A public lecture will be hosted by Bayworld on Wednesday, 13 July 2005. Berny Snow of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme will be presenting a free lecture entitled “Sodwana Bay Coelacanths and the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme�. Members of the public are welcome to attend the event at 18:00 for 18:30 at Bayworld. Snacks and soft drinks will be provided. Booking is essential and can be done with Carmenita on 041 584 0650 by Tuesday, 12 July 2005. Please contact Berny on 084 657 3766 for more information.

July was declared Bioscience Month by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Bayworld is taking part in creating public awareness with interactive activities.

The focus of Bioscience Month is on marine ecosystem research and the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme. DST and the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) provided more than R40 000 to Bayworld to organise and implement creative projects during this month which will contribute towards raising public awareness around the marine ecosystems of South Africa – specifically research done in this area.

“Our involvement in this project is in line with our vision of becoming a world class environmental science experience,� says public relations officer, Elouise Matthys, “Our mission is to be a Centre Of Excellence which brings together the past and the present in creating and conserving museum collections and disseminating knowledge in a dynamic way in order to stimulate a better understanding of humankind and its impact on the environment.�

Bayworld, in collaboration with African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme, under the auspices of the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), will be offering a number of activities as part of the Bioscience Month.

A public lecture will be hosted by Bayworld on Wednesday, 13 July 2005. Berny Snow of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme will be presenting a free lecture entitled “Sodwana Bay Coelacanths and the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme�. Members of the public are welcome to attend the event at 18:00 for 18:30 at Bayworld. Snacks and soft drinks will be provided. Booking is essential and can be done with Carmenita on 041 584 0650 by Tuesday, 12 July 2005. Please contact Berny on 084 657 3766 for more information.

An exhibition focussing on the Coelacanth project is currently on display in the Museum foyer.

Other activities include a visit to Bayworld by four previously disadvantaged schools. The children will take part in an interactive art workshop, a marine related museum tour, viewing the dolphin presentation and lunch. A Morning Marine Experience is planned for more senior learners and will include a live animal veterinary medical, marine talk and a dissection. The African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme will be presenting two Educator’s Workshops at Bayworld, as well as some outreach workshops.