THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Cabinet Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
MEDIA RELEASE
TRI-NATION RESEARCH EXPEDITION TAKES TO SEA
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus, has welcomed the launch of the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) research expedition in Darwin.
The research vessel, RV Solander, today departs on a collaborative research expedition involving scientists from Australia, Indonesia and Timor Leste to gather information about the marine environments of the Arafura and Timor Seas, said Mr Dreyfus.
The RV Solander has just returned from another collaborative expedition to deploy buoys for the Integrated Marine Observing System, which will gather realtime information about one of the most important currents impacting on Australia's climate, the Indonesian throughflow, which sweeps across northern Australia.
The departure today of RV Solander will continue the important work of Australian Institute of Maritime Science in gathering data to ensure that Australia is informed about impacts of ocean currents on our climate.
The Australian Institute of Maritime Science contributes to our understanding of the implications of a changing climate by monitoring, reconstructing and modelling ocean climate changes, assessing impacts of climate change, identifying potential adaptation mechanisms and identifying characteristics and locations that may provide refuges for marine species in a rapidly changing world.
Information collected will help us better understand the impacts of climate change on Australia's marine environment and eco-systems and assist us to plan ways to ensure our marine environments are protected, said Mr Dreyfus.
For more information on the Australian Institute of Maritime Science please refer to: http://www.aims.gov.au/
THURSDAY, 30 JUNE 2011
