The Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre will build Australia’s international marine research status through stimulating innovative, collaborative research and the teaching and training of next generation researchers.

Integrated research between the joint partners

Research integration across partners is being stimulated by joint research investments in research fellows and PhD students, and the shared use of research facilities. These include UWA’s world-class microscopy and characterisation facilities, the AIMS vessel RV Solander and the oceanographic facilities provided by the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). The Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre will have significant international research collaborations with a range of other universities.

Visionary research themes

The partnership will facilitate research on the most important drivers of innovation in the marine sector – climate change, the sustainable use of marine resources, conserving marine biodiversity, coastal zone management, and security and safety – as identified in 'A Marine Nation', a framework for marine research and development, launched by Senator the Hon Kim Carr in early 2009. The partners are developing integrated and multi-pronged research programs to address these drivers.

Research outcomes such as:

• multiscale biodiversity maps for the NW region
• linked atmosphere-ocean models to better predict climate change
• linked ocean-coast current and wave and biogeochemical models predicting responses of ecosystems to climate change and resource use
• new policy options will be available to Government and industry for sustainable management of ecosystems in the Indian Ocean and the Timor Sea.

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