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Great Australian Deep Sea Coral and Canyon Adventure Expedition a huge success
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They're home! An incredible journey by the team aboard the R/V Falkor exploring never before seen deep-sea ecosystems in the Bremer, Leeuwin and Perth Canyons came to an end last week when the oceanographic research vessel docked at Fremantle Port.
Led by UWA’s Dr Julie Trotter and Dr Paolo Montagna from the Institute of Polar Science (IPS) in Italy, the expedition undertook several transects across the Bremer Canyon and deployed the philanthropic Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI) deep-sea remotely operated vehicle, SuBastian down to more than 3000m depth to explore the canyon and collect samples. Many of us followed this in real time, with the ROV dives live streamed: https://schmidtocean.org/technology/live-from-rv-falkor/
While the Falkor was floating above the Bremer Canyon the team onboard celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11! The crew celebrated the wonderful work accomplished by the women on the team (some who are pictured above) and many who are from UWA and the Oceans Institute.
As well as exploring the oceans off WA the Falkor also reached students from various schools in Perth and Italy, as well as one in Hawaii and a university in Poland, through its Ship-to-Shore program. Participating classes are given the opportunity to video chat with researchers aboard the Falkor and learn about the research and ocean science.
Also popular, were OI member Angela Rossen’s blog posts detailing her work as the resident artist onboard the Falkor, https://schmidtocean.org/cruise-log-post/recording-discovery/. “I photograph everything that is brought on board by ROV SuBastian. There are treasures never glimpsed before: Corals that could be tens of thousands of years old, and living corals as well, entwined with delicate worms and brittle stars," she writes.
Pictured above: Women in STEAM! the women of the Falkor celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Pictured below: (top left) Artist-onboard Angela Rossen and (top right) The crew watching the images coming back from the SuBastian and (bottom left) Some of the incredible treasures documented on the expedition and (bottom right) Students from Sacred Heart College in Sorrento engage in a ship-to-shore video link with scientists. PHOTO CREDITS: Schmidt Ocean Institute and Sacred Heart College.
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Oceans Institute Profile: Dirima Cuthbert
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Many people reading this newsletter will know the ever-calm and incredibly helpful Dirima Cuthbert. As executive assistant to the director she acts as an interface to help different areas of research work together and oversees many of the OI's projects and workshops.
She also has a really interesting background and work history! We thought it was time to learn a little more about Dirima and sent our Sci Comms student Stephanie Collins to have a chat. She filed the following story (see link below).
Pictured above: Smiling calm in any storm, Dirima Cuthbert
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Bringing international attention to rise in shark and ray catches
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The OI's Professor Dirk Zeller found his research featured in Nature recently, under the headline: Fishing for fun takes a massive bite out of marine life.
The article follows a new study by an international team of scientists including researchers from UWA, Universidade Federal de Sergipe in Brazil and the University of British Columbia which revealed an increase in the fishing of threatened sharks and rays.
The scientists found recreational catches of sharks and rays had increased over the past six decades around the world, now accounting for 5-6 per cent of the total catches.
In their paper published in Frontiers of Marine Science, they revealed more than 900,000 tonnes of fish are being extracted from marine waters by recreational fishers every year.
Photograph (above): Matthew Lowe from Pexels
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Oceans Institute Profile: Tina Zhang
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Yes, this newsletter we bring you not one but two OI people profiles. Stephanie Collins, our talented Sci Comms student has been busy!
She's been spending quite a bit of time with the OI's new communications advisor, the energetic Tina Zhang (pictured right), who is inspiring us all with her many and varied comms and science skills and who, as it turns out, learnt a whole lot about connecting with audiences during her time at Scitech. Here's what else Stephanie discovered.
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Calling all innovators: get involved in the Plastics Data Challenge!
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The Plastics Data Challenge is a global innovation challenge that will source, support, and scale innovative solutions that address the leakage of plastic waste into the environment.
The challenge invites all innovators worldwide (including academic institutions, startups, companies, and data scientists) to submit their innovative data solutions that advance plastic waste management and the circular economy in South and Southeast Asia.
Participants have the chance to win up to $10,000 USD, a trip to Singapore for a one-week Innovation Summit, technical support and the opportunity to pilot their innovation in the region!
Applications close 13 March 2020. Click here for more details and feel free to chat to the OI's Julia Reisser to discuss ideas.
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Charlotte B pitches clever AND gets her Fringe on, all in the name of raising awareness around sharks
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It wouldn't be an OI newsletter without a quick Charlotte Birkmanis update and we are happy to report the marine biologist and PhD candidate has been as busy as ever!
She popped up at Perth Mess Hall for a quick chat in front of a sellout crowd as part of the Fringe Festival (pic below left), found time to pull together a video entry for Pitch it Clever (check it out by clicking on the shark image above) and shared some time with school students in Vermont (yup, gotta love technology) as part of Skype a Scientist (see photograph below right). We look forward to what's up next Charlotte!
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Paul Vogel new chair at WAMSI
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The Western Australian Marine Science Institution has welcomed Dr Paul Vogel AM as the new chair of its board. Paul brings a wealth of knowledge and experience across three jurisdictions in environmental impact assessment, regulatory reform and achieving strategic environmental outcomes.
Currently a non-executive board director and strategic consultant, Dr Vogel was chair of Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) from 2007 to 2015 and prior to that was the inaugural chief executive and chair of the South Australian EPA.
Dr Vogel has also held senior executive positions in the WA Departments of the Premier and Cabinet and Environmental Protection. He holds a PhD in chemistry from UWA.
Pictured above: WAMSI Chair Dr Paul Vogel AM
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The Wallacea Symposium, a great success
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A terrific turnout at the recent Wallacea Symposium, a two-day, cross-disciplinary conference held at the IOMRC, with 26 presentations on the physical, natural and cultural dynamics of this extraordinary island chain. Big thanks to co-sponsors The Royal Society of Western Australia and organisers David Haig and Margaret Smith (pictured left).
With topics ranging across the geology, marine and terrestrial biogeography, archaeology, human ecology, modern and past marine and terrestrial environments, and changes in continent and ocean orientations over time, something for everyone!
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There's always an event (and sometimes two or three) for the diary
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AND LAST, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST
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High-tech lab goes to sea to find heat resistant corals
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Marine scientists are using portable ship-borne aquaria in the search for heat-resistant corals that could survive warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change.
Dr Luke Thomas from The University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is among the researchers involved in the ground-breaking work, which involves using a specially-designed experimental aquarium.
The high-tech lab is operating from the Australian Institute of Science’s largest research vessel, the RV Solander, on expeditions to Western Australia’s remote Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef.
The photograph featured at the top of this column is courtesy of AIMS.
Read more.
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Uncovering hidden treasures - Australian culture goes digital
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Archaeologists at UWA are part of a national team of researchers that has been able to more accurately date a significant number of the Kimberley’s most remarkable ancient rock art to more than 10,000 years ago.
In a landmark paper published in Science Advances the age of the Gwion Gwion rock art in the East Kimberley is determined to be around 12,000 years old.
OI Director Professor Peter Veth, one of the project’s chief investigators, said the Kimberley region of Western Australia hosted thousands of rock art sites with some earlier depictions in a remarkably good state of preservation.
“They provide a window into how Aboriginal people thought and lived in a socially and environmentally dynamic world,” Professor Veth said.
Read more.
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