Chief scientist goes to Kimberley
22 May 2009
Western Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Lyn Beazley, is visiting the West Kimberley today and tomorrow to learn about marine and terrestrial scientific research programs in the region.
She will visit areas where biological research is being carried out by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).
She will visit two islands north of King Sound to learn about the research being carried out collaboratively by DEC’s biological survey teams and the Kimberley Land Council. The research aims to document the plants and animals on 19 islands off the Kimberley coast.
The islands are in relatively good condition and support populations of plants and animals that may have high conservation value, but little is known about what plant and animal species occur on what islands.
DEC’s Biogeography Program Leader and Partnerships Manager, Dr Stephen van Leeuwen, said the survey team had completed two years of sampling in both the wet and dry seasons on 13 islands further north along the Kimberley coast from Augustus Island to Sir Graham Moore Island and Adolphus Island off Wyndham. The current survey will target six islands off the West Kimberley coast, most of them north of Derby in King Sound and Collier Bay.
“The island survey is also contributing to the State Government’s $9 million Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy by providing fundamental biodiversity information on the islands off the Kimberley coast,” Dr van Leeuwen said.
The island survey has attracted $2.7 million in Federal Government funding through the Natural Heritage Trust while the State Government is contributing $4.3 million over five years.
“On-going scientific research is necessary to provide information on likely climate change impacts, biodiversity, cultural and heritage values, fisheries, the management of sustainable and productive industry, innovative marine technology and marine planning,” Dr Steve Blake, Chief Executive Officer of WAMSI, said.
“It’s also important that we further integrate traditional Aboriginal knowledge with western science to inform development decisions”.
Dr Blake said that on-going marine and coastal research would make a vital contribution to enhancing the environmental, economic, social and cultural values of the Kimberley-Browse region.
WAMSI commissioned the independent report as a means of providing input to government, industry and the community for their consideration of the marine science needs for the Kimberley-Browse region.
Drs van Leeuwen and Blake (pictured left and right of Professor Beazley, with the pilot to the far right) will accompany Professor Beazley.