It’s not just land-based minerals and energy that this State has in abundance. Our oceans support a unique range of biodiversity, energy, food and cultural assets that provide Western Australia with unparalleled opportunities as well as great responsibilities.
The University of Western Australia is located on the rim of the Indian Ocean, which covers a staggering 20 per cent of the Earth’s surface. We are committed to projects that use the full breadth of our interdisciplinary skills, working in collaboration with industry, government and the community.
The UWA 2030 vision named the oceans and the marine environment as one of its ‘Grand Challenges', with the University’s Oceans Institute positioned and resourced to provide the lead in focusing on this important area.
The Institute brings together the collective strength of UWA’s best and brightest marine researchers in multidisciplinary, integrated teams across oceanography, ecology, engineering, resource management, social sciences and governance.
Outstanding early career researchers come to UWA to engage in cutting-edge research, directed by experienced mentors, in areas as varied as fisheries science, off-shore engineering, economic modelling, conservation management, sea mammal tracking and maritime archaeology.
Whether it is the study of energy from the oceans, productive ports, coastal hazards or marine biology, UWA hosts some of the strongest marine research partnerships in the country.
The numerous facilities on campus and partner programs supported by UWA provide industry, government and community with direct access to national capabilities. These include integrated marine observation tools (subsea gliders, surface current radars, oceanographic profiling floats supported through Federal and WA State Government funding to Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System), geotechnical centrifuges, advanced geochemical characterisation laboratories and teams using big data science in fisheries and marine conservation.
UWA faculties lead the Indian Ocean node of the global ‘Sea Around Us’ project that tracks the effects of fisheries on marine ecosystems globally. Partnerships with institutes and universities on the Indian Ocean Rim provide two-way exchanges of expertise and people.
The Oceans Institute has an expanding membership of highly skilled people who bring together the practical and industry-proven research skills needed to address both mainstream and unexpected tasks and problems. The Institute and its partners are ready to meet the grand challenges of the coming century.
