Kolisa Yola Sinyanya

What’s the work that you do?

I’m a Ph.D. candidate in Oceanography at the University of Cape Town. My research is part of a growing body of work that critically examines biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, particularly regions that are currently under-sampled. The research aims involve exploring phytoplankton community dynamics and microbe-nutrient interactions in the Indian Ocean, including subtropical and Southern Ocean waters.

What keeps you going?

Very few scientists in South Africa are working on this area of specialisation in ocean science and being one of the few, especially being a black woman, is a great opportunity for me. It is an opportunity to educate those who hail from similar backgrounds like mine. Over the years this became a sky-rocketing trajectory: influence and impact from my work and science communication have reached global proportions. I enjoy that I can convert my work into a language that is understood by everyone, allowing masses around the globe to understand why my science is so important, especially because Planet Earth is changing due to global warming which leads to climate change.

What’s your message to the world?

We need to individually watch our carbon footprints because our actions highly influence how fast the planet warms up. Our global ocean and its polar regions are highly affected.