MNF Subscriber eNewsletter | February 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of the CSIRO Marine National Facility (MNF) newsletter.
This newsletter marks one of the most important days in Australia’s marine research calendar; the opening of the Primary Application Call for grants of sea time onboard the nation’s dedicated ocean research vessel, RV Investigator. The granted voyage program, which is funded by the Australian Government, is overseen by independent committees of national and international experts to enable the delivery of high-quality research and technology projects, as well as maritime training, for the benefit of all Australians.
This Primary Application Call invites Australian researchers and their international collaborators to apply for grants of sea time to build RV Investigator’s research program for the 2028-29 financial year. Researchers can apply for fully funded grants of sea time of up to 60 days to conduct marine and atmospheric research, and technology and innovation projects in Australia’s vast marine estate and across the wider region.
Projects that align with national research priorities, and which are co-designed with end users of outputs and the knowledge generated, are strongly encouraged. To support this objective, the MNF offers the Stream 1 access pathway for applicants. This Stream supports the co-design of projects and offers applicants access to a greater pool of the available sea time for each call.
This year, we have four Stream 1 priority partners: Australian Antarctic Partnership, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Geoscience Australia and Parks Australia. To support awareness of the opportunities Stream 1 offers for both researcher and national benefit, a series of webinars will be held with each of the partners so they can detail their research priorities and applicants can discuss project co-design for mutual benefit. Further detail for these webinars is included below.
In addition to the Primary Application Call, the MNF has also opened a Supplementary Application Call for grants of sea time in the 2027-28 voyage schedule. Researchers are invited to apply to fill available voyage capacity in that schedule, which is now available on the MNF website. Further details for this call are in this newsletter.
No matter what application call or Stream of access, all applicants are asked to clearly articulate how they will integrate and elevate Indigenous knowledge systems and engagement in their proposals, where research is to take place on Sea Country. Partnership and co-design in the development of project proposals offers the opportunity to integrate knowledge systems for enhanced benefits, outcomes and impacts. This helps ensure that the marine research we deliver shapes a sustainable future for all Australians.
'Seas the opportunity' for your research! I encourage all potential applicants to reach out to the MNF to discuss project proposals and for any questions about the application process. The team is available and here to help.
In other news, I’m pleased to include in this newsletter the latest communique from the MNF Steering Committee. This summarises key committee topics of discussion from the November 2025 meeting, including confirming the projects to be awarded sea time to build the 2027-28 voyage schedule. I would like to thank all those who applied through the 2025 application call and congratulate those who have been awarded sea time. We look forward to working with you to successfully plan and deliver your research and generate knowledge to benefit the nation.
The research we deliver is always highly collaborative and we work with diverse stakeholders across the Australian community. In this newsletter, you can read about one important collaboration between CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and other voyage partners to put more of Australia’s vast marine estate on the map. This work is literally foundational to the understanding and security of Australia’s vast marine estate, and has led to incredible discoveries along the way.
With that, I'm pleased to share the latest MNF newsletter with you and hope you find the content informative and useful. For all those heading out to sea, as well as those on the underway voyage in Antarctica, I wish you safe and successful voyages with fair winds and following seas.
Toni Moate
MNF Director
For the 2026 Primary Application call, the MNF has partnering with four Stream 1 priority partners to advance delivery of research on RV Investigator that aligns with national priorities. The Stream 1 priority partners are:
Potential applicants for sea time are invited to attend an information session (via webinar) with Stream 1 partners to hear their research priorities and how applicants can align with them in co-design of a Stream 1 application.
Find out more about the Stream 1 webinars
The MNF invites Australian researchers to apply for sea time on RV Investigator to fill available capacity in the 2027-28 voyage schedule. There is one (1) voyage opportunity open for Supplementary Applications in this schedule.
The 101st meeting of the Marine National Facility Steering Committee was held in Hobart on 24 to 25 November 2025. Topics discussed included the 2027-28 voyage schedule, MNF Indigenous Engagement Framework, regional strategy for the allocation of sea time and scientific capability upgrades on RV Investigator.
The communique includes an updated list of current committee members and thanks to departing members for their valuable contributions to the MNF.
Keep up to date with the latest communique
Welcome to our newsletter feature where we highlight recent publications from research delivered using MNF infrastructure and data.
Wide‐swath satellite altimetry data improves modeled mesoscale and submesoscale dynamics in a western boundary current.
Kerry, C., Keating, S. R., Roughan, M.,Azaneu, M., and Brassington, G. B. | January 2026
The ocean circulation varies across a range of temporal and spatial scales, and modeling and observing the relevant scales is key to effective ocean prediction and understanding the ocean's role in global climate. However, accurate model estimates of submesoscale (<50 km) flows remain a challenge due to rapidly evolving flow and lack of observations at suitable scales. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission provides the first‐ever synchronous 2D maps of sea surface height at ∼2 km resolution. This study reveals the positive impact of data observed by SWOT on both mesoscale and submesoscale representation in a submesoscale‐permitting model of a dynamic western boundary current.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL117574
No discovery without exploration: Deep-sea sampling across the Pacific reveals three new genera of Typhlotanaidae (Crustacea: Tanaidacea)
Marta Gellert, Magdalena Błazewicz , Chee Kong Chim, Graham J. Bird| December 2025
By combining morphological and genetic analyses (histone H3 marker), researchers revealed deep genetic divergences among species that appear morphologically similar. The findings show that traditional classifications based solely on morphology were obscured by convergent evolution, where unrelated lineages evolved similar traits. Closely related yet geographically distant species suggest potential trans-Pacific connections among deep-sea populations. This study establishes three new genera and four new deep-sea species.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2025.103644
Are we missing your publications?
Visibility for your research outputs greatly assists the MNF in demonstrating the value that a dedicated blue-water research capability provides to the nation.
We encourage you to check your voyage publication list in our catalogue and submit any missing research publications supported by MNF voyages or data to MNF Reporting for Voyage Publications.
Acknowledging the MNF
Find out how to acknowledge the MNF for the research services we provide.
Science is a team sport. Please share this newsletter.
The Marine National Facility is national research infrastructure supported by the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and operated by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, on behalf of the nation.
