AUSTRALIA’S national science agency, CSIRO, will lead a major Pacific Ocean research voyage to better understand how the ocean is changing and what this means for the region.
Onboard Australia’s 94-metre ocean research vessel (RV) Investigator, Australian scientists and Pacific researchers will collect important ocean and atmosphere data as the vessel travels from Fiji to Antarctica.
The voyage from September to December will support Pacific efforts to respond to climate change, as Fiji prepares to host the pre-COP meeting from October 5-8.
“Our ocean and climate science will fill critical knowledge gaps by capturing ocean data for the region to better understand the influence of climate change. Dr Bea Pena-Molino, CSIRO’s voyage chief scientist
Four early career Pacific researchers, including two from Fiji, will join the voyage through partnerships with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO).
“Using the latest technology, we will be able to compare data to understand how the ocean is both driving and responding to climate change,’’ she said.
“This includes how the ocean is absorbing extra heat and carbon in the atmosphere, and how it is impacting marine ecosystems.
“Long-term data will provide insights into how our marine environment is changing, so we can better protect the creatures that call the ocean home, from tiny viruses, bacteria and plankton to fish.’’
The ship will dock in Fiji and New Zealand and travel through the waters of Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Howland and Baker Islands, Tokelau, American Samoa, Niue and New Zealand, before continuing through the Southern Ocean to the Antarctic ice edge.
The Investigator is Australia’s dedicated ocean research vessel and is operated by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). It carries equipment to enable a diverse range of science including atmospheric, biological, geophysical and oceanographic research.
Investigator has been designed to accommodate 60 scientists and crew, spend up to 60 days at sea and travel up to 10,000 nautical miles on a single voyage to deliver research from the equator to the ice edge.
