Having trouble seeing the images?  Click here.

Wealth from Oceans Update banner
December 2005 National Research Flagship www.csiro.au/wealthfromoceans
Craig Roy, Director Wealth from Oceans FlagshipMessage from the Director

As another year draws to a close, it is timely to reflect on the events of the past 12 months. Globally, the oceans again have been in the headlines and in the public mind, as we have witnessed the devastation wreaked by the Indian Ocean tsunami and hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Expanding and building our knowledge of our ocean systems and being able to predict how they impact on our terrestrial environment are now major aspects of our scientific research endeavours. Read more.


Edy Endrotjahyo, bosun on the RV Baruna Jaya VIII and CSIRO's Danny McLaughlan guide a recovered acoustic Doppler current profiler aboard the ship during the recovery of a mooring that had been operating in Timor Passage for 18 months. The current profiler is imbedded in a large syntactic foam sphere which helps hold up the deep ocean mooring but has little hydrodynamic drag. The acoustic instrument 'looks up' toward the ocean surface from a depth of about 200m, providing ocean current information right through to the surface layer where fishing fleets are active. Some fishing line did tangle on this mooring, but it did not affect the instruments badly.Secrets of an Interocean Highway

An international climate science team has begun analysing thousands of tropical ocean measurements critical to understanding some of the factors shaping Australian and Indonesian climate. Read More.


A first for Australia’s seabed mineralsThe outer limit of the continental shelf of Australia showing the outer limit and the area of extended continental shelf from Australia's Submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) July 2005. 

Australia is essentially a marine nation with the largest maritime jurisdictions of any country, which brings with it a commitment to characterise and manage these areas, including mineral resources. 
Read more.


Associate Professor Matthew England on site at CSIRO’s Marine and Atmospheric Research division, Hobart. Climate expert wins Wealth from Oceans Fellowship

A University of NSW expert in how climate change in the Southern Ocean affects Australian weather patterns, Associate Professor Matthew England, has been appointed a Flagship Fellow with the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship. Read more.


Ocean Forecast Trial "Goes With the Flow"Example of BLUElink’s ocean current and sea-surface temperature map generated from data on sea level and general ocean conditions

A forecasting system that can predict changes in Australia’s deep ocean and coastal waterways out to one week in advance has come through its first real test.  

In the ‘laboratory’ that is a network of the country’s most powerful supercomputers jointly operated by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, scientists have accurately replicated conditions in the oceans around Australia since 1992 in simulations that are the foundation of BLUElink> - Ocean Forecasting Australia Project. Read more.


A unique and extraordinary feature of Australia's seabed landscape is the Perth Canyon, 22 km seaward of Rottnest Island off Perth. As wide as the well-known Grand Canyon (USA), but deeper, mapping is the first step in determining its biodiversity values, and the ecosystem services it provides.A Voyage of Discovery

Revealing Western Australia’s deep seabed ecosystems Marine researchers recently spent four weeks on the Marine National Facility research vessel, Southern Surveyor, mapping the seabed and surveying biodiversity in previously unstudied areas along Australia’s west coast. Their rewarding findings are increasing our understanding of the physical structure of the deep ocean seabed and the composition and evolution of its rich fauna. They also provide fundamental information for the development of national marine management plans that incorporate ecosystem-based principles. Read more.


Volcanic eruptions impact global sea level image of volcanic eruption

Clouds of gases and particles sprayed into the stratosphere by volcanic eruptions cool the oceans and temporarily offset the rise in global sea level caused by the greenhouse effect, according to research findings published Nature recently. Read more.


A story of satellites, ships, paint and feedback

Feedback .......it comes in many different ways but for Peter Turner none could be more positive than that received from an Australian shipping company in late November. Peter is the Manager of Remote Sensing at CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research in Hobart and key member of the Ocean Modelling Research Project in the Wealth from Oceans Flagship. Read more.

IN THIS EDITION:

Message from the Director

Secrets of an Interocean Highways

A first for Australia's seabed minerals

Climate expert wins Wealth from Oceans Fellowship

Ocean forecast trial "Goes with the flow"

A voyage of discovery

Volcanic eruptions impact global sea levels

A story of satellites, ships, paint and feedback

Meet the Scientist


MEET THE SCIENTIST:

Dr Simon George

With a deep commitment to organic geochemistry, Dr Simon George is developing methods critical for locating new hydrocarbon reservoirs and increasing the production from known reserves more efficiently.
 
Meet Dr Simon George

 

 

The Wealth from Oceans Flagship is a CSIRO initiative and part of the National Research Flagships program that aims to deliver scientific solutions to advance Australia's most important national objectives. One of the largest scientific initiatives ever mounted in Australia, it aligns closely with the Federal Government's National Research Priorities. The initiative brings together our national research resources to deliver breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to light metals and the environment.

About this email
This E-Newsletter uses an HTML-rich media format to provide an easy-to-follow, visually attractive layout. If for any reason, your computer does not support HTML format email, please let us know by emailing editor.oceans@csiro.au with your full name and email address, and we will ensure you receive our E-Newsletter in a plain-text format.

Please feel free to forward it to those in your organisation who would be interested in receiving future newsletters.

If you do not wish to receive this electronic newsletter from the Wealth from Oceans Flagship, please reply to this message with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Alternatively, please contact editor.oceans@csiro.au or telephone us on +61 2 9490 8006 to request the removal of your email address.

This E-Newsletter is a publication of CSIRO Communications. It does not purport to be comprehensive or to render professional advice. All material in this publication is subject to copyright. For permission to reproduce any part or all of an article, please contact the editor.

Wealth from Oceans Flagship
CSIRO

Editor: Sylvia Bell
PO Box 93
North Ryde NSW 1670
Phone: +61 2 9490 8006
Fax: +61 2 9490 8811
editor.oceans@csiro.au

CSIRO Logo