The Integrated Marine Observing System: observing Australia’s changing oceans Katy Hill Tim Moltmann, Roger Proctor, Marian McGowen Greenhouse 2011, Cairns, Australia.
Outline • Motivation for an Integrated Marine Observing System • Key features of IMOS • Current and future observations • Examples of applications from IMOS data; – Multidecadal ocean change – Climate variability and weather extremes – Boundary currents and inter-basin flows – Continental shelf processes – Biological responses • Future directions
Australia is a ‘marine nation’ • Third largest ocean territory • Highly sensitive to an ocean- influenced climate – drought, flood, extreme events • Extracting huge economic benefit from ocean territory – marine tourism, oil and gas, shipping, fishing & aquaculture • Marine assets with globally significant conservation value – from the high tropics to Antarctica • Highly urbanised population living on or near the coast – ecosystem services, recreation value
An opportunity, and a challenge Area of EEZ, per head of • Our ocean territory represents a population great opportunity for the 0.50 Australian people 0.45 0.40 • But it also represents a great 0.35 challenge... 0.30 0.25 • It is not easy to observe, 0.20 understand and manage such a 0.15 vast ocean territory, with a 0.10 relatively small population 0.05 • Clearly, we must collaborate... 0.00 US France Australia Russia Indonesia
IMOS, Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System • IMOS is a national, collaborative, research infrastructure program... • ...for sustained observing in the marine environment • It seeks to integrate from open ocean, onto the continental shelf, and into the coast • It seeks to integrate across physics, chemistry, and biology • And make all the data discoverable and accessible for free
IMOS timeframe and resources We are here 50,000,000 • IMOS established 2007 45,000,000 • Ramp-up phase 2007-9 40,000,000 • NCRIS investment 35,000,000 peaked in 2009-10 30,000,000 • 2009 EIF investment, to 25,000,000 enhance and extend 20,000,000 – stable at ~$45M pa 15,000,000 $52M • >50% co-investment 10,000,000 – Institutional partners 5,000,000 $50M – Other partners 0 • mainly Aust. Government – State Governments
IMOS, national and collaborative • The program is led by the University of Tasmania – on behalf of the whole marine and climate science community • Major institutions around the nation own and operate components of the system – institutional strengths/expertise, available to all the community • All must make data available to the whole community – condition of contract
IMOS, driven by science planning • Decisions about what to observe, and where, are driven by Science Plans addressing five major research themes – Multi-decadal Ocean Change – Climate Variability and Weather Extremes – Major Boundary Currents and Inter-basin Flows – Continental Shelf Processes – Ecosystem Responses • Science Plans have been
IMOS, focused in Nodes of activity • Blue-water and Climate Node – open ocean focus – broad scale – recognising Australia’s role as a key southern hemisphere partner in international programs • Five Regional Nodes focused on shelf/coastal features 2 – boundary currents 1 – upwelling zones 3 – reefs, canyons, marine parks 4 – population and development hubs 5
IMOS, delivered by Institutions operating ten National Facilities • Argo Floats • Ships of Opportunity • Deepwater Moorings • Ocean Gliders • Autonomous Underwater Vehicles • National Mooring Network • Ocean Radar • Animal Tagging and Monitoring • Wireless Sensor Networks • Satellite Remote Sensing
The IMOS Ocean Portal provides... • information about deployments • ISO-standard metadata • access to the actual data • plots, visualisations etc
Measures of success • For IMOS to be a success, 4 things need to go well... Modelling and analysis • e.g. Bluelink, shelf-scale hydro/BGC 3. Use the Research projects and programs Node Science Plans data for • e.g. ARC projects, CRC’s research Research education and training • e.g. PhD’s, Super Science Fellowships 2. Make the data available 1. Deploy the 4. Research equipment having national, and global impact
portal.aodn.org.au An Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) • use IMOS information infrastructure • for all Australian marine & ocean data useful for research • publicly-funded data, publicly available • new kinds of e-research enabled
The Australian Ocean Data Network - AODN Oil Industry & Gas, other WA ODN, IMOS partners, States link to MACC through OPSAG Universities IMOS partners, link to ARC through OPSAG AODC-JF Six Commonwealth Agencies, plus DSEWPAC, UTAS/IMOS, Oil & Gas industry Other NCRIS TERN, ALA, ANDS etc IMOS Significant investment, culture of data sharing, bringing in Universities and States
CURRENT STATUS
Opportunities for New Zealand http://imos.aodn.org.au
Contributing to research into MULTI-DECADAL OCEAN CHANGE
Tracking multi-decadal ocean change 50 year change climatology Ocean salinities track hydrological cycle amplification. i.e. dry areas are getting dryer, wet areas are getting wetter Durack et al, in prep.
Animal Tagging: Elephant Seals • Mapping under the sea ice for the first time (complement Argo) From Steve Rintoul Charassin et al., 2008
Contributing to research into CLIMATE VARIABILITY & WEATHER EXTREMES
Understanding & predicting major modes and drivers in the Australian region • Seasonal forecasting remains a considerable challenge. • Successful predictions of whether a La Nina/El Nino event will occur. • Accurate predictions of the timing of onset and magnitude remain a challenge. • IMOS data is underpinning seasonal forecasting (POAMA). From Susan Wijffels
BOUNDARY CURRENTS AND INTER-BASIN FLOWS
Monitoring Australia’s boundary currents Sites for observing the major boundary currents systems. Full ‐ depth mooring arrays at the Red sections – COM M ITTED Indonesian Throughflow and East Australian Current (26°S, off Brisbane) PROPOSED Leeuwin Current (32°S), and Tasman Outflow (southern Tasmania). Glider across current deployments shown by yellow tracks.
Contributing to research into BOUNDARY CURRENTS AND INTER-BASIN FLOWS
Evidence of change in the EAC.. 1 3 2 1) Temperature anomaly at Maria Island (Now an IMOS National Reference Station) 2) Temperature verses salinity at Maria: consistent with a strengthening EAC Extension 3) Decadal changes in the EAC Extension verses the Tasman Front transports. Hill et al, 2008, 2011
IMOS is deploying mooring arrays to monitor the full depth transport of the EAC and components Indonesian Throughflow.
Contributing to research into CONTINENTAL SHELF PROCESSES
Results from Chari Pattiarachi Glider repeat transects off of Perth
TR1: 24 Jan 2009
TR2: 22 Feb 2009
TR3: 14 Mar 2009
TR4: 21 Mar 2009
TR6: 10 Apr 2009
TR7: 20 Apr 2009
TR8: 18 May 2009
TR9: 04 Jun 2009
Contributing to research into BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES
Biological Responses NRS results • Dramatic regional patterns in biomass – Yongala is the lowest. – Port Hacking is leading the country. 0.7 mean chl a (µg L -1 ) Yongala • Community composition 0.6 0.5 – zeaxanthin 0.4 Ningaloo 0.3 Rottnest Island ( Synechococcus) is North 0.2 Stradbroke about 20 times more 0.1 Island 0.0 abundant at Yongala ESP MAI NIN NSI PHB ROT YON than Maria. Esperance Port Hacking – Photosynthetic dinoflagellates Kangaroo Island (peridinin) are most abundant at Kangaroo Maria Island Island. – Coccolithophorids (19 hex) are widely present fucoxanthin ~ diatoms but most abundant at 19 hex ~ coccolithophorids Esperance. zeaxanthin ~ Synechococcus chl b ~ greens – Chlorophytes (chlb) are 19 but ~ pelagophytes most abundant at Maria. DV chl a ~ Prochlorochoccus Prasinoxanthin = Prasinophytes Peridinin = dinoflagellates Alloxanthin = Cryptophytes Neoxanthin ~ greens Violaxanthin ~ greens IMOS 2011 From Peter Thompson and Pru Bonham Astaxanthin ~ grazing Lutein = greens
Animal Tagging: Elephant Seals From Ian Field
THE WAY FORWARD..
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