28/04/2005 - The final
voyage of a marine science survey of ocean
waters off northern Australia will set sail
tomorrow (Friday) to collect important environmental
data in the region as part of the Australian
Government's marine management strategy, Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell said today.
The Northern Australian Marine Science Survey
2005 – a joint exercise involving the Department
of Environment and Heritage, Geoscience Australia
(GA) and the CSIRO – will collect seismic
and oceanic data, map the sea floor and take
samples from a number of marine ecosystems.
The third and final voyage - set to depart
Darwin tomorrow - is planned to explore the
ocean floor over the next month for natural
hydrocarbon seeps and their effect on the
environment.
The second voyage, which has just been completed,
resulted in the discovery of an extensive
coral reef system in the southern Gulf of
Carpentaria.
Senator Campbell said scientific findings
from the voyages would provide critical information
for the Northern Regional Marine Plan, which
would bring together all the major marine
management issues for 700,000 square kilometres
of ocean water under federal jurisdiction
between the eastern Arafura Sea and Torres
Strait, including the Gulf of Carpentaria.
"Sound and sustainable management of
the ocean environment relies on the best possible
information and scientists know comparatively
little about these tropical northern waters,"
he said.
"We are filling these information gaps
through scientific voyages such as these,
using cutting edge technology so we can make
informed management decisions."
Senator Campbell said the voyages were an
exciting opportunity to use new sea floor
imaging equipment fitted to the hull of the
Australian Government research ship the RV
Southern Surveyor.
He said the Government had invested more
than $1 million in the equipment and another
$1.2 million in ship costs for the voyages
through the Department of Environment and
Heritage alone.
"With this equipment we will see for
the first time detailed images of the sea
floor in three-dimensional colour, revealing
the topography of the sea floor, which enables
us to see what ecosystems and marine creatures
are supported," Senator Campbell said.
Media note: The RV Southern Surveyor will
be berthed at Darwin Harbour until 29 April,
when it will depart on the third leg of the
Northern Australian Marine Science Survey
2005.
