Treasure trove of eco data ‘mapped’ online to help future marine heatwave response

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A century of data sources on Western Australia’s sea life, including fish, invertebrates and their habitats, has been collated and made publicly available as part of an innovative project aimed at better forecasting and managing marine heatwaves.

The data sources have been used to create a public digital dashboard within an online StoryMap site to allow scientists and the community access to the valuable information using interactive maps and text.

Professor Kathryn McMahon from Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) School of Science, who is a co-lead on the project’s ecological impact theme, said there had been a focus on getting as much information as possible from almost 20 organisations to help researchers understand the ongoing impact of marine heatwaves on sea life.

“By collating this data, we can use it to see patterns and trends that emerge, which can contribute to understanding changes to fisheries abundance and distribution.” Professor McMahon said.

“They cause fish and seagrass to die, and some species migrate to new areas and there are huge ramifications for the ecology, fisheries and tourism.”

“This data mapping project has the practical application of helping to predict what will happen in the future so we can better manage these destructive events.”

Theme co-lead Dr Sharyn Hickey from The University of Western Australia’s School of Agriculture and Environment said users of the system would be able to search specific regions to find out more about local species and available data sources.

“By bringing this together it also helps researchers collaborate on projects by identifying who has gathered the information,” Dr Hickey said.

“This product is a big step forward in helping us understand how marine heatwaves, which are increasing along our western Australian coastline, may be affecting our marine ecosystems,” Dr Hickey said.

“More work is needed to develop appropriate responses for these extreme events.”

Data from the project is expected to be used as a reference for future research to assess trends in species’ abundance and distribution.

This initiative is part of the ‘Advancing predictions of WA marine heatwaves and impacts on marine ecosystems’ program, which is managed by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI).

Program scientists come from organisations including the Bureau of Meteorology, Curtin University, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia.

The StoryMap can be found at: https://arcg.is/1LvKXn0

Sea snake surprises all in a day’s work for prominent marine scientist

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For marine scientist Dr Alicia Sutton, underwater fieldwork is full of awe-inspiring surprises.  During one dive trip in Exmouth Gulf a sea snake suddenly appeared in front of her; slowly swimming between her head and the clipboard she was holding.

“It was just curious and followed me slowly as I finished my survey,” Dr Sutton said.

Sea snake

A sea snake appears during survey work. (Photo: Alicia Sutton)

“At other times I’ve seen huge rays that seem to hover behind me as I measure seagrass.”

 

“I’ve often glanced up during surveys to see I’m being watched by schools of fish.”

“I find underwater surveys to be quite calming work. When it’s not like a ‘washing machine’ that is.”

Dr Sutton is Research Manager at the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) and national president of the Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA).

The joys of underwater work and discovering more about the state’s incredible seascape through her WAMSI position remind her how grateful she is to have taken marine science units during her undergraduate years. The decision steered her away from working in the terrestrial environment, and possibly spiders, and she hasn’t looked back.

“Every time I jump into a project at WAMSI it means I get to do a deep dive into a particular marine environment or issue and soak up all the knowledge.”

“I really value being able to help shape future science priorities.” Dr Sutton said.

Like many marine scientists she is concerned for the future health of the world’s oceans from pressures including climate change.

“For a lot of people, I think ocean health is a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’, so we need to continue to educate, raise awareness and get everyone’s help to keep it as healthy as it can be.”

Alicia Sutton doing a seagrass survey at Rottnest Island

Alicia Sutton doing a seagrass survey at Rottnest Island.

Her work history has so far been filled with a variety of experiences including spending weeks at sea onboard CSIRO’s research vessel Southern Surveyor during post-graduate studies.

“We were a multi-disciplinary team investigating the physical and biological components of the ocean between Geraldton and Perth.”

“There were storms and big swells and for me a lot of sea sickness but despite that I valued the experience.”

“It was challenging and physical but so rewarding to be surrounded by a large team of people working on different methods, and it gave me good insights into collaboration and how much can be achieved.”

Ahead of International Women’s Day Dr Sutton remains grateful to the women who have encouraged and guided her during her career and in her personal life.

“I hope that I can provide that same support for female scientists moving forward and I encourage all scientists to surround themselves with a friendly and supportive network, particularly if you’re in the business of tackling big environmental challenges.”

Temperatures soaring in surface and deeper water causing fish kills and coral bleaching

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Elevated sea temperatures that have caused fish kills and coral bleaching along Western Australia’s coast, have been detected as far deep as 300 metres in some areas.

The Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) is managing the ‘Advancing predictions of WA marine heatwaves and impacts on marine ecosystems’ project which aims to better predict and manage marine heatwaves.  It is primarily funded by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation in WA.

Dr Jessica Benthuysen, an oceanographer from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), who is one of the scientists working on the project, said the marine heatwave extended across much of the northwest.

“The temperatures reached unprecedented levels through December and January.” Dr Benthuysen .

“In mid to late January we saw warm waters exceeding three degrees above normal along the shelf from the southern Pilbara to Ningaloo and Shark Bay.”

“Monitoring shows the warm temperatures are not confined to just surface waters and have reached to at least 300 metres in the past few months, which has helped the extreme event to remain for such an extended period,” she said.

While southerly winds had provided some recent relief at Ningaloo, Dr Benthuysen said extremely warm waters had brought an early heat shock to underwater ecosystems well above the temperatures they would typically experience in March or April when waters tend to be warmest.

“With our partners we will continue to monitor temperatures along the coast with the help of the AIMS weather station at Ningaloo, eight coastal buoys deployed through this project, and Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) moorings and gliders.”

The equipment is being used to gather information for the heatwave project and feedback vital data to WAMSI’s partners about the current event.

WAMSI CEO Dr Luke Twomey said the marine heatwave project was an important one given the damage caused by marine heatwaves.

“For this project, WAMSI has brought together experts from across our partnership and beyond and also across various specialties” – Dr Twomey.

AIMS research scientist Dr James Gilmour said a collaborative approach was helpful to assess the full impact.

“We are working with our networks across management, research, Traditional Owner groups and other stakeholders to gather information on the bleaching but it will be some time before outcomes for WA reefs are understood,” Dr Gilmour said.

“Corals can recover from bleaching or they can also die – this process can take time and there are many variables influencing the outcome.”

“We will work with partners to interpret monitoring data from the many remote reefs in the vast expanse of the northwest,” he said.

Project scientists come from organisations including Bureau of Meteorology, Curtin University, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia.

Data from the smart moorings, including wave and temperature information, is publicly available at: www.wawaves.org

Photos by Dr Chris Fulton from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in collaboration with the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).

A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo

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Widespread coral bleaching at Ningaloo Reef off Western Australia’s coast has deeply alarmed scientists and conservationists.

Photos captured by divers, published by The Guardian last week, show severe bleaching at several sites along the reef, which runs for 260 kilometres off the state’s northwest.

A severe marine heatwave in the Indian Ocean off WA has caused the coral bleaching. In some places, surface temperatures up to 4°C warmer than usual have been recorded.

Hotter temperatures aren’t only happening at the ocean’s surface – data indicates they also extend several hundred metres deep. Warm, deeper water can shut down the ocean’s natural cooling process, putting corals at even greater risk of bleaching.

Counting the cost

Scientists will conduct field surveys in coming months.

The full extent of damage to Ningaloo won’t be known until scientists conduct field surveys in coming months.

So far, bleaching has been documented at several sites, including Turquoise Bay, Coral Bay, Tantabiddi, and Bundegi (Exmouth Gulf).

Other sites such as Scott Reef, Ashmore Reef, the Rowley Shoals and Rottnest Island are also at risk.

Damage wrought by the heatwave extends beyond coral. More than 30,000 fish have died since the September onset.

The below images show the heatwave’s progression. Temperatures from February last year are included for comparison.

The white circle shows the location of Ningaloo. Cooler temperatures are in blue and purple. Warmer temperatures are in yellow and orange.

The images show the heatwave reached Ningaloo in December last year and moved south in January. Temperatures fell slightly in February due to strong southerly winds. From March, temperatures are forecast to increase again.

Image showing the progression of an ocean heatwave down the WA coast. Ningaloo is marked by the white circle. CMEMS

A complex warming picture

According to recent data and modelled forecasts, hotter ocean temperatures off northern WA run several hundred metres deep.

This has been caused by developing La Nina conditions. La Nina and its opposite, El Nino, influence ocean temperatures and weather patterns across the Pacific.

During La Nina, trade winds strengthen and push warm water westward. This intensifies two important ocean currents.

The first is the Indonesian Throughflow – which carries warm Pacific waters through the Indonesian seas and into the eastern Indian Ocean. The second is the Leeuwin Current, which picks up this warm water and takes it further south towards Perth.

This has led to a build-up of hotter water along the WA coastline.

La Nina is also affecting WA’s reefs in other ways.

Some coral reefs are naturally cooled by local tides which pull deep, colder water towards the surface. This process, which has been likened to an ocean’s “air conditioner”, can temporarily relieve heat stress for reefs.

The process relies on “stratification” – that is, layers of seawater that differ in temperature, salinity and density (or weight). Warmer, less dense water collects at the surface and colder, denser water falls to deeper levels.

La Nina conditions can suppress, or even shut down, this cooling effect in two ways.

First, it reduces the difference in density between ocean layers. This causes water to draw upwards from shallower depths. Second, it increases water temperatures at depth.

All this means the water pumped to the surface isn’t much cooler than temperatures at the surface.

For many reefs along the coast of WA, the suppression of this tidal cooling is probably contributing to worsening conditions, and more coral bleaching.

Most bleaching forecasts rely on sea surface temperatures. This means scientists may be underestimating the vulnerability of deeper reefs.

What’s in store for Ningaloo and surrounds?

Looking ahead, the situation at Ningaloo and surrounding reefs remains critical.

Bleached reefs are able to recover if temperatures cool quickly. This means theoretically, Ningaloo and other affected reefs may survive the summer.

But unfortunately, temperatures are rising again and the marine heatwave is expected to continue until April, as the below image shows.

Climate change is making marine heatwaves more intense and frequent. It means reefs often don’t have time to recover between destructive bleaching events.

All this is compounded by the general trend towards warmer oceans as the planet heats up.

Drastic action on climate change is needed now. If this alarming pattern continues, the world’s reefs risk being lost entirely.

The project,

This article by Kelly Boden-Hawes and Professor Nicole Jones from The University of Western Australia, was originally published in The Conversation on 24 February 2025.

WAMSI is leading the project ‘Advancing predictions of Western Australian marine heatwaves and impacts on marine ecosystems’ which brings together scientists from around Australia who are developing improved knowledge and practical tools to forecast extreme ocean temperatures and their impacts on Western Australia’s (WA’s) marine ecosystems.

Warning of marine heatwave impact as extreme ocean event declared off Western Australia

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Smart buoys, deployed along Western Australia’s coast as part of a major marine heatwave project, have been used to gather crucial data that helped warn of the latest extreme ocean event in the state.

A strong (Category 2) marine heatwave warning was issued this week by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) for WA’s North Coast bioregion and the Gascoyne bioregion.

Current sea surface temperatures are 4 to 5 degrees above the long-term average for the North Coast bioregion.

The ‘Advancing predictions of WA marine heatwaves and impacts on marine ecosystems’ project is managed by the WA Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) and comprises a multi-disciplinary project team of 26, including scientists from DPIRD.

Project lead scientist, Professor Nicole Jones from The University of Western Australia, said real time data from the smart buoys have revealed extreme temperatures.

“We know the water temperatures are higher than what many species can tolerate,” Professor Jones said.

“We have been sharing our analysis of the smart buoy data, satellite data and trialling our new statistically downscaled ocean temperature forecast model to help government agencies to manage the current marine heatwave.”

WAMSI acting CEO Dr Jenny Shaw, said the impact of marine heatwaves could be devastating.

A marine heatwave off WA’s coast in 2010-2011 had a devastating impact on marine ecology and WA’s ‘blue economy’ including fisheries.

“Shark Bay was one of the areas particularly affected by that extreme event and it resulted in the collapse of about 1,000 square kilometres of seagrass,” Dr Shaw said.

WAMSI is working on ways of better protecting marine areas from marine heatwaves and the organisation’s ‘Shark Bay (Gathaagudu) Science Plan’ identified climate change, including marine heatwaves, as the area most needing research.

The Science Plan’s research priorities were identified through surveys and meetings with a variety of interested stakeholders, including but not limited to scientists, government, Traditional Owners and the local community members.

Supporting the Science Plan was ‘A Snapshot of Marine Research in Shark Bay (Gathaagudu)’ that summarised 70 years of research in the World Heritage estate and helped to identify areas most in need of further investigation.

WAMSI is working to access funding for further research in Shark Bay to progress the Science Plan’s priorities.

The Marine Heatwave project team includes specialists in oceanography, marine ecology, atmospheric science and data science.

Project delivers a creative dive into Perth’s rich nearshore marine environment

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An art exhibition, described by its creator as being like a snorkel through the vibrant nearshore waters of Perth’s beaches, has opened in Cottesloe.

The exhibition is the culmination of the Living Ocean Festival which involved 750 people and comprised events including 35 workshops, community beach walks, biodiversity surveys and marine science talks.

The festival was designed and delivered by artist and science communicator Angela Rossen.

“I wanted to create the feeling of snorkelling over a seagrass meadow and a reef,” Ms Rossen said.

The exhibition, in a gallery overlooking the ocean, features prints, paintings and photographs of everything from plankton and seagrass to migratory shorebirds and fish.

“The focus of our festival was the nearshore marine environment,” she said. “This is the part of the ocean close to the shore that is accessible to everyone and it’s full of unbelievable biodiversity.”

The artist, who has a passion for the ocean, has worked with the Western Australian Marine Science Institution. She also works on community outreach projects with other marine research organisations and local and state governments.

“Working with scientists deepens and broadens my understanding of natural systems and I am grateful for their support with species identification and helping me to communicate the complexity and wonder of natural systems.”

“I am really motivated to get everyone, especially children, curious about and involved in wanting to discover more about how the environment works. It is by growing a real heart connection to nature that people will want to act to conserve and protect our unique environment.”

“In my biodiversity projects we begin with the smallest creatures because they are the building blocks of ecosystems. In this instance we began with plankton and single celled organisms like coccolithophores.”

“Most people wouldn’t give a second thought to these tiny creatures, but they are stunningly important. They are also very beautiful.”

Ms Rossen opened the exhibition with a heartfelt and emotional plea for people to become actively engaged in conserving and protecting the ocean and terrestrial environment for future generations.

“We can’t pick and choose which species we will allow to become extinct. Every single creature is a link in the chain and if, because of human impacts, they disappear then the chain is broken.”

“Half the oxygen we breathe is created by plants in the ocean, so if we allow the ocean to heat and acidify beyond a certain point we can say goodbye to every second breath.”

She said some of the workshops involved children from local primary schools examining nature under magnification then expanding out to conceptualize ecosystems.

“Kids are naturally curious. They love discovering nature and documenting their findings. When they first see tiny creatures such as plankton they fall in love instantly.”

She is also inspired to encourage people who don’t see themselves as artistic.

“A lot of people miss out on the joy of being creative because, for one reason or another, they don’t trust themselves to do it.”

“I find that people always surprise themselves when they look at what they drew or painted, especially when they see their work up in the exhibition.”

Angela Rossen was the inaugural artist in residence with the Heritage Collective – a creative hub in the restored heritage Werne building in Cottesloe. More of Angela Rossen’s work can be seen at www.angelarossen.com

The Living Ocean exhibition is on until 30 January at the Linton and Kay Gallery at 40 Marine Parade Cottesloe.

Robot sowing the seeds for healthy seagrass meadows

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A robot that plants seagrass seeds directly into the seabed is being trialled in Cockburn Sound as part of a program to speed up the restoration of badly depleted underwater meadows.

Seagrass, the ocean’s only flowering plant, is vital as a habitat for wildlife, for stabilising sediment and storing carbon. But pollution, marine heatwaves and development have wiped out vast areas of seagrass meadows.

Emeritus Professor Gary Kendrick, from The University of Western Australia’s School of Biological Sciences, who is a seagrass restoration project leader on the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) Westport Marine Science Program said it wasn’t enough to let ‘nature takes its course’ because the process was too slow.

“In Cockburn Sound, south of Perth, we are talking about a system that lost more than 3,000 hectares of seagrass from the mid-1950s to the 1980s,” Professor Kendrick said.

“Less than 100 hectares has come back.

“Even when we disperse seagrass seeds where the plants are needed, it can take two or three weeks for them to attach to the sediment and in that time, most are lost.”

The specially designed autonomous robot, which is powered by batteries, injects seeds into the seafloor which the research team said improves their chances of taking hold and growing into healthy, new plants.

It was developed by Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering, which is based in San Francisco.

Their team travelled to Perth to operate the machinery trial. The robot works by taking collected seeds and depositing them directly into the seabed. This has been shown to have a greater germination rate than traditional methods of restoration, which see the seeds scattered at the surface.

Professor Kendrick said the trial had come a long way.

“I have worked with the Ulysses engineers for one year and in that time, we have now got a full robotic system working.”

“Next year we are hoping we can demonstrate you can plant a hectare in a day.

“We are seeing a slow recovery at Kwinana Shelf and what we are really trying to do is speed it up and build resilience in a whole community.”

Researchers from UWA will return to the trial sites to assess for restoration success over the next year.

Will O’Brien, one of the co-founders of Ulysses said it is crucial that we develop automated solutions for seagrass restoration.

“Existing methods are too expensive and slow to achieve the results that are needed,” Mr O’Brien said.

“This trial is the first step in restoring WA’s seagrass coverage to historic levels and we are off to a very promising start.”

The trial will be supported by a $230,000 investment by Westport.

Photo credit : Nina Ho, UWA

Squid on camera in sediment project

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Cameras set up in large tanks are capturing what impact varying levels of fine limestone sediment in the water has on the feeding habits of squid, as part of a project for the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program.

The project, which started recently, is led by Dr Ben Saunders, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Molecular and Life Sciences at Curtin University.

It will be used to inform the Westport project in Cockburn Sound.

Dr Saunders said traditionally research had focused on the lethal effects of sediment on marine life during dredging operations.

“What we are interested in is the lowest measurable effects, where the behaviour of the animal starts to change,” Dr Saunders said.

“They may start to feed differently and there could be changes to their body condition and overall health.”

Three levels of sediment are being used to replicate what is likely to be in the water during a dredging operation.

“We are testing 25 milligrams per litre, then 44 milligrams per litre, and a control without added sediment.”

The highest level is based upon the turbidity levels where previous research suggests that 5% of fish species begin to be affected.

“We feed the 17 squid in front of the video cameras and we try to get them to come in so we can record any delay between the fish going into the tank and the squid realising it is there and coming in to eat it.”

One sign the squid may not be able to see their prey is fish remaining uneaten at the base of the tank.

Two trials will be conducted, and each trial runs for 10 days.

The squid are fed and monitored three times a day and researchers regularly test water quality and monitor the video footage.

Ocean soundscapes as varied as landscapes

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Underwater soundscapes are as varied as landscapes, according to acoustics researcher Dr Iain Parnum.

Dr Parnum gave a presentation for the Western Australian Marine Science Institution’s Thinking Blue school outreach program about marine soundscapes, which are a growing area of research interest.

Dr Parnum is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Marine Science and Technology (CMST) at Curtin University and the Centre’s Deputy Director. He is also a Noise theme researcher on the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program.

“In marine ecosystems, sound is vital to many species for navigation, communication and finding prey,” Dr Parnum said.

“For about 12 hours a day we have no light, so sound is important for a lot of marine life because sound waves are not inhibited by a lack of light.”

“But different areas of the ocean have vastly different sounds.”

He said there was an increased research focus on underwater soundscapes and the impact of noise on animals.

Dr Parnum said one of the soundscapes he had studied was the Perth Canyon, which is a deep submarine canyon 20 kilometres west of Rottnest Island. It is an important feeding ground for many animals and the area is also traversed by ships and other vessels.

He said between 2008 and 2016 an acoustics laboratory recorded the canyon’s underwater soundscape, including migrating whales, fish choruses and earthquakes, as part of a program designed to improve the understanding of noise and its impact on marine life.

Data from the sound recorders are used to create spectrograms which illustrate the energy, pitch and patterns of sounds.

“These then become an efficient way of monitoring the presence of these whales in the canyon and in other areas because we know their distinctive sounds,” Dr Parnum said.

He said Antarctic minke whales produced a noise, which submariners referred to as  ‘bioduck’ when they first recorded the mystery sound.

“Humpback whales meanwhile are the showoffs of the whale world and produce more complex songs with high and low frequencies.”

“The males will sing songs for hours at a time and elements of the song will be picked up and used by other pods.”

By understanding the various noises made by the whales, researchers have been able to identify when they are using the canyon.

“Pygmy blue whales are present in the canyon from November to June and peak between March and June.”

“The peak times for humpback whales in the Perth Canyon are June and July, during the northern migration and August to October when the species migrates south to Antarctica.

You can find out more about Dr Parnum’s work in Cockburn Sound here.

You can see Dr Parnum’s full Thinking Blue presentation here and find more information about the Perth Canyon acoustic observatory including access to the data here.

Current systems crucial to life on earth

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A crucial system of currents that takes 1,000 years to circulate the globe is being impacted by increasing ocean temperatures and will have a profound effect on the world’s climate if it further slows or shuts down altogether, by triggering more atmospheric temperature extremes.

Professor Nicole Jones, a physical oceanographer from The University of Western Australia, explained the meridional overturning circulation as part of the Western Australian Marine Science Institution’s Thinking Blue school outreach program.

“Cold and salty water forms in the Labrador Sea, between Canada and Greenland, as well as in the Weddell and Ross Seas, close to Antarctica, and then it descends into the deepest depths of the ocean and circulates around the ocean before coming back up to the surface closer to the equator,” Professor Jones said.

“It takes a millennium to transport the water from the surface, down to the bottom of the ocean and back to the surface again.”

She said the ocean system was crucial to many processes including transporting gases from the atmosphere down into the deep sea.

“This helps to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and also supplies oxygen to the deep ocean,” Professor Jones said.

“It also traps heat so plays a strong role in modulating what is happening in the atmosphere.”

But climate change is impacting the system.

“With climate change, water at the Poles is becoming fresher and also warmer and so it is not going to be able to sink to the same deep depths and that will weaken the return currents such as the Gulfstream,” Professor Jones said.

“So, it’s not only the cold currents that get weakened it’s the warmer currents at the surface.”

Professor Jones said measuring the circulation was challenging but there was evidence it was slowing. She said if it shut down, there would be dramatic atmospheric temperature decreases across Europe. In the southern hemisphere temperatures would be expected to increase.

Professor Jones’ presentation also covered sea level changes and climate change.

The presentation can be found here.