The Department of Oceanography, the only one of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, aims to advance our knowledge of all facets of the oceans around Africa and in the Southern Hemisphere, and to use this knowledge for the benefit of people everywhere. Emphasis is on the physical environment in the oceans and atmosphere and their interactions. As the only university department of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, it is the major focus for teaching and research in physical oceanography, atmospheric science and climatology in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa. The Department has Research groupings in sea-going observations, satellite marine remote sensing, coastal oceanography, numerical modelling, the science underpinning operational oceanography, marine and coastal meteorology, severe weather, and climate change and variability.