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Indigenous led research vessel launched with dockside cultural smoking ceremony

A newly-refurbished vessel was launched today to be used for a landmark research, training and environment rehabilitation collaboration in Shark Bay – an area which has been hit hard by devastating marine heatwaves. The 23-metre ‘Marine 2’ is owned by The Jock Clough Marine Foundation, which offered it to the Indigenous-owned and operated Tidal Moon […]

Cockburn Sound research reports now online

Cockburn Sound research teams have started delivering project reports for their work on the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program. These are now published on WAMSI’s Cockburn Sound webpage under ‘Research Themes and Reports‘. More than 100 scientists and researchers are working across 33 projects, helping to build a picture of the Sound’s environment and provide […]

Eco-design and pre-seeding among options to encourage healthy port marine life

Pre-seeding new port structures to encourage the colonisation of native species is one of the mitigation measures against invasive marine plants and animals, outlined in a new report prepared for the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program. The literature review by Curtin University School of Molecular and Life Sciences Adjunct Professor Fred Wells lists many of […]

Sediment samples at the core of a model project

Dozens of core samples, taken from sediment around Cockburn Sound, will play a crucial role in the creation of a model of the area’s ecosystem to help inform environmental assessment of the proposed port. The work, being done as part of the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program, involved divers collecting three sediment cores from 12 […]

Hippo sedation adapted for Perth sea lion tagging

Even for a veterinarian who regularly anaesthetises antelopes, giraffes and hippopotamuses, the Australian sea lions off Perth were a new challenge for Werribee Open Range Zoo’s Dr Brett Gardner. The Victorian based wildlife vet, supporting Dr Simone Vitali – a former specialist veterinarian with  the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions in Perth – helped […]

Celebrating marine science opportunities on International Women’s Day

As a graduate scientist with a passion for marine biology and fisheries, Jenny Shaw was excited to be selected for an expedition to the Abrolhos Islands. That was, until she was bumped from the vessel’s manifest when someone more senior discovered ‘J. Shaw’ was a woman. The knockback didn’t deter her, and in the decades […]

Enhancing environmental decision making with trusted data

A new strategic partnership will provide leadership in achieving better public good outcomes for Australia’s environment. Originally published by Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)   A trusted environment data and information supply chain to improve research and decision making on Australia’s environment is the focus of a new strategic partnership between the Australian Government Department of Climate […]

Ocean art awards: Art created from marine debris inspires conservation

This art award and exhibition has been postponed until 21-25 October  2024 Creative Western Australians are being invited to transform marine debris and beach finds into art for an exhibition at The University of Western Australia’s Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre (IOMRC). The Western Australian Marine Science Institution is a sponsor of ‘From Waste to […]

Plastic’s everywhere – so how do we stop it contaminating samples? 

Microplastics researchers need to think about everything from the jackets they wear in the field and their sampling containers to laboratory washing up methods to avoid contamination, according to a visiting biology professor who runs a plastics testing laboratory in the United States. Dr Brian Walker, from Fairfield University in Fairfield Connecticut, told a recent […]