The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System

Diagram illustrating how the Australian national IMOS program works. IMOS integrates several independent technologies and instruments, ranging from moored sensors and deep sea autonomous floats, to acoustic tracking devices, radar imagery and remote satellites, among others, into research infrastructure covering a vast swath of Australia’s large coastal and deep water marine territory. IMOS will generate critical data needed to support a diverse range of marine research projects. Click to enlarge The IMOS Ocean Portal. IMOS data from all around Australia is delivered direct to your computer through this interactive map-based interface. See http://imos.aodn.org.au Click to enlarge “IMOS is well underway and it is time for the Australian marine and climate science community to start making good use of the data streams now available.” - Tim Moltman, Director, IMOS Marian McGowen, IMOS Project Officer Australia has one of the largest marine jurisdictions on earth, with more than 70% of its territory in the marine realm. Click to enlarge

The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is a national facility for observing the oceans surrounding Australia using state-of-the-art equipment and data services. Access to all IMOS data streams is free and open.

IMOS was established in 2006 as a collaborative program led by the University of Tasmania and operated by 10 Australian agencies, supported by a number of co-investors.

IMOS is a research infrastructure program, with the data produced from sustained ocean observing becoming the ‘infrastructure’ created and developed under the program. Five Science Nodes - in the blue-water and in Australia’s coastal regions - are responsible for identifying the scientific rationale for sustained observing in their regions, and promoting the uptake of the data by users in the marine and climate science community.

Australia has one of the largest marine jurisdictions on earth, with more than 70% of its territory in the marine realm. The major ocean currents on its eastern, western, northern and southern boundaries — the best known of these being the East Australia Current and the Leeuwin Current – affect regional climatic conditions and help to sustain marine ecosystems.

Coastal marine ecosystems are changing

Recent research has identified long-term changes in both of these currents, and there is evidence that coastal marine ecosystems are changing in response. Sustained observations are needed to answer questions regarding the use, management and conservation of our marine biodiversity particularly under future change.

IMOS was initially funded under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) with $50 million over 4 years (2007-11). This Commonwealth investment attracted nearly equal in kind and partner contributions from research agencies, universities and State Governments.

The five science nodes established at the beginning of IMOS consist of a Bluewater and Climate Node, and four regional nodes in the Great Barrier Reef, New South Wales, Southern Australia and Western Australia.

The eleven facilities that fund and operate the IMOS infrastructure provide the sustained observations needed to address the big science questions posed via the nodes. IMOS facilities can be divided into four categories:

• Bluewater and Climate (Argo Australia, Enhanced measurements from Ships of Opportunity, Southern Ocean Time Series)
• Coastal Currents and Water Properties (Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network, Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders, Australian National Mooring Network)
• Coastal Ecosystems (Australian Acoustic Tagging and Monitoring System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Facility for Automated Intelligent Monitoring of Marine Systems)
• Data (e-Marine Information Infrastructure, Satellite Remote Sensing).

Access to IMOS data is through the recently launched Ocean Portal, which allows the marine science community to discover and explore the data streams coming from the facilities - http://www.imos.org.au. Although there is still more equipment to deploy and data to serve, IMOS is well underway and it is time for the Australian marine and climate science community to start making good use of the data streams now available.

IMOS funding and support

In the Federal Budget of May 2009, IMOS was provided with an additional $52 million. This funding is through the Super Science Marine and Climate Initiative and will enhance IMOS operation for the second half of the initial funding period (to June 2011), and extend it to June 2013. This decision provides strong confirmation of the initial IMOS plan and gives further directions in terms of requirements for enhanced monitoring capability in the Southern Ocean and extended coverage in northern Australian waters.

The process for developing the new IMOS plan will be nationally facilitated, and guided by the Nodes. Funds will be invested through the facilities, with core funds from the Commonwealth, and co-investment from partners.

IMOS is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and the Super Science Initiative. The IMOS facilities are operated through the following agencies and universities: Australian Institute of Marine Science, Bureau of Meteorology, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Curtin University of Technology, Geoscience Australia, James Cook University, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, University of Tasmania, and University of Western Australia.

For more information go to www.imos.org.au.