspiring short documentary titled The Spectrum of Life.

The film was directed, filmed, and edited by two local Cape Town ecologists and filmmakers, Dr Otto Whitehead and Dr Jeremy Shelton from Fishwater Films.

The doccie is a gorgeous, audio-visual celebration of how advanced tech can help us monitor and protect the fabric of life, featuring a special appearance and music by SA’s iconic musician Zolani Mahola.

Watch it below!

Sources: Linked above.

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