Scientists aboard CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator are preparing for a 35-day deep-sea survey of marine life in the Coral Sea Marine Park off Queensland, deploying cameras, environmental DNA sampling, trawls and sleds to document biodiversity and detect ecological change on and just above the seafloor.
Led by CSIRO with support from Parks Australia, Bush Blitz and The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census, and involving a network of museums, universities and research institutes, the voyage will focus on benthic communities and collect specimens and data to guide conservation and future research. The team will also generate high-resolution maps of the seabed using multibeam echosounders to improve understanding of underwater habitats.
Voyage Chief Scientist Dr Will White said the work would produce vital information for the management of the Coral Sea Marine Park and expand knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems in the region. “The benthic zone is the ecological region at the interface of the ocean and the Earth’s crust, so it means we’ll be exploring the deepest habitats where some of the most interesting and least known species of fish and invertebrates live,” Dr White said. “These include fish without eyes, swimming sea cucumbers, deep-sea corals and many species perhaps never before seen by human eyes. “With the help of an expert team of scientists, CSIRO technicians and crew on board, our goal is to learn more about what’s in the Coral Sea Marine Park and discover and describe as many new species to science as we can. “This work will allow us to better understand what lives within the park, how unique and connected different marine species are, and ultimately how we can ensure long-term protection of this biodiversity.”
Covering 989,836 square kilometres, the Coral Sea Marine Park is Australia’s largest marine park, protecting extensive reef areas and 67 cays and islets. It forms part of a network of 60 Australian Marine Parks managed by Parks Australia that spans around 43 per cent, or 3.8 million square kilometres, of the nation’s marine environment.
Parks Australia’s Branch Head of Marine and Island Parks, Shaun Barclay, said field campaigns of this kind underpin evidence-led management. “Parts of the Coral Sea Marine Park are largely unexplored, making this voyage a true frontier of marine biodiversity discovery,” Mr Barclay said. “Information collected on this voyage will be vital to adding to the understanding of Australian Marine Parks and will assist Parks Australia in managing the Coral Sea Marine Park through evidence-based decision making.”
The expedition will also include regular live crosses to schools around Australia, supported by Bush Blitz, giving students a real-time window into life and work at sea.
After the voyage, samples and datasets will be analysed by Australian and international collaborators to advance knowledge of deep-sea environments and support marine park decision-making. Sea time on Investigator is provided through the CSIRO Marine National Facility under the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
