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marinematters
issue four May 2008
IMOS
IMOS News
GBROOS launched by Reef, Swains Reef and Heron Island, a GBROOS has also upgraded the
Senator Kim Carr National Reference Station near Yongala Townsville satellite receiving facility,
Wreck, and a mooring at Heron Island located at AIMS’ headquarters, to
One of the five IMOS Science Nodes,
to develop methods to monitor CO2. gather remotely sensed data on sea
GBROOS was officially launched
The shelf-slope moorings involve one surface temperature and ocean colour.
by Senator Kim Carr, the Minister
in shallow water on the reef and one
for Innovation, Industry, Science
at about 200m on the edge of the East
and Research on May 9th.
Australian and Hiri western boundary
The Great Barrier Reef Ocean currents. The mooring array will monitor
Observing System, GBROOS, is a impacts on the reef by change in
regional ocean observation network the boundary currents. A full report
covering the eastern Coral Sea and on the GBROOS moorings will be in
the Great Barrier Reef, and includes the next issue of Marine Matters.
the world’s first large scale reef-based
GBROOS also includes a coastal radar
Internet Protocol (IP) sensor-network.
system, installed at Tannum Sands
The IP network, or “digital skin” near Heron Island. With its ability to
of sensors will monitor the Great track and describe current movements,
Barrier Reef (GBR), picking up real- coastal radar has the potential to aid
time bio-physical measurements, reef restoration and protection efforts.
enabling researchers to observe
In addition, AIMS’ major research
any changes to the reef. Seven
vessels, RV Cape Ferguson and
reef-based sensor networks will be
RV Solander, are being fitted with
installed over the next 18 months.
monitoring devices to measure Senator Kim Carr, the Minister for
GBROOS have installed 10 moorings water quality and ocean nutrient Innovation, Industry, Science and
on the GBR-four pairs of shelf-slope data throughout their voyages. Research launching GBROOS. Photo
moorings at Lizard Island, Myrmidon courtesy of Tim Simmonds, AIMS
SOTS retrieve test PULSE mooring crew of the Southern Surveyor for all
their cooperation and hard work.
The development process continues for
one of the more technically challenging It is believed most of the mooring
aspects of IMOS. On Sunday April 6 design is sound despite the extremely
2008 the PULSE mooring was recovered challenging conditions. This winter tests
less the surface float, rubber element will be performed on some new surface
and some chain. It was deployed in float configurations so that we can have
January 2008 in ~3500m of water. Sadly, more experience and understanding
two weeks before the recovery cruise the before a fully instrumented mooring
mooring stopped transmitting its position. is deployed this spring/summer.
The final engineering analysis is not
The SOTS mooring activity was
complete but it is thought that the surface
always going to push the boundaries
float flooded and then some of the
of ocean observations. Deploying
plastic subsurface floats imploded. The
cutting edge instrumentation in
mooring parted on a threaded rod that
some of the roughest conditions in
held the plastic floats. As it was a test
the world ocean is a considerable
mooring the only instruments lost were a
challenge. A period of testing and Retrieving the SOTS pulse
GPS transmitter and an accelerometer.
development is to be expected. mooring in the Southern Ocean
A special thanks to the master and
marinematters 1
AATAMS survives Maria Island reference station is deployed
Cyclone Nicholas Drs Tim Lynch and Lindsay Pender, ably assisted by the deck crew of the
RV Southern Surveyor, successfully deployed moored infrastructure for
In late 2007 and early 2008, the National Reference Stations (NRS) on the 10 April 2008. Operating at
AATAMS (for more information about
night, the sub surface component of the Maria Island NRS was placed
AATAMS see Marine Matters issue
onto the seafloor at 42 35 .80S, 148 14.00E, which is the same location
3), in collaboration with CSIRO and
where data has been collected from small boats since 1944.
AIMS, deployed nearly one hundred
acoustic receivers off Ningaloo Reef Built by Danny McLaughlan and and analysis after two months. This will
in Western Australia. The receivers David Cherry from the Ocean Sensor provide valuable information on the
were deployed as three curtains Deployment Group (OSDG) at CMAR, the rate of bio-fouling of the equipment,
from the coast to the 100 and 200 m NRS mooring carried a sensor payload the integrity of the data stream and
isobath off northern, southern and of two Wetlabs Water Quality Monitors the actual, as opposed to modelled,
mid Ningaloo Reef. These curtains (WQM), one located near the bottom at use of battery power. The next stage
detect all tagged fish migrating 90 metres and another in the euphotic of the project is to deploy a surface
along the Ningaloo Reef coast. Three zone at 20 metres. David Hughes, also float to commence development of a
grid arrays of receivers were also from OSDG, programmed the initial telemetry stream from the WQMs. Team
deployed to investigate habitat use, deployment of this new combination members from the OSDG are currently
movements, and residence time of sensor (conductivity, temperature, finalising designs for a water proof
coral reef fishes, sharks, and rays. pressure, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll telemetry canister which will become
and turbidity) to test two different rates the generic module for both future NRS
of battery use.The mooring is set to deployments and other programs.
be recovered for data downloading
eMII MEST workshops
The eMarine Information Infrastructure • Navigating around the MEST.;
(eMII) Facility have run Metadata
• Searching the MEST;
Entry and Search Tool (MEST)
workshops in May, hosted at • Permissions and MEST behaviour;
the Bureau of Meteorology and
• How to clone a “sample record” and
the University of Tasmania.
amend the content to describe a
The goal of the workshops was to specific instance of an IMOS dataset;
lead the data facilitators from each
• How to edit and delete data files;
facility through the steps required to
Dr Charlie Huveneers, the AATAMS
upload metadata and observational • How to save and manage
Technical Officer, deploying an
acoustic receiver at Ningaloo Reef, data to eMII, and to provide an permissions over a record;
WA. Photo courtesy of Frazer McGregor. overview of user’s access to IMOS • How to upload and download
data over the internet using the MEST, observational data files;
However, within days of the last Presentations and hands-on experience
deployments, Cyclone Nicholas at the workshop demonstrated: • How to link related records.
travelled down the Ningaloo Reef
coast over the top of the curtains and
arrays. Luckily, AATAMS Technical
Officer Charlie Huveneers had the
opportunity to check on the majority SST data to flow with new file servers
of the moorings and receivers after
The Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS) Meteorology. Work towards population
the cyclone had passed and all of
Facility had two Sun X4500 40 terabyte data arrays in Perth is underway and
the checked moorings were still
file servers delivered in Melbourne SRS should have MODIS data online
present at the deployed locations.
and Canberra recently. Each system in a few weeks. SRS will initially use
No damage could be seen.
weighs 98 kilograms and has 48, one the Canberra system to test AO-DAAC
This is great news for AATAMS terabyte disk drives. It took four people software components with some test
confirming that the mooring design is to get the unit out of the box and data before full deployment. SRS are
strong enough to withstand cyclonic into the rack. Once the systems are progressing with the software and the
winds. We are looking forward configured, Sea Surface Temperature installation of the OPeNDAP server
to recovering and downloading (SST) data will start flowing to the software which should follow quickly
data from the receivers in July. Melbourne system from the Bureau of once the systems are up and running.
2 marinematters
Annual Planning Progress-highlight for each facility
Meeting Bluewater and climate facilities Coastal ecosystem facilities
Argo: The planned global coverage FAIMMS: First test deployments are
The 2nd IMOS Annual Planning of 3000 floats was achieved and now live and data is coming from these
Meeting was held on 18-20 February float-deployment in the IMOS via a simplistic data management
at Glenelg, South Australia. There region is nearing completion system; June 2008 sees the first major
were 34 participants including deployment at Heron and One-Tree
SOOP: First steps to change from
five Board members, node, Islands with Rib Reef soon after;
a primarily physical oceanographic
facility and sub-facility leaders, network to a multidisciplinary network AATAMS: Ningaloo acoustic
Operator contacts, IMOS Office to support research on the physical screens installed in February and
and an invited speaker. The environment and ecosystems. Victoria no lost instruments after tropical
invited speaker, Anne Fitzgerald state government is supporting cyclone Nicholas went over.
from QUT Law Faculty, discussed instruments on the Bass Strait Ferries.
AUV: Completed deployments at
legal issues that arise in a free SOTS: A trial deployment of the Jervis Bay, biodiversity assessment at
and open data environment. Nick biogeochemical mooring will Ningaloo (supported by AIMS), drowned
D’Adamo presented an overview be subjected to engineering reefs on GBR (Southern Surveyor)
of international ocean-observing analysis after recovery
Data management facilities
activities, particularly in the
Coastal currents and water
Intergovernmental Oceanographic SRS: High resolution (1-5km), real-
property facilities
Commission, as they relate to IMOS. time and re-processed SST maps
ANMN: 15 moorings in the are available in the IMOS region
The major part of the meeting water by June 2008
eMII: MEST is ready for IMOS data.
concerned reports on the current
ACORN: A radar system
status and plans out to June In closing the meeting, Dr Trevor Powell,
operating off southern Qld and
2009 from the 11 facilities. It was the chair of the IMOS Advisory Board,
sites selected in WA and SA
encouraging to see how much noted the progress, and how quickly it
progress has been achieved. ANFOG: 5 gliders delivered and was achieved, given that subcontracts
full stable of 8 (5 Sea-gliders and 3 were completed much less than a
Slocums) expected by June 2008. year ago. He noted that the emphasis
is changing now from the logistics of
getting started, to implementation and
engagement with the user community.
Dr John Gould, the international member
of the Advisory Board, commented that
IMOS is an ambitious and wide ranging
national effort, in many ways trail-
blazing for the international community.
Annual Business Plan
2008/09 to DIISR
Following on from the IMOS Annual
Planning Meeting in February, the
IMOS office with the Facility and
Sub-facility leaders, prepared their
plans for the 2008/09 financial
year. The Annual Business Plan
(ABP) was approved by the IMOS
Advisory Board and submitted to the
Department of Innovation, Industry,
Science and Research (DIISR) on
27th March 2008. We are currently
Annual Planning Meeting attendees (left to right): Standing: Dr Stefan Williams, Mr Craig awaiting advice from DIISR that
Steinberg, Dr Moninya Roughan, Dr Nick D’Adamo, Prof Mal Heron, Prof Iain Suthers, the ABP has been accepted.
Dr John Gould, Dr Peter Turner, Dr Peter Doherty, Prof Chari Pattiaratchi, Mr Simon
Allen, Dr Marian McGowen, Mrs Jo Neilson, Dr Susan Wijffels, Mr Scott Bainbridge, If you would like a copy of the
Dr Rob Harcourt, Prof Craig Johnson. Sitting: Prof Richard Coleman, Mr Ken Ridgway, 2nd Annual Business Plan, please
Dr Eric Schulz, Prof Gary Meyers, Prof Jo Laybourn-Parry and Dr Trevor Powell. contact the IMOS office.
marinematters 3
approach to infrastructure development
be maintained. It has been more
corner
director’s
effective for developing the marine
observing system than the previous
competitive grant schemes, and
this is likely to be true for all aspects
of environmental monitoring.
Another point is that the marine
observing system has to be largely a
Dr Gary Meyers public service supported by public
funding, like the weather service.
This is because there are many
activities and businesses in addition
Two ongoing major reviews
to research that benefit from the same
initiated by the new Labour observations – e.g. fishing, tourism,
Government are highly relevant search and rescue, shipping, port-
management, offshore industries, etc
to IMOS – the Review of the
– and the total investment is justified
National Innovation System by adding all of the relatively small
and the Review of the NCRIS benefits together. The onus then is
placed back on the marine community
Roadmap. This newsletter is
to develop the capability for innovative,
an opportunity to publically air public services that will justify public
some of the ideas expressed funding. Of course, we have already
been innovative: IMOS data is already
in the IMOS submissions.
flowing into BLUElink (a hugely
successful service jointly developed
Firstly, the national, strategic approach by CSIRO, BoM and RAN during
to infrastructure-development, as the past seven years, and running
implemented by NCRIS, was highly operationally now at BoM). However,
effective for the marine community. We much remains to be done to prove the
were ready for a national, community- value of sustained marine observations
driven approach because many had to all of the potential users. I suggested
worked hard for almost two decades to in the submissions that we follow the
establish small parts of the observing lead of Europe’s Global Monitoring
system, always knowing that more is for Environment and Security, a new
required to support research on the multinational organisation whose
role of the ocean in the climate system, primary purpose is to develop highly
human (including climate) impacts on innovative applications of earth
marine ecosystems and conservation observations. This is not the place
of marine biodiversity. The strategy for to describe GMES in detail, but if
the observing system was embodied you Google it you’ll see that it is a
in Australia’s Oceans Policy (1998) potentially useful strategic approach.
and the associated Marine Science
Finally, there is a need to sustain
and Technology (MS&T) Plan (1999).
IMOS beyond the current investment,
The documents clearly articulated
to maintain the long-term monitoring
the strategic approach. After these
capability required to support marine
efforts, many in the marine community
and climate research and applications.
were ready to take advantage of
The long term development needs to
NCRIS facilitated process, and ready
be based on staged increments, where
to make the compromises required
the observing system at each stage is
for a community plan. A long time
re-assessed against priorities that are
has passed since the MS&T Plan was A sample mosaic from the Autonomous
broadly accepted by the developers Underwater Vehicle (AUV) taken
published. For the researchers who
and the users. But re-assessment at Ningaloo marine park, Western
contributed to writing it, it is worthwhile
should not preclude a long term Australia showing sponge beds in 80m
now to go back and have a read.
commitment to investment in marine of water. The AUV was maintaining an
As a community, we strongly observations by the Government. altitude of 2m, giving a 1.5m swath,
recommend that the national, strategic and traveling at 0.5m/s. The mosaic is
composed of 40 images captured at
2Hz and represents a 10m transect.
4 marinematters
Facility Feature Article #4
By Wilbur Longbottom & Marian McGowen
Ships of Opportunity – Mr Ken Ridgeway
The measurement of ocean temperature has a long dependence on volunteer observing
ships, with original instrumentation consisting of a bucket and thermometer. Sampling
techniques have progressed with advances in technology in the latter half of the 20th
century, enabling the collection of data from participating merchant vessels and cruise
liners (Ships of Opportunity, SOOP). Until recently, researchers have collected only
sea temperature and physical data; however, IMOS is currently upgrading the SOOP
program in Australia to enable a broader, multidisciplinary suite of data collection.
A Brief history needed in the east central and west Ocean, the shelf seas across northern
Pacific, as well as in the middle of the Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef.
One of the first oceanographic
ocean. The XBT network was extended A number of organisations have made
variables measured was sea surface
across the Indian Ocean in the mid significant co-investments into the
temperature (SST). In an effort to
1980s with Gary Meyers’ move to SOOP facility, including the Australian
understand the Gulf Stream, Benjamin
CSIRO in Australia, where he helped Climate Change Science Program,
Franklin measured SST over 200 years
to establish a consistent data stream Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems
ago using a simple mercury-in-glass
from merchant ships around Australia. CRC, Australian Government Antarctic
thermometer suspended over
The data generated by these XBT Division, Australian Institute of Marine
the side of his ship during
lines is currently sent in near real-time Science, Bureau of Meteorology,
the voyage between the
to climate analysis centres around CSIRO, Marine National Facility, Royal
US and Europe. Although
the world where it is routinely used in Australian Navy and Scripps Institute of
improvements to thermometers
models for seasonal climate prediction. Oceanography. Although the framework
subsequently increased
This data set is invaluable for examining of SOOP has been established by
precision, measurements
climate variability and change in the IMOS new participating agencies
were still constrained to
ocean as some records now go back can add observations tailored to their
individual water depths. With
over 25 years. At least 44 publications needs. For example, the Environment
the invention of the mechanical
in refereed scientific journals have used Protection Authority Victoria has
bathythermograph (a torpedo-
the Australian XBT data, not to mention recently funded the installation of an
like device about the size of a
XBT many more using the global SOOP data. autonomous marine sensor package
water bottle, attached to a line
onto the ferry, Spirit of Tasmania 2, on
and thrown over the side of a ship) by
Enhanced Measurements from its Bass Strait route. Through joining
Athelstan Spilhaus in 1937, it became
Ships of Opportunity (SOOP) IMOS they have been incorporated
possible to make a continuous record
into the national SOOP network.
of temperature versus depth. The Ken Ridgway, a researcher at CSIRO
development of thermistors, electronic Marine and Atmospheric Research and Enhanced SOOP is coordinated with
devices to measure temperature, led the SOOP Facility Leader, is currently the merchant ship programs in other
to the expendable bathythermograph upgrading SOOP within IMOS. This countries through the intergovernmental
(XBT) in the 1960’s, originally designed evolution will lead to a multidisciplinary Joint Committee on Oceanography
for use in submarine warfare. set of integrated, repeat underway and Marine Meteorology (http://www.
Oceanographer Ray Montgomery observing systems on volunteer ships jcommops.org). The international
recognised the potential for XBTs in in Australian regional seas, linking program provides global coverage of
ocean research and initiated what was physical, chemical and biological oceanic thermal structure. IMOS is one
to become the modern SOOP program, oceanography. The observations of the first to enhance the XBT ships
installing XBTs on the cruise liner that will span spatial scales from eddies with biogeochemical observations.
operated between Honolulu, Tahiti to basin width, and timescales from Enhanced SOOP also participates
and Samoa to monitor the equatorial seasonal to decadal. The enhanced in international research programs
current system of the Central Pacific. SOOP facility will generate time-series such as the Southwest Pacific Ocean
data in areas that have only sparse, Circulation and Climate Experiment
When researchers Jean-René Donguy
discontinuous biological data in (SPICE). SPICE aims to understand
and Gary Meyers began studying
the past. Target regions include the the role of the Southwest Pacific in the
the El Niño – Southern Oscillation
boundary current systems off Eastern transmission of decadal climate signal
phenomenon in the 1970’s, they
and Western Australia, the Southern to the equatorial and Tasman region.
realised that XBT transects were
marinematters 5
The SOOP program within IMOS enhanced this sub-facility to include transmitting data by GPS Tracking
is divided into 4 sub-facilities an autonomous marine monitoring System (GTS) every 1-3 hours. The
system on the Spirit of Tasmania 2. data collected will be used to validate
Multidisciplinary Underway Network
The sensors will record temperature, environmental satellite instruments and
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric salinity, chlorophyll-a and turbidity. contribute to the routine mapping of
Research (CMAR) will operate the SST. BoM (in partnership with AIMS
Sensors on Tropical Research Vessels
network, using commercial shipping lines and CMAR) will install a near real-
to add biogeochemical observations to The Australian Institute of Marine time thermosalinograph system on
the existing XBT lines. This will improve Science (AIMS) will increase its the Gladstone to Heron Island Ferry.
coverage, enabling researchers to monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef and
Research Vessels Real-
monitor the transport of mass, heat and the western Coral Sea. Research vessels
Time Air-Sea Fluxes
freshwater in Australia’s major boundary Cape Ferguson and Solander will be
currents and their relation to ecosystems. upgraded to include thermosalinograph SOOP will install sensors on RV
Biogeochemical sensors will be added and chlorophyll sensors, with the Southern Surveyor and RV Aurora
to the National Marine Research Facility, total suite of sensors able to record Australis to produce high quality, real-
RV Southern Surveyor to monitor the temperature, salinity, fluorescence, time measurements of air sea fluxes
sensitivity of biogeochemical cycling to light absorption and irradiance. (the transfer of heat and freshwater
climate change, and to measure CO2 These research vessels will undertake between the atmosphere and the sea).
uptake in critical areas. Continuous repeated transects in the target areas Improved knowledge and mapping
Plankton Recorder (CPR) devices, as well as individual cruise tracks. of air-sea fluxes is one of the great
capable of recording species-level data challenges of climate research. This
Sea Surface Temperature (SST)
of phytoplankton and zooplankton, will sub-facility will obtain data for study
Sensors for Australian Vessels
be installed on two lines to establish links of the role of the ocean on climate
between planktonic ecosystem structure This sub-facility of SOOP, in collaboration variability, carbon levels, ecosystems
and large-scale physical variability. One with the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), and coastal environments.
line will run down the core of the East will improve validation of SST data
Australia Current and the second across gathered by satellite by equipping eight
the Southern Ocean to Antarctica. The to ten Australian Volunteer Observing
State Government of Victoria recently Ships with hull-mounted SST sensors
SOOP Observation plan out to June 2009.
0
Ships of Opportunity:
XBT (temperature)
10 CO2
Plankton
Air Sea Fluxes
20
Temperature, Salinity,
Chlorophyll, Fluorescence,
Light absorbtion, Irradiance
30 AVOF SST coverage
© Stevie Davenport, Australian Antarctic Division
40
50
60
70
90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180
© Australian Antarctic Division
The shipping routes that will provide the observational data
streams for SOOP. Navy blue lines are XBT (temperature)
transects; the red lines are CO2 transects to measure the CO2
uptake in critical areas; green lines are plankton transects and The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) is a device that
will collect abundance and species data with CPR’s; aqua blue is trailed behind a vessel to record quantity and genera of
lines are air sea flux transects that will measure the transfer of plankton in the water in long transects. The microscopic
heat and freshwater between the atmosphere and the ocean; plankton enters the device and is trapped on a silk that
and pink lines represent the routes of the upgraded Research is continuously wound. The silk is then put under a
vessels Cape Ferguson and Solander. The area covered microscope and the abundance of the different types of
by the Australian Volunteer Observing Ships (AVOF) for plankton is measured. CPR surveys allow researchers to
measuring Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is shaded yellow. observe changes in distribution, abundance and phenology.
6 marinematters
Cooperation with observers and providing high quality data
shipping companies for SOOP. The SOOP program, with their
crew of volunteers on existing commercial
The strength of the SOOP facility lies
shipping lines, provides a cost-effective
in the cooperative efforts of marine
means of obtaining reliable and accurate
scientists and commercial shipping
time-series data across the oceans.
companies to collect data of increasing
sophistication and breadth, thereby The enhancements to SOOP, funded
increasing our knowledge of ocean through IMOS, will provide long-
currents and climate, which ultimately term ocean observations that are
returns benefits to both shipping vital to understanding the influences
companies and the wider community. responsible for changes and variability
The SOOP team has developed a in Australia’s climate system, and could
rapport with volunteer observers from even help predict the effects of climate
the commercial shipping companies events such as the El Niño – Southern “The ships companies might benefit
ensuring they feel involved in the project. Oscillation phenomenon. Increasing in the long term from the improved
Marine scientists provide training on how our understanding of the ocean knowledge of ocean current and
to collect the data at sea, encourage and climate is not only important for climate, but for the most part
interest in what the data will be used for, merchant shipping, fisheries, national they undertake it as a community
defense, and the public, but has the service,” says Mr Ken Ridgway.
and provide feedback on the findings.
Conversely, the volunteers welcome the potential to improve planning and
distraction of collecting data whilst at management of significant sectors For more information, please contact:
sea, and are usually very interested in the of the Australian economy, such as Mr Ken Ridgway
research being done, becoming excellent agriculture, energy and resources. Ken.Ridgway@csiro.au
Facility Feature Article #5
Ocean Gliders – Professor Chari Pattiaratchi By Wilbur Longbottom & Marian McGowen
Oceanographers have traditionally used ships to observe the oceans, however, the high
cost of ship time restricts the size of the area covered and makes repeated surveys over a
particular area uneconomic. Underwater ocean gliders represent a technological revolution
for oceanography. Autonomous ocean gliders can be built relatively cheaply, are controlled
remotely and are reusable; allowing them to make repeated subsurface ocean observations
at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods. The Australian National Facility for
Ocean Gliders (ANFOG), with IMOS/NCRIS funding, will deploy a fleet of eight gliders
this year. The data retrieved from the glider fleet will contribute to the study of the major
boundary current systems surrounding Australia and their links to coastal ecosystems.
Realising a vision transmit via satellite their accumulated unlike Argo floats that drift in the ocean
data and receive instructions telling currents, gliders have wings and a
Henry Stommel, a renowned physical
them how to steer through the ocean”. rudder to allow them to move horizontally
oceanographer, published a visionary
Ocean gliders have undergone a in a selected direction while profiling
article in the journal Oceanography
steady development in the 20 years across strong currents. Essentially this
in 1989, written from the perspective
since Stommel’s article, making the means that the gliders’ horizontal position
of an oceanographer reminiscing in
transition from fantasy to reality. is controllable, and allows researchers
2021. He described a world ocean
to decide where the glider goes. Global
observing system based on “a fleet of Ocean gliders propel themselves by
low-power satellite communication is
small neutrally buoyant floats called changing buoyancy, they alternately
a key enabling technology for gliders,
Slocums”. The floats would “migrate reduce and expand their volume to dive
making it possible for them to be
vertically through the ocean changing and climb through the ocean, in the
remotely controlled world-wide and for
ballast…steered horizontally by gliding same way as Argo profiling floats (see
the transfer of near real-time data.
on wings…broaching the surface to Marine Matters issue two). However,
marinematters 7
Ocean glider Fact File Slocum glider Seaglider also use a Slocum glider to investigate
the challenging environment of the
continental shelf off Stockton Bight,
Jervis Bay and Eden. The Slocum glider
Type Coastal Open ocean will sample recurrent features during 3
week deployments, such as tracking the
Depth range 5-200m Up to 1000m
maturation of phytoplankton after a cold
Maximum Range 500km 4600km core eddy brings nutrients into the photic
Speed 40cm/s 25cm/s zone. The inshore monitoring will also
Deployment time 30 days 6 months track the effects of estuarine discharge
and southern extensions of the isotherms
off Eden. These Slocum deployments
ANFOG’s glider fleet cost and duration of their deployment
will complement zooplankton sampling
will vastly improve the amount of data
The IMOS glider fleet will consist from the RV Southern Surveyor.
oceanographers are able to collect. Also
of two types; Slocum gliders and
gliders will collect data during periods
Seagliders. Slocum gliders (named
of extreme weather conditions. “Usually
for Joshua Slocum the first solo global
we go on a ship to obtain data – this is
circumnavigator) and manufactured by
very expensive and limited to when the
Webb Research Corp are optimised
weather is suitable and the availability
for shallow coastal waters (< 200m)
of a ship – but gliders will collect data
where high manoeuvrability is needed.
under any weather conditions at a
ANFOG will have three Slocum gliders
fraction of the cost. Gliders will enable
to be deployed on the continental shelf.
sustained ocean observations,” he says.
Seagliders, built at the University of
Washington, are designed to operate Sustained ocean observations will allow
most efficiently in the open ocean up researchers to document the natural
to 1000m water depth. ANFOG will variability of the ocean, and better
use their five Seagliders to monitor understand the effect of climate change
the boundary currents surrounding on coastal ecosystems.The IMOS gliders
Australia. The Seagliders can be used will focus particularly on the major
to conduct repeated glider surveys boundary currents that run down the
SeaGlider (blue) samples EAC
across the boundary currents and Australian coast, the Leeuwin in the west and then warm core eddy.Slocum
continental shelves, which is valuable and the East Australian Current (EAC). glider (yellow) has a similar track
for gathering long-term environmental The study of these currents is critical for through a cold core eddy.
records of physical, chemical and understanding the north-south transport
biological data not widely measured to of freshwater, heat and biogeochemical Bluewater and climate – Monitoring
date. Whilst the Slocum gliders, due to properties. The currents exert a large the Southward extension of
their low cost and operational flexibility, influence on coastal ecosystems, the East Australian Current
will be of great use in intensive coastal shipping lanes and fisheries.
The Bluewater node will use a Seaglider
monitoring, both types of glider weigh
to complete glider tracks to monitor
only 50kg enabling them to be launched IMOS Glider projects
the flow of the EAC off Tasmania. The
from small boats. They will have the
Following a public Call for Proposals glider transect will provide the first
same suite of sensors, able to record
in 2007 for the IMOS infrastructure the extended time-series of the absolute
temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen,
ocean gliders have been allocated to transport of the EAC. Climate modelling
turbidity, dissolved organic matter and
four projects which will be coordinated and sparse historical data suggest that
chlorophyll against position and depth.
by research teams at four of the the EAC is spreading southward over
The key feature that sets ocean gliders IMOS Science nodes; NSW-IMOS, decades and affecting the temperate
apart from other autonomous underwater Bluewater, SAIMOS and WAIMOS. marine ecosystem. The Seaglider
vehicles is that they are slow. Slocum will begin monitoring this process in
NSW-IMOS – Exploring hydrography
gliders cruise at a maximum speed of a systematic way. The data obtained
and fluorescence in the EAC, its
only 40cm/s, whilst Seagliders cruise at from the Seaglider will compliment
eddy field and in the Tasman Front
24cm/s. This slow speed and consequent other data streams from Argo, XBT
low drag permit long deployments NSW-IMOS will deploy one Seaglider transects, satellite altimetry and Sea
of up to 6 months. Professor Chari for 6 month deployments in the Tasman Surface Temperature, and further
Pattiaratchi, the leader of ANFOG, and Sea, to obtain physical and biological develop general ocean observing
the Coastal Oceanography Group at properties in order to improve the techniques and algorithms, assimilated
the University of Western Australia, understanding of the dynamics and into ocean models to provide a
notes that although the data collected variability of the EAC, the Tasman Front, detailed description of the EAC flow.
by the gliders will not be unique, the low and eddies shed by the EAC. They will
8 marinematters
productive boundary currents off the Future of oceanography
west coasts of Africa and the Americas
Ocean gliders present new
is nutrient depleted. Originating in
opportunities for studying the oceans
the tropics, the Leeuwin current is a
surrounding Australia. With these
shallow, narrow band of warm, low
glider projects, ANFOG will develop
salinity water, which flows poleward
strategies and techniques to use
from Exmouth to Cape Leeuwin and into
gliders in sustained ocean observing
the Great Australian Bight. The Slocum
to best advantage. These projects will
glider will complete circuits from Two
also build technical capability in the
Rocks (north of Perth) to the edge of
IMOS nodes around the country, and
the Leeuwin Current and then return
transfer skills needed in the operation
through the axis of the Perth Canyon. A
of ocean gliders. Ocean observing
Seaglider will be released off Dampier
will always present a challenge to
The February Sea Surface every 3 months and will traverse back
researchers, with the wide range of
temperature around Tasmania.The and forth across the Leeuwin Current,
Seaglider track is shown in blue. time and space scales that need
completing its deployment in Freemantle.
to be resolved. Whilst ships and
SAIMOS – Boundary and Shelf moorings will remain important for
Currents: exchange with the oceanography, Stommel’s vision of a
shelves of SA and Victoria network of ocean gliders will provide
the best way to obtain sustained spatial
SAIMOS will use a Seaglider to explore and sampling of the sub-surface ocean.
map the deep boundary currents between
the Eyre Peninsula and the western
mouth of Bass Strait, at present largely
unknown, and identify hot spots for deep
ocean exchange with the shelf, between
SA and Tasmania. A Slocum glider will
also be used to investigate the shelf and
shelf break exchange and currents of
the SA upwelling zone and Bonney Coast
and western mouth of Bass Strait.
Proposed Slocum glider track
along Two Rocks transect returning
through the Perth Canyon.
Upwelling off the Bonney Coast
during March 1995 as illustrated The ANFOG team, Mun Woo,
by SST. The red line denotes Chari Pattiaratchi and Ben
a possible Seaglider path. Hollings, with a Slocum glider.
WAIMOS – Deployment of ocean
gliders in Western Australia
as part of the WAIMOS
WAIMOS will use two Seagliders and
one Slocum glider to continue ongoing
research efforts to understand the role of
the Leeuwin current system in controlling
Proposed Seaglider deployment
not only the marine life but also the For more information, please contact:
off Western Australia. The glider
climate of south-western Australia. The Prof Chari Pattiaratchi
will be released off Dampier and
Leeuwin current, in contrast to the highly recovered at Freemantle. chari.pattiaratchi@uwa.edu.au
marinematters 9
IMOS PhD Student Profile
Students using IMOS data for their PhD research
Paul Durack Project Title: Oceanic influence on the global
Quantitative Marine Science hydrological cycle: Quantifying the global salinity
(QMS) Program cycle - Ocean-atmosphere freshwater fluxes
CSIRO and University of Tasmania
Paul’s PhD project is focused on looking at Paul’s project is dependent on the new Argo
changes to observed ocean salinity through data array, in fact, without this great new data
time. The available historical data covers the resource, he’d be unable to look at global
period from 1874 to 2005, however around changes in the 4 key ocean basins due to
20% of more recent data is provided by Argo the sparseness of historical ocean data both
floats with good spatial coverage beginning in time and space. This new data resource
around 2002 from this platform. Change has enabled Paul and his colleagues to get a
in salinity is an indication of the global much better idea of what is happening in the
hydrological cycle, because ocean salinity global oceans, providing complete coverage
is a consequence of the difference between throughout the seasonal and annual cycle. At
rainfall and evaporation at the sea surface. last count 3110 active floats (and counting..)
As part of Paul’s PhD, he was invited
The rate of global climate change – which is a make up the array, with the original operational
to take part on the last voyage of the
very important scientific and political question target being 3000, so it’s at full capacity and
INSTANT program, during which he
- can be monitored by tracking salinity. giving oceanographers some incredible new
was involved in Argo deployment
insights to the workings of the global oceans..
Paul started his scientific life back last in Indonesia’s Banda Sea.
Along with historical data from ships and
century, completing his undergraduate
moorings back to the 1950’s, and the existing
studies in Western Australia, before heading
coverage of ocean surface and atmospheric
to Melbourne to work at the CSIRO labs
flux data, Argo is providing answers to
in Aspendale. He started his PhD in the
many ocean-related questions, including For more information:
CSIRO and UTas QMS program in 2006, and
the sustained monitoring of ocean salinity. Contact Paul Durack; paul.durack@csiro.au
is working under supervision from Susan
Wijffels (leader of the IMOS Argo Facility),
Nathan Bindoff, Helen Phillips and Richard
Coleman – quite the dynamic team!
This figure expresses (a) integrated changes to the Pacific Ocean basin salinity
from 1950-2005 and (b) an annual surface ocean salinity climatology (right)
centred on 1975; generated from a collection of varied data products; including
over 330,000 Argo data profiles (Contours show regions of maximum evaporation
(blue) and precipitation (red) with the transition zone indicated in black).
10 marinemattersIndian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS)
The Indian Ocean is unique Recurrence of these monsoon rains is The World Climate Research Programme
among the three tropical ocean critical to agricultural production that (CLIVAR) www.clivar.org/organization/
provides life-sustaining support for half indian/IndOOS/timeseries.php and the
basins in that it’s western
the world’s population. However, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
boundary current is blocked at annual cycle of the Indian Ocean is not commission are working to design and
25°N by the Asian land mass, sufficiently repeatable to avoid variations implement an integrated observing
and the Indonesian Throughflow of climate from year to year. The Indian system for the Indian Ocean, including
Ocean remotely influences the evolution a basin-wide mooring array, a 3°x3°
is an additional source of heat.
of El Niño and the Southern Oscillation array of Argo floats, a 5°x5° array
Seasonal heating of the land sets (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation of surface drifters, an enhanced
the stage for dramatic monsoon (NAO), North American weather, XBT network as well as many other
wind reversals, strong ocean- Atlantic hurricane formation, and most measurements (e.g., process studies,
importantly for us, the seasonal climate tide gauges and satellites).
atmosphere interactions and
of Australia. Despite the importance of
intense seasonal rains over the Visit the above webpage to see
the Indian Ocean in the regional and
what has already been implemented
Indian subcontinent, Southeast global climate system though, it is the
in the basin-scale Indian Ocean
Asia, East Africa, and Australia. most poorly observed and least well
Observing System (IndOOS).
understood of the three tropical oceans.
marinematters 11For more information about
IMOS please visit the website
www.imos.org.au
General enquiries:
Integrated Marine Observing
System (IMOS)
University of Tasmania
Private Bag 110
Hobart, TAS, 7001
+61 (03) 6226 7505 T
+61 (03) 6226 2107 F
imos@imos.org.au
Director
Professor Gary Meyers
Gary.Meyers@imos.org.au
Executive Officer
Mrs Jo Neilson
Jo.Neilson@imos.org.au
Executive Assistant
Dr. Marian McGowen
Marian.McGowen@utas.edu.au
Technical Director
Mr Simon Allen
Simon.Allen@csiro.au
Diagram illustrating how the national IMOS program works. IMOS integrates
Facility Leaders:
several independent technologies and instruments, ranging from moored sensors
Argo Australia
and deep sea autonomous floats to acoustic tracking devices, radar imagery and
Dr Susan Wijffels
remote satellites, among others, into research infrastructure covering a vast swath
susan.wijffels@csiro.au
of Australia’s large coastal and deep water marine territory. IMOS will generate
Enhanced Measurements from critical data needed to support a diverse range of marine research projects.
Ships of Opportuniity (SOOP)
Mr Ken Ridgway
Ken.Ridgway@csiro.au Australian Coastal Ocean Node Leaders:
Radar Network (ACORN)
Southern Ocean Automated Time Blue water and climate
Prof Mal Heron
Series Observations (SOTS) Mr Ken Ridgway
mal.heron@jcu.edu.au
Dr Eric Schulz Ken.Ridgway@csiro.au
E.Schulz@bom.gov.au Australian Acoustic Tagging and
Great Barrier Reef Ocean
Dr Tom Trull Monitoring System (AATAMS)
Observing System (GBROOS)
Tom.Trull@utas.edu.au Dr Rob Harcourt
Dr Peter Doherty
rharcour@gse.mq.edu.au
Australian National Facility for p.doherty@aims.gov.au
Ocean Gliders (ANFOG) Facility for Automated Intelligent
New South Wales IMOS (NSW-IMOS)
Prof Charitha Pattiaratchi Monitoring of Marine Systems (FAIMMS)
Prof Iain Suthers
chari.pattiaratchi@uwa.edu.au Mr Scott Bainbridge
i.suthers@unsw.edu.au
s.bainbridge@aims.gov.au
Autonomous Underwater
Southern Australia IMOS (SAIMOS)
Vehicle Facility (AUV) eMarine Information Infrastructure (eMII)
Dr Laurent Seuront
Dr Stefan Williams Prof Craig Johnson
Laurent.Seuront@flinders.edu.au
stefanw@acfr.usyd.edu.au Craig.Johnson@utas.edu.au
Western Australia IMOS (WAIMOS)
Australian National Mooring Network Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS)
Prof Charitha Pattiaratchi
Mr Simon Allen Dr Peter Turner
chari.pattiaratchi@uwa.edu.au
Simon.Allen@csiro.au Peter.Turner@csiro.au
IMOS is an initiative of the Australian Government being conducted as part of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy
www.ncris.dest.gov.au/capabilities/integrated_marine_observing_system.htm
This issue of marine matters has been compiled by Dr Marian McGowen.
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