Transcript Presentation title with space to run over two lines

Introducing an Integrated
Marine Observing System for
Australia (IMOS)
Gary Meyers (IMOS Director) and John Middleton
(SAIMOS)
.
IMOS Strategic Goal
Assemble and provide free, open and timely access to streams of
data that support research on
• The role of the oceans in the climate system
• The interaction between major boundary currents and shelf
environments and ecosystems
And in the longer term
• Supports policy development, management of marine and terrestrial
climate impacts and adaptation by industries
IMOS Funding:
• $50M cash from Commonwealth
• Additional $40M cash and in-kind support from marine
agencies around Australia
IMOS Development:
• National Science Plan priorities workshopped in 2006
• Local science plans (with equipment needs) developed
• Envelopes for equipment allocations developed
• Agreement of who runs what facilities and what “nodes”
are allocated facilities.
• Plan strongly supported and funded by Aust. Govt.
National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy
IMOS—5 Nodes and 11 Facilities
Goals: onshore-offshore interaction, climate impacts
GBROOS
WAIMOS
SAIMOS
NSWIMOS
Water depth 110 m
Met Station
National Reference Stations
Communications via
acoustic modem
ADCP
Key components:
Real Time Data sent via satellite
2x CTDs
1x ADCP (SAIMOS, NSWIMOS only)
1x Surface Meteorological Station
Reference Stations
RS
RS
National Reference Station - Monthly
Biogeochemical Sampling
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Parameters: Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, Alkalinity
Hydrochemical parameters: Nitrate/nitrite,
silicate,phosphate, salinity
Biological parameters: Phytoplankton: pigment composition,
microscopy, genetic composition, total suspended solids
Flow cytometry (population size, physical and chemical
composition)
Zooplankton: dry Weights, community composition, genetic
composition
Physical/profiling instrument measurements: CTD with
capabilities for:
Temperature, Pressure (depths), Conductivity,
Fluorescence, Light (PAR), Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen
Aust. Coastal Ocean RADAR
Network – six systems
(WERA&CODAR)
WERA
Installation
Radar is back reflected by
ocean waves. The Doppler
shift in Radar frequencies
enables surface currents
and other variables to be
measured.
HF Ocean RADAR Example From South Carolina
Live current
measurements every
30 minutes from the
WERA system off
South Carolina (US).
Strong NorthEast Velocities
associated with the
Gulf Stream are
clearly visible
Note: range is better
during day
Aust. National Facility for Ocean Gliders
8 gliders (Slocum and deep)
Glider Cross-Section: Temperature
Off Perth
Play Movie
Other IMOS observing systems
Passive acoustic listening for sea-floor slumps, Antarctic Ice
collapse and marine mammals using hydrophones
Pygmy Whale
singing off
Perth
AUV (hulls removed)
for sea floor video and
mapping
Moorings detect
tagged fish < 1km
6 month service to
obtain data
Tagged Fish: AATAMS and
community receivers
SAIMOS
Glenelg 10 moorings
Portland 31 moorings
Bluewater Node:
Major research questions:
• What is the role of the ocean in weather, climate variability and change?
• What role does the ocean play in setting atmospheric carbon levels?
• Where and how does ocean and climate variability impact on pelagic
ecosystems, their productivity and fisheries?
• How do large-scale offshore changes affect our coastal environment and
ecosystems?
• Is there predictability in the system and where? On what timescales?
Tools
• ARGO Floats
• Ships of Opportunity
• Satellites
• S.O. Mooring
IMOS Argo
• 50 T/S Argo floats per year (assuming a
continuation of existing contributions from
AGO, CSIRO and BoM)
Implementation
West Australian IMOS
•
•
•
Leeuwin Current eddies and their interaction with the
shelf waters.
Western Rock lobster recruitment
The Perth Canyon – highest biodiversity with whale
and fish aggregations, high primary and secondary
production which are controlled by the physical
Leeuwin Current
oceanographic
processes
0
200km
Jurien Bay
Perth
Canyon
Leeuwin UC
Rottnest
Island
Southern Australian IMOS
- cross shelf exchange/ecosystems
• Summer:
• Upwelling - Deep
cold, water is
brought to surface
• Mechanisms:
winds
• canyons
• Flinders Current
• Winter:
• Density current
outflows from gulfs
and coast
Sea Surface
Temperature from
satellite
measurements
Planned
SAIMOS
Infrastructure:
 HF Radar
 Shelf/Slope Moorings
 Reference Station
• CTD Stations
PLUS
• Gliders
• Fish tag curtains
• AUVs
NSW IMOS – The EAC and upwelling:
Oke & Middleton 02
Mean sea surface temperature (deg C)
Climate change (East Coast, Tasmania) …
Mean surface salinity (ppt)
After Hill et al. 2007
Great
Barrier
Reef
Ocean
Observing
System
GBROOS
Issues for GBR function and health
Connectivity (currents)
Productivity (upwelling)
Coral bleaching (temperature)
Coral calcification (carbonate chemistry)
SEC = South Equatorial Current
EAC = East Australian Current
SEC
SEC
Coral Sea mooring (1)
Slope moorings (4)
Shelf mooring (1)
Oceanographic buoys (3)
Temp/Salinity
Flow
Light & heat fluxes
Island Research Stations (4)
Reef towers (3)
HF Radar
Chlorophyll
Turbidity
Particulate carbon
Local variables (sensor networks)
EAC
Planned IMOS Coastal
Deployments
G
R
A
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