In the vast expanses of South Africa’s coastal waters, a team of dedicated scientists has been quietly conducting one of the world’s most important marine mammal studies. For nearly 40 years, the Mammal Research Institute (MRI) Whale Unit at the University of Pretoria has been watching whales and what they’ve learned is transforming our understanding of ocean health and climate change.

“We study whales not just to protect them, but because they’re indicators of something much bigger,” explains Dr Els Vermeulen, the unit’s research manager. “When whale populations change, it often reflects shifts in the entire ocean ecosystem.”

Since 1969, the Whale Unit has tracked southern right whales with extraordinary consistency. Their long-term data has revealed worrying trends: fewer calves, shifting migration patterns and declining body condition — all linked to warming seas and reduced prey in Southern Ocean feeding grounds.

This uninterrupted aerial survey, among the world’s longest-running whale monitoring programmes, has produced a dataset so robust it’s reshaping how scientists understand the ocean and how policymakers protect it. It also earned the unit the Data for Research Award.

“Short-term studies would never have picked this up,” Vermeulen notes. “Because we’ve tracked them over decades, we can draw clear connections between what’s happening in the ocean and how whales are responding.”

What began as a simple observation project has grown into a multidisciplinary research powerhouse. Today, drones capture high-resolution images without disturbing the animals, satellite tags monitor their movements across thousands of kilometres and genetic and hormone analyses provide insight into health and stress levels.

“Technology has transformed what’s possible,” Vermeulen says, “but it’s the patient, long-term approach that gives our research its power.”

Beyond academia, the Whale Unit’s data is helping shape policy. It informs SA’s Biodiversity Management Plan for the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin, guides the identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas and contributes to international frameworks such as the International Whaling Commission and the Convention on Migratory Species.

Education and mentorship are also central to their mission, with a strong emphasis on developing young scientists, especially women and underrepresented groups, to carry this work forward.

The team’s next major step is the establishment of the South African Whale Centre, which is envisioned as a public hub where science meets society through storytelling: “We want people to understand why marine conservation matters, and how each of us can help protect our oceans.”

Despite their impact, the team operates on what Vermeulen describes as “insecure funding and a shoestring budget”. Their dedication fills the gap, powered by “a shared sense of purpose and an unwavering commitment to whale conservation”.

Winning the Data for Research Award honours both legacy and future.

“It recognises the passion, resilience, and hard work of every team member, past and present, and serves as a tribute to the late Prof Peter Best and his enduring vision for whale science in SA,” says Vermeulen.

“Whales are sentinels of ocean health. By listening to what they’re telling us, we have a chance to act – not just for them, but for the entire ocean.”

Read the special Mail & Guardian supplement about all the NSTF-South32 Award winners.