The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System

• Main Authors: Meyers, G., Neilson, J., McGowen, M., Hill, K., Allen, S.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Southern Ocean
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/528706/

The Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is a capability supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). NCRIS and 10 operators including Universities and government agencies have provided nearly $100M to develop the capability. It is a nationally distributed set of equipment that collectively will contribute to meeting the needs of marine research in both open oceans and coastal oceans around Australia. The overarching scientific rationale for IMOS is to support research on predicting the role of the oceans in the climate system and on understanding of the impacts of the East Australia Current and the Leeuwin Current on shelf-ecosystems. In particular, if sustained in the long term, IMOS will permit identification and management of climate change in the marine environment. The infrastructure also contributes to Australia’s commitments to international programs of ocean observing and international conventions, such as the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention that established the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. IMOS is made up of nine national facilities that collect data, using different components of infrastructure and instruments, and two facilities that manage and provide access to data and enhanced data products, one that assembles remotely sensed satellite data and the electronic Marine Information Infrastructure that provides access to all IMOS data streams in a web-based, interoperable framework. The observing facilities include three for the open (Bluewater) ocean (Argo Australia, Enhanced Ships of Opportunity and Southern Ocean Time Series), three facilities for coastal currents and water properties (Moorings, Ocean Gliders and HF Radar) and three for coastal ecosystems (Acoustic Tagging and Tracking, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and a biophysical sensor network on the Great Barrier Reef). Additional information on IMOS is available at the website (http://www.imos.org.au).