Australian Institute of Marine Science’s Post

Congratulations to NIWA on the arrival of their new Research Vessel Kaharoa II at it’s home port of Wellington, NZ. The state-of-the-art vessel was officially christened last week by New Zealand’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology the Hon Judith Collins KC. AIMS’ Chief Operating Officer Dr Richard Brinkman, Operations Manager Justin Rees and Operations Planner Patrick Bunday were in Wellington to celebrate the arrival of Kaharoa II as part of the Research Vessel Operators of New Zealand and Australia (RVONZA) forum. Like Australia, New Zealand has a vast marine estate that well exceeds its land mass. The challenge of undertaking science to support the effective management of such a vast area cannot be understated and requires modern, safe and efficient research vessels, capable of taking our scientists and our labs to sea. AIMS is forging ahead with designs for a new generation of vessel to replace the RV Cape Ferguson, which has been a workhorse of our fleet supporting research and monitoring vessel since 2000. Our team gained valuable insights from the NIWA team about their experiences in the complex process of research vessel design, construction and transition to operation. More about Research Vessel Kaharoa II➡️ https://bit.ly/4fXd7gz More about RVONZA ➡️https://bit.ly/3Auygyo

🪸Mapping coral reef habitats to enhance reef restoration Baby coral need a hard structure to settle on so they can grow and flourish. Rubble and sand don’t cut it. Whilst turf algae compete with baby coral, vying for the same spot on the reef bottom. Finding the ideal location is an important consideration when designing reef restoration projects to maximise the survival of corals. Current models used to map coral reef habitats don’t include many of the key habitat attributes that corals need to survive. In a new study, AIMS scientists have developed an advanced remote sensing model using data from the Sentinel-2 satellite to more accurately map habitat on the ocean floor and identify locations where corals have the highest chance to grow and thrive. “It does that by undertaking a careful assessment of the environment and by understanding the drivers of coral recruitment and survival across multiple scales,” said Dr Ben Radford, lead author of the study. 🔗 Learn more: https://bit.ly/3AuNQtY 📃 Read the paper: https://bit.ly/4dsmza4 Climate change is the greatest threat to coral reefs. Modelling shows that reef interventions are likely to be required in addition to emissions reduction and reef management to ensure coral reefs survive into the future. This research was funded by AIMS and Woodside Energy Ltd as Operator for and on behalf of the Browse Joint Venture (BJV). The research was a collaboration between AIMS and The University of Western Australia. 📸: Scott Reef from Sentinel-2 satellite #SentinelSatellite #ReefRestoration The UWA Oceans Institute

Whilst there's no coastline in Canberra, there are many interested and budding marine biologists. Last week, we attended an inspiring day at the Government Science Group STEM expo at Parliament House. Our scientists chatted with high school students, public attendees and other government agencies about the cutting-edge research and marine science we are undertaking across northern Australia. It was great to see so many people interested in marine science 😀 Our CEO, Professor Selina Stead presented, sharing insights into our research and the various science disciplines and roles required to do the work that we do. We featured some of these last week for National Science Week. If you missed it, catch up here: https://bit.ly/3SQCDud #MarineScience #NationalScienceWeek

Love science but not a scientist? You can still work in science 😁 Mechanical engineering may not sound like a career choice that would lead to working in science. The same could be said for communicators, lawyers or accountants. But there’s many skills and professions needed to support science. For Devereux Harvey, a marine mechanical engineer, she found a way to combine her maths and physics skill set with her passion for the ocean, which is how she ended up at AIMS 😜 📺 Hear why De’vereux loves science and be inspired to “start the engine” on your own science journey. 👏 Shout out during National Science Week to everyone who works in, and loves, science! If you missed some of the amazing staff we featured this week, you can catch them all here: https://bit.ly/3SQCDud #marinescientist #nationalscienceweek #engineer

When the “best summer of your life” changes the rest of your life! A short university course over summer break and an inspiring professor, cemented Dr Holland Elder’s career path to becoming a marine biologist. But coral reefs weren’t the first ocean love for Holland, kelp forests off California were. Quite different – and not just the water temperature! Jump into Holland’s love for science during National Science Week 📺 We have top-notch scientists from around Australia and the world, who are dedicated, motivated and are developing practical solutions to achieve positive impact for the nation. Holland’s research is part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program , funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. #MarineBiologist #NationalScienceWeek

🤲Coming together in the Top End The waters of the Top End are among the most biodiverse in the world. But there’s still a lot we don’t know about the oceans in this incredible part of the world. Last year, AIMS and Charles Darwin University (CDU) formed a partnership to boost the Northern Territory’s marine science research capabilities. The inaugural meeting of researchers from AIMS and CDU marine science, material engineers, data science, technology and social science groups was held recently to identify priority research areas and discuss what joint projects can be developed under the AIMS at CDU alliance to address important knowledge gaps in northern Australia’s marine estate. We look forward to continued collaboration and strengthening marine science in the Top End. 📸: Claire Streten

🔎 It’s the small things that matter AIMS researcher Keegan Vickers is focusing on the smaller things in the ocean – microplastics. Whilst less than 5mm in size, microplastics are attracting global concern due to the threat they pose to marine life and ecosystems. Making sense of these tiny intruders is ‘shore’ to have a huge impact – and that’s one thing Keegan loves about science, having an impact. What tiny experience inspired Keegan to pursue marine science? ⬇️ #NationalScienceWeek #Microplastics #MarineScience

🎉Congratulations to our tireless Technology Transformation Research Leader Melanie Olsen who was named ‘Employee of the Year’ in the 2024 Townsville Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. Melanie, who led the establishment of our ReefWorks tropical marine technology test ranges, was recognised as a driving force and advocate for regional STEM careers and the North Queensland technology hub. She is also helping to accelerate development of Australia’s burgeoning marine robotic and autonomous systems industry and was announced AAUS - Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems Industry Champion leadership winner in 2023.

Passionate, motivated and dedicated 🥰 These three words sum up Molly-Mae Baker, an AIMS at The University of Western Australia marine science graduate, who has such a fin-tastic time underwater, she sometimes swaps office shoes for fins 😜 Molly-Mae’s passion to understand the ocean has taken her to the remote tropical reefs of Ashmore, Scott and Mermaid. Located hundreds of kilometres off the Western Australia coast, AIMS surveys and monitors the health of these reefs to understand their capacity to recover or adapt to warmer ocean temperatures. 📺 Dive in to hear why marine science is a fin-tastic field to work in. For National Science Week, we’re sharing stories from our dedicated teams of highly qualified and motivated people, who are diving in to expand our knowledge into Australia’s tropical waters. The UWA Oceans Institute #NationalScienceWeek #MarineScientist

It's National Science Week 🎉 We’ll be at the Government Scientists Group (GSG) STEM Expo at Parliament House this Thursday! Hosted by Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley, the expo is a chance to explore exciting career opportunities in government departments, agencies and regulators. Chat to our scientists who are heading to Canberra from Perth and Townsville ➡️ Darren Koppel, Patrick Laffy and Chinenye ANI. AIMS CEO, Professor Selina Stead, will also be presenting (🕥 10:30 am AEST). If you can’t make it in person, presentations will be live-streamed. Register here https://bit.ly/4fDlEoD (Registration is optional, however by registering, you will receive an event reminder as well as live-streaming details).