Barefoot scientists to develop new laboratory.

A new project to develop a floating, mobile fisheries and oceanographic observation system led by NMSC researchers has received funding from the Australian Research Council.

Professor Isaac Santos is the lead investigator for the project ‘A fisheries and oceanographic observing system for the continental shelf’, which has received $552,000 through the LIEF scheme, plus an additional $505,000 from industry partners, bringing the total funding to $1,057,000 for the project.
“We will develop an automated floating facility that can provide data to support ongoing research programs in oceanography, marine chemistry, climate change, ocean acidification, coastal hydrology, and fisheries in the continental shelf and beyond,” Professor Santos said.
“This will bridge a major gap in fisheries and oceanographic research capacity to make observations in a critical region of the Australian marine environment, and further develop the University’s close ties with NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fisheries colleagues and universities performing oceanographic research.”
The project is being done in collaboration with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Curtin University of Technology, Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales. Southern Cross University researchers involved in the project are Associate Professor Brendan Kelaher; Dr Douglas Tait, Associate Professor Symon Dworjanyn and Associate Professor Kai Schulz.