SPECIALREPORT FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 WHAT LIES BENEATH...the state’s coast include mullo-way,...
1
1HERSA1 A019 UTS CRICOS PROVIDER CODE 00099F UTS298SCI The intense field-based learning attracted me to UTS Science. Subjects are offered where you travel to the destination and learn everything first-hand out amongst the environment. UTS also has very environmental based focus courses that include terrestrial and aquatic, which allows you to work in almost any environmental related field. MICHAELA LARSSON Graduate, Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology UTS IS A KEY PARTNER OF THE SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE WHY SCIENCE AT UTS? Because it is research driven, relevant, innovative and practical www.science.uts.edu.au GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES PROGRAMS AT UTS! % MARINE BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS: Flexible specialist programs to choose from. % PRACTICAL & RELEVANT: Strong fieldwork focus, so be prepared to learn in the great outdoors, in places such as Heron Islands, One Tree, Southern Ocean, Antarctica and the Snowy Mountains. % WORKREADY: Gain skills employers want through field and lab experience, hands-on with latest technology equipment. 100% employment rate for UTS Science postgraduate graduates in the first 3 months of degree completion, according to the Australian Graduate Survey 2008. % RESEARCH-DRIVEN: Engage with big issues research such as climate change impacts in one of Australia’s best science facilities. To find out more about courses, careers in science, research and scholarships, visit: TOOLS OF THEIR TRADE HOW OUR SCIENTISTS KEEP TRACK OF THE OCEAN SUBMERSIBLE ROBOTS TWIN-HULLED AUTOMATED UNDERWATER VEHICLE (AUV) An underwater craft that can propel itself along a pre-determined course, measuring water properties such as temperature, salinity and oxygen content. Can also take photographs of the sea bed showing the distribution of coral, algae, sponges etc. Maximum mission - about eight hours. SINGLE- HULLED GLIDER Passive underwater robot that glides with the current, measuring some of the same things as the AUV - temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll - but for up six months. Surfaces every few hours to send information back to shore via satellite. COASTAL RADAR A network of radar devices measure the surface movement (speed and direction) of the water up to 250 kilometres from the shore. SATELLITE STATION Receives signals from satellites in space recording information about temperature, salinity, wind at the sea surface, as well as sediment and algae concentration across the world. FISH MONITORING POSTS Thousands of different fish have been been tagged. When they swim past the listening posts, the tags issue an acoustic signal which allow scientists to differentiate between, say, a shark, a small fish (such as snapper or mulloway) or larger species such as manta ray or turtle. MOORING CABLES Weighted cables at different depths, containing instruments vertically through the water that measure the speed, direction and strength of the current as well as its temperature and salinity. ARGO FLOATS Part of an international program. Around 3000 of them are deployed around the globe, measuring temperature, salinity, drift. Each one surfaces about once a fortnight to send its findings via satellite. MOORING Weight diffe containing vertically water that speed, d strength of th well as its temp ARGO FLOATS Part of an international program. Around 3000 of them are deployed around the globe, measuring perature and salinity. well as its temp of the sea bed showing the distribution of coral, algae, sponges etc. Maximum mission - about eight hours. SINGLE- HULLED HULLED HU U U U U U GLIDER R R R R R R GL GL GL L L L Passive underwater robot that glides t t t t t t at t t t t t t at t t t t t t at t t t t t t at t t t t t at t t t t t at t t t t w with the current, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , h measuring some of the me me e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e s as as e e e e e e same things as the AUV s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s t s s s s s s h h h h h h UV UV V V V - - - - t temperature, salinity, oxygen, xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy xy s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s i i i i i chlorophyll l l l l l l - but for up six months. ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont ont on on on on on on on on on on on on on on on on on n hs hs hs. hs. s. s. s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b S f f h t d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d temperature, salinity, drift. Each one surface ces s about once a fortnight to send its findings via satellite. GRAPHIC: REMI BIANCHI Going under to look ahead Ocean-faring technologies are helping experts to save the planet, says Megan Johnston. I f you are ever diving off Australia’s coast and an underwater car-like contraption tootles by, do not be alarmed. Scientists are deploying more machines, sensors and other cutting-edge gadgets under water than ever before. The aim: to help them understand our changing oceans over the com- ing decades. Much of the gear in NSW – provided as part of a national infrastructure program named the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) – has been installed, however, more will be employed as the techno- logy gradually improves. This system will capture data about ocean properties such as currents, salinity, biodiversity and habitats, all of which will be free to the scientific community, including oceanographers and marine biologists. These experts will pool their knowledge to piece together the puzzle of how climate affects oceans and vice versa, especially in “hot spots” such as Australia’s east coast. The hope is that much of that research will eventually be available in real time. The information also feeds into the global ocean-observing system, helping international scientists understand global currents and ocean conditions. But this type of research is not cheap. Four years ago the system received crucial funding – $50 million from the federal gov- ernment’s National Collaborat- ive Research Infrastructure Strategy. And it received an extra $52 million in last year’s budget, through the Education Invest- ment Fund and the Super Sci- ence Initiative. Combined with more funding from state and federal agencies, universities and industry, the total project is worth $200 million. The infrastructure is run by six research groups, one of which is managed by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) at Chowder Bay. This organisation brings together dozens of gov- ernment and university scient- ists along the NSW coast. Its director and chief executive, Professor Peter Steinberg, describes the infrastructure sys- tem as an “amazing thing”. “When fully deployed there will be highly sophisticated sen- sors and monitoring devices in the ocean at hundreds of loca- tions,” Steinberg says. “It is only by such long-term and comprehensive ocean observing that we can answer fundamental questions about . . . response to climate change.” The national system com- prises 11 “facilities” or programs, each of which manages a partic- ular type of equipment, such as floats, ships, radars, satellites and underwater gliders. These measure variables such as salin- ity, temperature, current and pH from different angles. The animal-tagging, underwater vehicle and coastal mooring facilities are outlined below. Animal tagging The acoustic tagging and monit- oring system is a way of observing the behaviour of thou- sands of animals, especially in response to changing ocean conditions. The receivers, secured to the sea floor, “listen” for passing animals, whose tags can last up to nine years. The equipment can monitor precise movements, down to individual fin kicks, and can track changing behaviours, including dive depths, habitats and migration routes. In NSW, key receivers lie off Bondi, Coffs Harbour and Manly. Animals being tracked along the state’s coast include mullo- way, flathead, bream, bull sharks, great whites, dusky whalers, wobbegongs, gropers and cuttlefish. Andrew Boomer, who helps run the network, says research groups can use the infrastruc- ture for many applications, including following endangered and commercially important species, or predators at the top of the food chain, which often indicate the overall health of an ecosystem. The network is also a way of centralising data from multiple studies. “In the past, if my animal swam past your receiver you’d never know about it,” Boomer says. “It will enable scientists to answer questions they’ve never been able to answer before and on scales they’ve never been able to do before.” Underwater vehicles These robots survey the sea floor more closely and at higher resol- utions than previously possible. The 200-kilogram contraptions are about two metres long and can dive deeper than most divers – up to 800 metres. The machines can also cap- ture more information than individual researchers can. “One of its features is that it can get into places that are diffi- cult to get a diver into,” the Uni- versity of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics direct- or, Dr Stefan Williams, says. The devices travel slowly – about one knot – and propel themselves just above the sea floor, building 3D high- resolution maps and images. Typical missions last for seven hours and go about 150 metres deep, as far as the edge of the continental shelf. Williams and his team manage and develop the program’s equipment and software and hope to eventually expand their three-vehicle fleet. Scientists can deploy vehicles from boats and the shore, on missions that use sensors and equipment such as cameras, strobes and sonar to record depth, temperature and water chemistry. The team hopes to establish sites in marine parks along the NSW coast. “The plan is to revisit these areas to see how they are chan- ging,” Williams says. Coastal moorings The mooring network is a series of national reference stations and regional moorings that measures the physics and bio- logy of ocean circulation. A senior lecturer at the Uni- versity of NSW, Dr Moninya Roughan, who helps run the facility, says they offer another layer of information. Once data is uploaded in real time, it will also have practical applications outside of science – for example, for anglers or sailors. Each state’s national reference station is a GPS location where water samples are taken for chemical and biological analys- is. The Port Hacking station is especially important given its busy location and history. “We have 70 years of data, so we’re able to assess if the climate is changing,” Roughan says. Regional moorings are also weighted off the coast near Coffs Harbour, Bondi, Port Hacking and Jervis Bay, plus another soon off Eden. Each is secured via cable to the continental shelf and equip- ped with fixed instrumentation that measures temperature, current speed and direction, and sometimes salinity and fluorescence, which is a proxy for biological productivity. “We don’t really understand these things and once we do, we can predict the effects of climate change and adjust our beha- viour,” Roughan says. Further information imos.org.au and sims.org.au Marine monitors The flow has slowed thanks to stricter pollution laws. SINCE co-founding Clean Up Australia Day two decades ago, Kim McKay has seen the best and worst of Australia’s coastline – and the potential for humans to both harm and protect the marine environment. “There was an attitude 20 years ago that people could get away with dumping waste but that’s just not acceptable now,” she says. She recently joined the foundation board of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), where researchers are helping to prevent further harm to coastal waters and the people who use them. Much of Australia’s coastal pollution is concentrated in estuary sediments, a legacy of decades of industrial dumping. The flow has slowed thanks to stricter pollution laws, improved sewerage and cleaner cars and industries. But stormwater still carries heavy metals and other contaminants, threatening marine life, which can also absorb or swallow old poisons from sediments. SIMS scientists, for example, have found pollution knocks out native species and helps spread pollution-tolerant invasive species. Some seaweed in Sydney Harbour has potentially harmful concentrations of copper, lead and zinc. But research not only reveals the dangers of pollution, it can also help prevent further harm. In aquaculture farms and sewerage systems, certain plants and animals are being used to clean up nutrients or pollution, Dr Emma Johnston, from the University of NSW says. “There’s a number of really good reasons why algae or oysters might be good biomonitors – they accumulate contaminants without being killed off, they can be easily deployed and they are very hardy,” she says. Associate professor at Macquarie University, David Raftos, agrees. He is working with Sydney rock oysters to develop an early warning system for contamination. SIMS researchers are also studying ocean dynamics to understand how pollution travels or combines with other factors such as heat or acidification to become more toxic. This could help determine the least harmful spots for ocean outfalls or even contain or prevent disasters, such as oil spills. Over the past 20 years, researchers from the University of Sydney have also identified which NSW estuaries have the most contaminated sediments. Associate professor Gavin Birch says this work will help authorities understand catchment behaviour and know which sediments to avoid disturbing, or where to clean up existing toxins. Megan Johnston Oysters and urchins: early warning agents Scientists from all over the world are collaborating to put ocean acidity and its effects under the microscope – before it’s too late, writes Megan Johnston. ‘This is not going to go away. We’ve got to do something about it.’ Dr Maria Byrne A sk your typical science buff how climate change is affecting the waters around Australia and he or she will probably mention the acidification of the ocean. As more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, some is also absorbed by the water, eventually making our oceans more acidic. The phenomenon poses an obvious threat to coral reefs but it also affects a variety of marine life around the world, especially in climate-change ‘‘hot spots’’ such as Australia’s east coast. It is only one part of ocean change, a process that also warms the water and reduces the availability of carbonate, the ‘‘building block’’ organisms use to form bone and develop. The interactions between these factors can harm plants and animals, particularly when they are combined with other elements, including overfishing and pollution. Scientists such as those working for the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) are still debating which of these factors is the most powerful. But so far, research shows ocean change is a highly complex process that affects animals in many ways. For example, increased acidity can erode shells, and reduced carbonate can affect develop- ment and harm shell growth. And while warmer waters harm reproduction and stimulate metabolism on the one hand, elevated carbon dioxide can slow metabolism on the other. ‘‘Ocean change has a triple- whammy effect on animals,’’ says SIMS researcher and University of Sydney professor of marine biology, Dr Maria Byrne. While it poses obvious risks to marine ecosystems, it may not necessarily be as scary as it sounds, she says. That is, provided catastrophic climate change is curbed and scientists learn more about the processes at work. Long-term effects are extremely difficult to predict, but some animals, especially those that do not make a shell or skeleton, may even benefit from their new environment, while other populations could move or adapt to the pressures. ‘‘It’s not all doom and gloom – there will be winners and losers,’’ Byrne says. ‘‘We’re going to lose a lot of biodiversity but we won’t go down to zero.’’ She and her collaborators from the University of Wollongong and the National Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour are researching the development of sea urchins and abalone, among other species. At Macquarie University, Dr Jane Williamson is working on similar projects with researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Their exact results differ slightly, but both teams agree acidity and water temperature can affect development of these creatures. They hope to discover which parts of their life cycles could be more vulnerable to different aspects of ocean change – and whether certain species can better acclimatise or evolve fast enough to survive. In the long term, this data could be fed into modelling systems, which will help scientists forecast flow-on effects. Animals that shape habitats, such as sea urchins, are particularly helpful when making long-term predictions because they can turn thriving kelp beds into barren rocky areas and subsequently change food chains and ecosystems. ‘‘Once we get more of these basic questions answered, we have the opportunity to really understand things on an ecosystem level,’’ Williamson says. Rather than looking at each issue separately, scientists with different areas of expertise can collaborate to build a bigger picture. ‘‘The good thing about SIMS is we’ve got such a base of diverse scientists with a real broad range of skills,’’ Williamson says. But the pace of change does not leave much time. ‘‘We’re very aware of the short time we have to find the right keys to unlock the answers,’’ she says. The research also helps industries that are dependent on the marine environment. Associate Professor David Raftos, also from Macquarie University, is working with Industry & Investment NSW and researchers from the University of Western Sydney, using genetic testing to find and potentially breed strains of Sydney rock oysters that are more resilient to ocean acidification and warming. ‘‘There is a real option to climate-proof our industries simply by breeding climate- proof oysters before the impacts are felt,’’ he says. The ultimate goal, Byrne says, is to prepare for change and build buffers into marine systems; for example, by creating marine parks or reducing pollution. ‘‘If we understand what we’ve got and how it might change, we can figure out ways of resistance,’’ she says. ‘‘This is not going to go away. We’ve got to do something about it.’’ The Sydney Morning Herald smh.com.au FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 19 WHAT LIES BENEATH SECRETS OF OUR COAST SPECIAL REPORT
Transcript of SPECIALREPORT FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 WHAT LIES BENEATH...the state’s coast include mullo-way,...
1HERSA1 A019
UTS
CR
ICO
S P
RO
VID
ER C
OD
E 00
099F
UTS
298S
CI
The intense field-based learningattracted me to UTS Science.Subjects are offered where youtravel to the destination and learneverything first-hand out amongstthe environment.
UTS also has very environmentalbased focus courses that includeterrestrial and aquatic, whichallows you to work in almost anyenvironmental related field.
MICHAELA LARSSONGraduate, Bachelor of Science inMarine Biology
�
�
UTS IS A KEY PARTNER OF THE SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE
WHY SCIENCE AT UTS?Because it is research driven, relevant, innovative and practical
www.science.uts.edu.au
GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES PROGRAMS AT UTS!MARINE BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS: Flexible specialist programs to choose from.
PRACTICAL & RELEVANT: Strong fieldwork focus, so be prepared to learn in the great outdoors, in places such as Heron Islands,One Tree, Southern Ocean, Antarctica and the Snowy Mountains.
WORKREADY: Gain skills employers want through field and lab experience, hands-on with latest technology equipment.100% employment rate for UTS Science postgraduate graduates in the first 3 months of degree completion, according to theAustralian Graduate Survey 2008.
RESEARCH-DRIVEN: Engage with big issues research such as climate change impacts in one ofAustralia’s best science facilities.
To find out more about courses, careers in science, research and scholarships, visit:
TOOLS OF THEIR TRADEHOW OUR SCIENTISTS KEEP TRACK OF THE OCEAN
SUBMERSIBLE ROBOTSTWIN-HULLED AUTOMATED UNDERWATER VEHICLE (AUV) An underwater craft that can propel itself along a pre-determined course, measuring water properties such as temperature, salinity and oxygen content. Can also take photographs
of the sea bed showing the distribution of coral, algae,
sponges etc. Maximum mission - about eight
hours.
SINGLE-HULLED GLIDERPassive underwater robot that glides with the current, measuring some of the same things as the AUV -temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll - but for up six months. Surfaces every few hours to send information back to shore via satellite.
COASTAL RADAR A network of radar devices measure the surface movement (speed and direction) of the water up to 250 kilometres from the shore.
SATELLITE STATION Receives signals from satellites in space recording information about temperature, salinity, wind at the sea surface, as well as sediment and algae concentration across the world.
FISH MONITORING POSTS
Thousands of different fish have been been tagged.
When they swim past the listening posts, the tags issue an acoustic signal
which allow scientists to differentiate between, say, a
shark, a small fish (such as snapper or mulloway) or
larger species such as manta ray or turtle.
MOORING CABLESWeighted cables at
different depths, containing instruments
vertically through the water that measure the
speed, direction and strength of the current as
well as its temperature and salinity.
ARGO FLOATS Part of an international program. Around 3000 of them are deployed around the globe, measuring temperature, salinity, drift. Each one surfaces about once a fortnight to send its findings via satellite.
MOORINGWeight
diffecontaining
verticallywater that
speed, dstrength of th
well as its temp
ARGO FLOATS Part of an internationalprogram. Around 3000 of them aredeployed around the globe, measuring
perature and salinity.
well as its temp
of the sea bed showing thedistribution of coral, algae,
sponges etc. Maximummission - about eight
hours.
SINGLE-HULLEDHULLEDHUUUUUUGLIDERRRRRRRGLGLGLLLLPassive underwaterrobot that glidest t tttt atttttttatttttttatttttttattttttattttttatttttwwith the current, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , hmeasuring some of the memeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesasas e e e e e e same things as the AUVs ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts ts s s sss hhhhhh UVUVVVV ----ttemperature, salinity, oxygen,xyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxyxysssssssssssssssssssssssss iiiiichlorophyll l l llll - but for up six months. ontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontontonononononononononononononononononn hshshs.hs.s.s.ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b bbbS f f h t ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
g gtemperature,salinity, drift.Each one surfaceces s about once afortnight tosend itsfindings viasatellite.
GRAPHIC: REMI BIANCHI
Going underto look aheadOcean-faring technologies are helping experts to save the planet, says Megan Johnston.
I f you are ever diving offAustralia’s coast andan underwater car-likecontraption tootles by, do
not be alarmed.Scientists are deploying more
machines, sensors and othercutting-edge gadgets underwater than ever before. The aim:to help them understand ourchanging oceans over the com-ing decades. Much of the gear inNSW – provided as part of anational infrastructure programnamed the Integrated MarineObserving System (IMOS) – hasbeen installed, however, morewill be employed as the techno-logy gradually improves.
This system will capture dataabout ocean properties such ascurrents, salinity, biodiversityand habitats, all of which will befree to the scientific community,including oceanographers andmarine biologists.
These experts will pool theirknowledge to piece together thepuzzle of how climate affectsoceans and vice versa, especiallyin “hot spots” such as Australia’seast coast. The hope is that muchof that research will eventuallybe available in real time.
The information also feedsinto the global ocean-observingsystem, helping internationalscientists understand globalcurrents and ocean conditions.
But this type of research is notcheap. Four years ago the systemreceived crucial funding –$50 million from the federal gov-ernment’s National Collaborat-ive Research InfrastructureStrategy. And it received an extra$52 million in last year’s budget,through the Education Invest-ment Fund and the Super Sci-ence Initiative. Combined withmore funding from state andfederal agencies, universitiesand industry, the total project isworth $200 million.
The infrastructure is run by sixresearch groups, one of which ismanaged by the Sydney Institute
of Marine Science (SIMS) atChowder Bay. This organisationbrings together dozens of gov-ernment and university scient-ists along the NSW coast. Itsdirector and chief executive,Professor Peter Steinberg,describes the infrastructure sys-tem as an “amazing thing”.
“When fully deployed therewill be highly sophisticated sen-sors and monitoring devices inthe ocean at hundreds of loca-tions,” Steinberg says.
“It is only by such long-termand comprehensive oceanobserving that we can answerfundamental questions about . . .response to climate change.”
The national system com-prises 11 “facilities” or programs,each of which manages a partic-ular type of equipment, such asfloats, ships, radars, satellitesand underwater gliders. Thesemeasure variables such as salin-ity, temperature, current and pHfrom different angles. Theanimal-tagging, underwatervehicle and coastal mooringfacilities are outlined below.
Animal taggingThe acoustic tagging and monit-oring system is a way ofobserving the behaviour of thou-sands of animals, especially inresponse to changing oceanconditions. The receivers,secured to the sea floor, “listen”for passing animals, whose tagscan last up to nine years.
The equipment can monitorprecise movements, down toindividual fin kicks, and cantrack changing behaviours,including dive depths, habitatsand migration routes.
In NSW, key receivers lie offBondi, Coffs Harbour and Manly.
Animals being tracked alongthe state’s coast include mullo-way, flathead, bream, bullsharks, great whites, duskywhalers, wobbegongs, gropersand cuttlefish.
Andrew Boomer, who helpsrun the network, says researchgroups can use the infrastruc-ture for many applications,including following endangeredand commercially importantspecies, or predators at the topof the food chain, which oftenindicate the overall health of anecosystem. The network is also away of centralising data frommultiple studies.
“In the past, if my animalswam past your receiver you’dnever know about it,” Boomersays. “It will enable scientists toanswer questions they’ve neverbeen able to answer before andon scales they’ve never been ableto do before.”
UnderwatervehiclesThese robots survey the sea floormore closely and at higher resol-utions than previously possible.The 200-kilogram contraptionsare about two metres long andcan dive deeper than most divers– up to 800 metres.
The machines can also cap-ture more information thanindividual researchers can.
“One of its features is that itcan get into places that are diffi-cult to get a diver into,” the Uni-versity of Sydney’s AustralianCentre for Field Robotics direct-or, Dr Stefan Williams, says.
The devices travel slowly –about one knot – and propelthemselves just above the seafloor, building 3D high-resolution maps and images.Typical missions last for sevenhours and go about 150 metresdeep, as far as the edge of thecontinental shelf.
Williams and his team manageand develop the program’sequipment and software andhope to eventually expand theirthree-vehicle fleet.
Scientists can deploy vehiclesfrom boats and the shore, on
missions that use sensors andequipment such as cameras,strobes and sonar to recorddepth, temperature and waterchemistry. The team hopes toestablish sites in marine parksalong the NSW coast.
“The plan is to revisit theseareas to see how they are chan-ging,” Williams says.
Coastal mooringsThe mooring network is a seriesof national reference stationsand regional moorings thatmeasures the physics and bio-logy of ocean circulation.
A senior lecturer at the Uni-versity of NSW, Dr MoninyaRoughan, who helps run thefacility, says they offer anotherlayer of information. Once datais uploaded in real time, it willalso have practical applicationsoutside of science – for example,for anglers or sailors.
Each state’s national referencestation is a GPS location wherewater samples are taken forchemical and biological analys-is. The Port Hacking station isespecially important given itsbusy location and history.
“We have 70 years of data, sowe’re able to assess if the climateis changing,” Roughan says.
Regional moorings are alsoweighted off the coast near CoffsHarbour, Bondi, Port Hackingand Jervis Bay, plus another soonoff Eden.
Each is secured via cable tothe continental shelf and equip-ped with fixed instrumentationthat measures temperature,current speed and direction,and sometimes salinity andfluorescence, which is a proxyfor biological productivity.
“We don’t really understandthese things and once we do, wecan predict the effects of climatechange and adjust our beha-viour,” Roughan says.Further information imos.org.auand sims.org.au
Marinemonitors
The flow has slowedthanks to stricterpollution laws.
SINCE co-founding CleanUp Australia Day twodecades ago, Kim McKay hasseen the best and worst ofAustralia’s coastline – andthe potential for humans toboth harm and protect themarine environment.
“There was an attitude 20years ago that people couldget away with dumpingwaste but that’s just notacceptable now,” she says.
She recently joined thefoundation board of theSydney Institute of MarineScience (SIMS), whereresearchers are helping toprevent further harm tocoastal waters and thepeople who use them.
Much of Australia’s coastalpollution is concentrated inestuary sediments, a legacyof decades of industrialdumping. The flow hasslowed thanks to stricterpollution laws, improvedsewerage and cleaner carsand industries.
But stormwater still carriesheavy metals and othercontaminants, threateningmarine life, which can alsoabsorb or swallow oldpoisons from sediments.SIMS scientists, for example,have found pollution knocksout native species and helpsspread pollution-tolerantinvasive species. Some
seaweed in Sydney Harbourhas potentially harmfulconcentrations of copper,lead and zinc.
But research not onlyreveals the dangers ofpollution, it can also helpprevent further harm. Inaquaculture farms andsewerage systems, certainplants and animals are beingused to clean up nutrients orpollution, Dr EmmaJohnston, from theUniversity of NSW says.
“There’s a number of reallygood reasons why algae oroysters might be goodbiomonitors – theyaccumulate contaminantswithout being killed off, theycan be easily deployed andthey are very hardy,” she says.
Associate professor atMacquarie University,David Raftos, agrees. He isworking with Sydney rockoysters to develop an earlywarning system forcontamination.
SIMS researchers are alsostudying ocean dynamics tounderstand how pollutiontravels or combines withother factors such as heat oracidification to becomemore toxic. This could helpdetermine the least harmfulspots for ocean outfalls oreven contain or preventdisasters, such as oil spills.
Over the past 20 years,researchers from theUniversity of Sydney havealso identified which NSWestuaries have the mostcontaminated sediments.Associate professor GavinBirch says this work willhelp authoritiesunderstand catchmentbehaviour and know whichsediments to avoiddisturbing, or where toclean up existing toxins.Megan Johnston
Oysters and urchins: early warning agentsScientists from all over the world are collaborating to put ocean acidity and its effects under the microscope – before it’s too late, writes Megan Johnston.
‘This is not going to go away. We’ve got todo something about it.’ Dr Maria Byrne
A sk your typical sciencebuff how climatechange is affecting thewaters around
Australia and he or she willprobably mention theacidification of the ocean.
As more carbon dioxide entersthe atmosphere, some is alsoabsorbed by the water,eventually making our oceansmore acidic.
The phenomenon poses anobvious threat to coral reefs butit also affects a variety of marinelife around the world, especiallyin climate-change ‘‘hot spots’’such as Australia’s east coast.
It is only one part of oceanchange, a process that alsowarms the water and reduces theavailability of carbonate, the‘‘building block’’ organisms useto form bone and develop.
The interactions between
these factors can harm plantsand animals, particularly whenthey are combined with otherelements, including overfishingand pollution.
Scientists such as thoseworking for the Sydney Instituteof Marine Science (SIMS) are stilldebating which of these factorsis the most powerful.
But so far, research showsocean change is a highlycomplex process that affectsanimals in many ways.
For example, increased aciditycan erode shells, and reducedcarbonate can affect develop-ment and harm shell growth.And while warmer waters harmreproduction and stimulatemetabolism on the one hand,elevated carbon dioxide canslow metabolism on the other.
‘‘Ocean change has a triple-whammy effect on animals,’’ says
SIMS researcher and Universityof Sydney professor of marinebiology, Dr Maria Byrne.
While it poses obvious risks tomarine ecosystems, it may notnecessarily be as scary as itsounds, she says.
That is, provided catastrophicclimate change is curbed andscientists learn more about theprocesses at work.
Long-term effects areextremely difficult to predict,but some animals, especiallythose that do not make a shell orskeleton, may even benefit fromtheir new environment, whileother populations could move oradapt to the pressures.
‘‘It’s not all doom and gloom –there will be winners andlosers,’’ Byrne says.
‘‘We’re going to lose a lot ofbiodiversity but we won’t godown to zero.’’
She and her collaboratorsfrom the University ofWollongong and the NationalMarine Science Centre in CoffsHarbour are researching thedevelopment of sea urchins andabalone, among other species.
At Macquarie University, Dr
Jane Williamson is working onsimilar projects with researchersfrom the University ofQueensland and the Universityof Gothenburg in Sweden.
Their exact results differslightly, but both teams agreeacidity and water temperaturecan affect development of thesecreatures. They hope to discover
which parts of their life cyclescould be more vulnerable todifferent aspects of oceanchange – and whether certainspecies can better acclimatise orevolve fast enough to survive.
In the long term, this datacould be fed into modelling
systems, which will helpscientists forecast flow-oneffects. Animals that shapehabitats, such as sea urchins, areparticularly helpful whenmaking long-term predictionsbecause they can turn thrivingkelp beds into barren rocky areasand subsequently change foodchains and ecosystems.
‘‘Once we get more of thesebasic questions answered,we have the opportunity toreally understand things onan ecosystem level,’’ Williamsonsays. Rather than looking at eachissue separately, scientists withdifferent areas of expertisecan collaborate to build abigger picture.
‘‘The good thing about SIMS iswe’ve got such a base of diversescientists with a real broad rangeof skills,’’ Williamson says.
But the pace of change doesnot leave much time.
‘‘We’re very aware of theshort time we have to find theright keys to unlock theanswers,’’ she says.
The research also helpsindustries that are dependent onthe marine environment.Associate Professor DavidRaftos, also from Macquarie
University, is working withIndustry & Investment NSWand researchers from theUniversity of Western Sydney,using genetic testing to find andpotentially breed strains ofSydney rock oysters that aremore resilient to oceanacidification and warming.
‘‘There is a real option toclimate-proof our industriessimply by breeding climate-proof oysters before the impactsare felt,’’ he says.
The ultimate goal, Byrne says,is to prepare for change andbuild buffers into marinesystems; for example, bycreating marine parks orreducing pollution.
‘‘If we understand what we’ve gotand how it might change, we canfigure out ways of resistance,’’ shesays. ‘‘This is not going to go away.We’ve got to do something about it.’’
The Sydney Morning Herald smh.com.au FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 19
WHAT LIES BENEATHSECRETS OF OUR COAST
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