Voyage Number
IN2025_V04
Voyage Dates
Voyage Location
Chief Scientist
Dr Richard Little
Institution
CSIRO
Voyage summary
RV Investigator will undertake a research voyage out of Hobart as part of a project of repeat surveys 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 fourth and final voyage 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.
SEA-MES is revisiting survey sites from 25 years ago to document changes in the marine ecosystem on the continental shelf, as well as establish a baseline for the continental slope. The research will generate knowledge to help understand impacts from climate change, inform planning and managing of marine industries in the region, and protect important marine species and habitats.
There is one other project on this voyage:
- Seabird laser deterrents in long line fisheries (Carlie Devine, Jam Graham, Geoff Tuck, CSIRO): assessment of the effectiveness of low-powered, low-cost lasers for deterring seabirds at-sea.
The voyage has 33 science participants from 3 institutions and 23 crew from MMA Offshore. It also includes one participant under the Indigenous Time at Sea Scholarship program.
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.
Voyage outcomes
Fisheries and conservation managers, industry sectors and stakeholders have concluded that there is an urgent need in the southeast Australian marine waters to understand the impacts of changes to the marine ecosystem and prepare for the continued impending changes.
As a result of this voyage, we have improved our understanding of how the south-east Australian marine ecosystem has changed over the past 30 years. During this voyage, researchers paired daytime demersal trawl sampling with night demersal trawl sampling which will allow comparison between diurnal differences in species composition and establish a new baseline for night sampling in the ecosystem.
The voyage also supported the continued development and testing of an on-vessel automated seabird counter.