Voyage Number
IN2024_V05
Voyage Dates
Voyage Location
Chief Scientist
Dr Richard Little
Institution
CSIRO
Voyage summary
Research voyage out of Hobart to conduct a repeat survey of the biodiversity and habitats of the marine waters of south-east Australia. Called the South-East Australian Marine Ecosystem Survey (SEA-MES), this is the third of four voyages in the project.
The marine waters of southeast Australia are one of a series of global ocean-warming hotspots. In this region, the ocean surface is warming at a rate four times the global average and many species have extended their distributions southward, with apparent changes in local abundance. Projections show that these changes will continue for the next century.
Fishery and ecosystem assessments were last conducted in this region 25 years ago. This voyage will repeat the surveys to document changes and establish a new biological and environmental baseline. The knowledge generated will be essential for better planning and managing current and emerging industries, and protecting important habitats and species throughout the region.
There are two other projects on this voyage:
- FishSOOP Sensor Testing (Moninya Roughan; Veronique Lago, UNSW): Testing of newly developed temperature sensors for use in the Fisheries Ships of Opportunity Program (FishSOOP).
- Carbonate chemistry sampling in Bass Strait (Zanna Chase, UTAS): Collection of water samples as part of an initiative to investigate ocean alkalinity enhancement in Bass Strait.
The voyage has 34 science participants from 3 institutions, including the University of Tasmania and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA), and 23 crew from MMA Offshore Ltd.
The CSIRO Indigenous Research Grants Program provided a grant to Dr Richard Little's team for 'Supporting Indigenous Scientists and Community in the South-East Australian Marine Ecosystem Survey'.
The South-East Australian Marine Ecosystem Survey team led by Dr Richard Little acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the seas in which we are conducting this research. The research area includes Tasmanian, Victorian, New South Wales and Commonwealth waters. We pay our respects to elders past and present, and thank them for their continued stewardship over the lands, seas and skies in which we live, work and rest.
COVID Protocols
To safeguard the health and well-being of participants, all activities on this voyage are being conducted in accordance with the MNF COVID Management Protocols.
Voyage outcomes
The objectives of SEA-MES voyage III were successfully delivered, contributing to the overall SEA-MES program and its objectives. During this voyage, researchers mapped and sampled marine life from the marine waters of southeast Australia, including large areas of the Flinders and Freycinet Marine Parks.
As a result of this voyage, data has been collected to improve our understanding of how the south-eastern Australian marine ecosystem has changed over the past 30 years. Observations include small pelagic fish species such as jack mackerel continue to show increased abundance. This voyage is part of a multi-voyage program to understand the impacts of changes to the marine ecosystem and prepare for the continued impending changes. The data and knowledge from this research will be used by fisheries, marine park and other conservation managers, industry and stakeholders including the renewable and non-renewable energy industries.
This voyage provided an opportunity to capture an important snapshot of the ecosystem in warm seasonal conditions and continue the development and testing of an on-vessel automated seabird counter. Successful development of such a system will be the first step in providing more comprehensive and detailed baseline environmental data, at a fraction of the cost.