Australian Initiatives in Marine Observing Systems

1. Australian Initiatives in Marine Observing Systems Ken Jarrott Australian Bureau of Meteorology DBCP XXII 2006 La Jolla USA Tech & Scientific Workshop

2. Two Unrelated, Connected Initiatives (Propositions) • INTEGRATED MARINE OBSERVING SYSTEM • Major “Vision and Capability Shifting” Initiative of National Scope • Multi-discipline – large scale physical oceanography through to coastal ocean ecology and biology • Will Engage Tens of Research Agencies Across Aust and Beyond • A Capability Investment - No Direct Knowledge Targets • DRIFTING BUOY PROFILING - EAST AUSTRALIA CURRENT • Research Proposal – Specific Knowledge Objective • Small Discipline Base and Participant Group

3. To fund INFRASTRUCTURE that maximises the contributions of the R&D system to economic development, national security, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability . . . . . • Does NOT fund research. • Infrastructure to be developed on collaborative, national, non-exclusive basis. • To serve the research and innovation system broadly, not just host institutions. • Funding to encourage co-investment. National Cooperative Research Infrastructure Strategy $500M – over 5 years

4. “Integrated Marine Observing System” • Federal Government Research InfrastructureProposal • MARINE “IMOS” ONE OF 9 PRIORITY AREAS • ~ AUS $50m • FIVE YEAR FUNDING Starting in 2007 • COMMUNAL FUNDING & GOVERNANCE MODEL • Scale: DEEP OCEAN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM • IN_SITU and REMOTE SENSING Elements • COMMUNAL DATA MANAGEMENT & ACCESS

5. Wishes and hopes of proponents: * oceanographers & climate scientists * regionally focussed science institutions * governments & enterprises Science & natural resource management questions Proposal Development Major National Themes Funded Technologies • Large scale ocean structures, drivers and variability (physical and biological) • Coupling / exchanges to shelves and near-coast areas, esp. boundary currents • Interaction of ecosystem dynamics in relation to physical processes • Argo Floats • Ocean and Shelf Moorings • Ship Sampling • Gliders and other UAVs • HF Radars • Acoustic Tagging & Monitoring • Remote Sensing (Satellite) • Distributed Sensor Nets TIMELY ACCESS TO TRUSTED DATA SETS DATA SYSTEMS & SERVICES IMOS Outcomes (Proposal)

6. IMOS Operating Model • Some Specific Infrastructure Custodians/Operators (eg Argo) • National and Regional Infrastructure Allocation • Deployable / Rotational Resources Can be Assigned from National Pool (eg Gliders, some HF Radars) • Expertise / National Support Centres for Some Technologies, to avoid duplication, e.g: QLD – HF Radars WA – Gliders CSIRO Marine Research – Moorings . . . . . . • Common “eMarine” Information Infrastructure – single distributed and federated network, covering standards, formats, QA, archiving, data portals • Governance and funding focus through single point – working with specific infrastructure networks through consortia of Operators.

7. Some IMOS Outcomes (1 – Blue Water) • Argo program scale secured and extended • Ship of Opportunity – extend existing ship observations in regional seas linking physical, chemical and biological oceanography

8. Reference Shelf Slope National Moorings Plan (approx) Australian Boundary Currents

9. Gliders National pool of ten gliders (plus existing units) Example : Perth Canyon

10. Proposed Installations HF Coastal Ocean Radar Network National pool of 4 radars – long range & medium range Phased array and direction finding units

11. EAC Cape Byron Satellite Image of Sea Surface Temperature along the east coast of Australia, 29 September 1991 showing the influence of the EAC, an EAC eddy and the Tasman Sea. Permanent HF Radar nodes. Temporary HF Radar nodes. EAC Separation Smoky Cape Sydney EAC Eddy Jervis Bay Tasman Sea SST 29/9/91 IMOS HF Radars Representative Application

12. Southern Aust Regional Node ---- Moorings: currents, T,S,DO, NH4, fluores; phyto & zooplankton; noise,benthos etc Instrumented predators x - HF RADAR NB Gliders: T,S, fluor, turbidity etc

13. SEC= South Equatorial Current Coral Sea mooring (1) Slope moorings (4) Shelf mooring (1) Oceanographic buoys (3) Island Research Stations (4) Reef towers (3) HF Radar Temp/Salinity Flow Light & heat fluxes Chlorophyll Turbidity Particulate carbon Local variables (sensor networks) EAC= East Australian Current Great Barrier Reef Marine Observations

14. Research Proposal – Drifting Buoy Profiling of East Australian Current Very influential boundary current, with high ecological and economic impact.

15. East Australian Current

16. Uncertainties in Mean Currents Derived from the Global Surface Drifter Program (courtesy Rick Lumpkin, NOAA)

17. Drifting Buoy Proposal • Research Funding Grant being sought. 2007 start??? • Three Year deployment of drifting buoy clusters to observe the Spring-Summer formation of the EAC and the Tasman Front. • After initial pilot deployment in Year 1, could deploy 10 buoys per month for 3 months in subsequent years. Close pairs to be used for Lagrangian drift observations. • SVP upgrades to some units possible. • Will use existing XBT SOOP vessel (monthly transects possible).