Australian Institute of Marine Science

When corals reproduce, or spawn, the tiny larvae need to find a suitable reef surface to settle on and begin growing. There are many factors which influence where these larvae settle into their ‘forever home’, and a new model, developed by AIMS and The University of Western Australia scientists, is helping us understand how these processes interact. Understanding how processes like currents and types of reef habitats influence settlement in the wild has been largely unexplored because of the difficulties in measuring the dispersal and settlement of tiny corals. The new model could help with predicting the growth of a population and ecosystem recovery from disturbance events and which type of local conditions might maximise particular restoration actions. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gDK8PVuy Read more: https://lnkd.in/gRh8qhzs The research was supported by The University of Western Australia and the Australian Coral Reef Resilience Initiative (#ACRRI), which is jointly funded by BHP and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. UWA Oceans Institute

We can now automatically process and classify large areas of the sea floor thanks to a transformative machine-learning method developed by AIMS. This new method, RapidBenthos, was featured on the cover of the February issue of Methods in Ecology and Evolution. It automates analysis of mosaics stitched together from thousands of seafloor images, providing an unprecedented level of data and saving our scientists about 60 hours of manual analysis per mosaic. It can be used for monitoring coral reefs, coral bleaching and seagrass meadows, providing timely information to inform management decisions. This image is an example of a 72sq/m orthomosaic of a coral reef, automatically segmented and classified using RapidBenthos. Lead author, AIMS machine learning/AI engineer Tiny Remmers, said RapidBenthos allowed AIMS to more sustainably scale up and process more seafloor imagery with much less work and cost.  Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eXfmK9yp The research was supported by the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the College of Science and Engineering at James Cook University and the Remote Sensing Research Centre of the School of the Environment at the The University of Queensland. The paper: https://lnkd.in/ef4YWDVc

🌟Happy International Women’s Day! 🌟 Today, we celebrate the wonderful achievements of Dr Katharina Fabricius, who has dedicated 30 years to coral reef science at AIMS. Katharina recently swapped coral polyps for penguins, travelling with 120 other female leaders in science to Antarctica to develop leadership skills as part of the Homeward Bound experience. "I found renewal through the solidarity and energy of the women and our shared experience on the Antarctic expedition," said Katharina. "It was an amazing experience to be immersed in that fragile wilderness surrounded by such strong, fun and smart women in science." Learn more about Katharina's experience here: https://bit.ly/3DAeIdP Let's celebrate Katharina's dedication and passion for marine science, inspiring current and future generations of women in STEMM! As well as celebrating Katharina, we recognise the incredible ongoing contributions of all women at AIMS to our work in marine science, technology and engineering.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Cass Hunter, a distinguished First Nations marine scientist, to the AIMS Council. Dr Hunter's extensive expertise will help guide AIMS towards inclusive and innovative research practices. We thank outgoing council member Dr Erika Techera for her valuable contributions during her tenure. https://bit.ly/4bujHcC

Using data from satellite tags and dive loggers, scientists have tracked the foraging and lunge feeding dives of pygmy blue whales along their migratory path off the West Australian coast. The new research, led by AIMS scientists Dr Michele Thums and Dr Luciana Ferreira in collaboration with the Centre for Whale Research, has shown the endangered whales not only feed at the known foraging grounds such as Perth Canyon, but they also feed on the go to help fuel their epic journeys. They found: 🐋Foraging occurs every 1-10 days, averaging four hours per day. 🐋During their annual northern migration to Indonesia, pygmy blue whales feed at selected locations along the way. 🐋Tropical and temperate waters are important for population health and recovery. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4in1FLE The paper: https://bit.ly/43GamNd The research was co-funded by Woodside Energy, with additional support provided for one of the field trips by the North West Shoals to Shore Research Programme supported by Santos Ltd. #CentreforWhaleResearch Curtin University Flinders University 📹: Grace Russell

Scientists tracked key species of sharks, rays and commercially important fish in Queensland gaining new insights into species thanks to the expansion of a network of underwater listening stations. AIMS scientist Dr Leanne M. Currey-Randall worked with a diverse group of collaborators spanning government, science, industry and tourism operators to shed new light on tagged species’ behaviours and distributions. One bull shark was recorded swimming from Sydney to Far North Queensland – 2900km away – then back again! Read more: https://bit.ly/41x5W9A Integrated Marine Observing System James Cook University Queensland Government Biopixel Oceans Foundation Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation 📸: J Vardon, Shari Schleuter, Fabrice Jaine, Shiori Kano

AIMS scientists, working with the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions have documented coral bleaching in several areas at Ningaloo Reef off the Western Australian coast while conducting planned scientific surveys in the Indian Ocean. The bleaching is caused by a marine heatwave in WA waters, driven by climate change, bringing heat stress to Ningaloo Marine Park and other coral reefs in the north-west of the state. With science and management partners, and Traditional Owner ranger groups, AIMS scientists are monitoring the marine heatwave and its impacts on Australia’s western marine ecosystems. These collaboration networks have confirmed coral bleaching at iconic reefs including the southern inshore Kimberley, inshore Pilbara, offshore at the Rowley Shoals and Ningaloo. AIMS research scientist Dr Christopher Fulton said: “We were on our annual survey of Ningaloo reefs when we realised coral bleaching was unfolding much sooner than we’d expected. Heat stress tends to peak at WA reefs in March or April, but our temperature loggers recorded heating much earlier – daily averages were 3ºC higher than the decadal average for January. “Surface cooling from strong winds in early February may provide some relief for corals. But the outcome is not yet clear. We need to do everything we can to learn from this unfolding event.” It will take some time before the outcomes for WA reefs affected by bleaching and potentially by Tropical cyclone Zelia, are known. AIMS scientists convene the WA Coral Bleaching Group, a collaboration of key government and science agencies which is meeting regularly to share information and coordinate monitoring efforts. Learn more about coral bleaching ➡️ https://bit.ly/4gNum3k Sign up for updates from the WA Coral Bleaching Group newsletter ➡️ https://bit.ly/42XuHgt 📸: Chris Fulton Bureau of Meteorology, Parks Australia, Fisheries WA, CSIRO

We’ve just doubled our capacity to accelerate tropical marine research with this week’s opening of our $42.7 million The National Sea Simulator (SeaSim) expansion. The SeaSim aquarium complex facilitates globally important research, including coral reef adaptation and restoration. It enables national and international scientists to simulate, quantify, and predict the impacts of various stressors on marine and coastal ecosystems. The Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek officially opened the expansion, which nearly doubles the amount of experimental space at the and was mostly funded through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. Additionally, the government announced $7.1 million in funding for AIMS to continue our research to protect the Great Barrier Reef. Some of this funding will support the collaborative Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, the largest global effort to develop intervention methods to mitigate the impact of climate change on the Reef, managed by AIMS. More: https://bit.ly/4hHlAoL

Congratulations AIMS research technician Carys Morgans, who was recently awarded a PhD scholarship through the National Industry PhD Program. The prestigious award is highly competitive and will allow Carys to continue in her technical role at AIMS whilst achieving her PhD. Carys will be investigating how to improve reef restoration initiatives by investigating how genetic diversity supports the performance of coral stock from aquaculture across reef environments. She will be supported over the next few years by supervisors from AIMS and Macquarie University Applied BioSciences. We are proud to support the next generation of marine scientists through our partnerships with leading universities and industry programs. Carys’ research is part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Australian Government Department of Education Campus Plus Macquarie University Faculty of Science and Engineering #NIPHD #earlycareerresearchers #marinescience

There’s no place like home for these corals. More than 140 specimens collected from Mer (Murray Island) in Torres Strait by American scientists in 1913 have been returned to Traditional Owners - the Meriam people. AIMS Indigenous Partnerships Program manager Elizabeth Evans-Illidge supported negotiations for the return of these culturally and scientifically important corals after they were rediscovered by coral researchers at the Queensland Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The negotiations were led by Meriam and Torres Strait Leaders, and supported by AIMS, the Queensland Museum, Torres Strait Regional Authority and the Smithsonian. The returned corals have been returned to Australia and are now housed at the Queensland Museum Tropics in Townsville. As part of the negotiations, Libby travelled to Washington DC to provide education and research support for the delegation. She said: “The return of this collection is a wonderful outcome for the Meriam people. Alongside their scientific significance, it recognises the cultural importance of these corals to the Traditional Owners as a part of Country, and how Traditional knowledge, alongside Western science, is critical for the future of coral reefs under a warming climate.” Learn more: https://bit.ly/3CBUYGt 📸: Libby Evans Illidge, SB Collective Co