Voyage Number
IN2026_V02
Voyage Dates
Voyage Location
Chief Scientist
Professor Nicole Jones
Institution
The University of Western Australia
Voyage summary
CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator will undertake an oceanographic research voyage out of Fremantle, Western Australia to study fine scale ocean dynamics off the Ningaloo Coast, one of the world’s most important marine environments.
This voyage aims to quantify fine and sub-mesoscale ocean eddies with unprecedented spatial resolution in this ecologically, strategically and economically significant region. The research will directly support a range of national needs including ocean forecasting, search‑and‑rescue operations, efficient navigation and environmental management.
Ningaloo Reef is the world’s largest fringing coral reef and a United Nations World Heritage Area. Offshore of the reef, the dominant equatorward winds interact with the opposing Leeuwin Current, creating highly energetic mesoscale eddy fields. Mesoscale eddies are large, swirling, circular currents in the ocean typically 10 to 100 km in diameter. The mesoscale eddy fields subsequently energise smaller sub-mesoscale eddies, which are hypothesised to deliver nutrient-rich water to the productive reef ecosystem.
A novel spatial array of moorings and detailed ship-based observations will provide critical data for the development of new algorithms for estimating ocean surface currents from remotely sensed observations at unprecedented fine scales.
There are 3 other projects on the voyage:
- Globalising Marine Biodiversity Observations: autonomous genomic sampler system (Sahan Jayasinghe, CSIRO): development of an autonomous environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling system that can be integrated into the vessel’s underway seawater system.
- Developing Jonathan: an on-vessel automated seabird detector (Carlie Devine and Rich Little, CSIRO): collection of seabird counts in coastal and open ocean environments using an automated on-vessel seabird detector called ‘Jonathan’.
- Argo float deployment (Gabi Semolini Pilo, CSIRO): deployment of one BCG Argo float.
This voyage has 32 participants (across 2 legs of the voyage) from 5 organisations, and 20 ship crew from Cyan Vessel Operations.
Voyage outcomes
Voyage outcomes will be published approximately 3-6 months after the completion of the voyage.