Ecosystems research symposium

29 July 2010

Latest research along Western Australia’s south-west and Perth coastlines was discussed at a Western Australian Marine Science (WAMSI) symposium today.

WAMSI Board Chairman, Dr Peter Rogers, said the integration of eight research projects was one of the best examples of concentrating research at a regional level.

“It ensures that the best decisions based on the best science can be made for local communities in Perth and the south-west,” he said. 

“We are providing models that will be able to give long-term predictions on the effects of climate change, population levels and coastal developments to our coastal ecosystems.”

WAMSI has allocated more than $5.6 million to the projects during the past four years. 

Symposium delegates have used their research to create computer-generated models that will predict trends in sea temperatures, kelp growth, the distribution of particles and larvae down the Leeuwen Current, wave movements and the level of nutrients in coastal waters.

Node 1’s Research Leader, Dr John Keesing from CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship, said his vision for the research was to be able to predict the effects of future pressures, and to provide information about how the pressures could be managed.

The models will help town planners, decision makers and others refine future operations.

Dr Rogers (left) was pictured with Node 1 Research Leader, Dr John Keesing, from CSIRO (right) and Dr Jim Greenwood at the symposium.