[Music plays and an image appears of waves crashing in on the shore and text appears: Australians love the ocean]
[Image changes to show an underwater view of the ocean bed and the camera zooms in on a star fish and text appears: but so do other creatures]
[Image changes to show a small marine creature and text appears: We know of 33,000 marine species]
[Image changes to show a whale’s fin emerging out of the sea]
[Image changes to show an underwater view of a shark swimming near a diver and text appears: but as many as 470,000 are yet to be discovered]
[Image changes to show an underwater vessel moving along the ocean floor]
[Image changes to show a view of the coastline and text appears: At 13.86 million square kilometres]
[Image changes to show a school of fish swimming]
[Image changes to show a view of the Australian in the world globe which is in space and text appears: our marine estate is the 3rd largest in the world]
[Camera zooms in on Tasmania on the world globe]
[Image changes to show a view of the Great Barrier Reef and text appears: The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest reef system]
[Image changes to show a tropical fish swimming around a sea plant]
[Image changes to show a view of an ice shelf in the ocean with the RV Investigator in the foreground and text appears: Australia’s Antarctic Territories host deep ocean life]
[Image changes to show an orange spider like sea creature]
[Image changes to show a fish turning over in the water and the fin appears above the surface of the water and text appears: and those that surface]
[Image changes to show four penguins on an ice shelf]
[Image changes to show four people in a CSIRO Marine Research dinghy type boat and text appears: Ongoing research is helping us make new discoveries]
[Image changes to show two males reaching out to haul in a piece of marine science research equipment]
[Image changes to show the RV Investigator in the distance and icebergs in the foreground and text appears: understand how oceans are changing]
[Image changes to show an iceberg in the ocean and text appears: and how we can protect them]
[Image changes to show the cover of the OCEANS publication and text appears: Download your free copy of OCEANS now]
[Music plays and the CSIRO logo and text appears: Australia’s innovation catalyst]
[Credits appear]
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Director Dr Tony Worby said Australia faced several opportunities and challenges, with three of the world’s four major oceans in its marine estate.
"Australia’s oceans cover almost 14 million square kilometres, nearly twice the area of our land, and hold the key to our climate, weather, economy, international security, and social well-being," Dr Worby said.
"It is important that we strike a balance between our national economic and resource requirements, while ensuring long term sustainability of our marine estate and this is key research focus for CSIRO and the Australian marine science community.
"Our oceans do the heavy lifting with respect to carbon dioxide and heat absorption and their capacity to continue to do these things is one of many areas we are focused on through our climate research.
"The effects of ocean warming can be seen already as tropical fish are found further south from warming coastal waters, cold water species decline in some regions, and coral bleaching becomes more frequent.
"There has never been a more important time to focus on marine research."
Oceans editor and CSIRO Chief Research Scientist Dr Bruce Mapstone said national and international collaboration was essential, with Australia having stewardship of the third largest marine estate in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
"The book focuses on Australia’s marine estate which includes the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, however many of the topics covered have global relevance because of the interconnectedness of the world’s oceans," Dr Mapstone said.
"Collaboration is the only way we can tackle the breadth of marine research Australia and the world need to fully understand our oceans.
"Indigenous coastal peoples have had cultural and livelihood connections with Australia’s oceans for thousands of years and their knowledge is extremely valuable.
"Importantly, this book takes complex and detailed research and translates it into clear English that can be understood by policy makers and just as importantly students, some of whom are Australia’s future marine scientists."
Oceans: Science and Solutions for Australia has been authored by scientists from CSIRO and other Australian research agencies and is available for free download: Oceans [PDF 21.5MB][Link will open in a new window] or to order a hardcopy through CSIRO Publishing visit: Oceans.
