Our Future Oceans

RP1: Our Changing Oceans

In RP1 "Our Changing Oceans", we will examine the physical and biophysical change in Australia’s marine environment, including temperature extremes, marine heat waves, sea-level, coastal hazards, nutrient availability, ocean acidity, oxygen depletion, and circulation change. Present-day prediction systems have resolutions too coarse to inform robust decision making at a national and local scale. We will develop and integrate new ultra-high-resolution downscaled projections of our ocean environment, seamlessly resolving scales from the open ocean, to regional, coastal and nearshore waters.

RP2: Digital Oceans

In RP2 “Digital Oceans”, we will develop innovative digital ocean technologies and models to underpin Research Programs RP1, RP3, and RP4. These will span:

1. Seamless physical observing and modelling tools and data products, bridging large to small scales, from the open ocean to regional, from the shelf to nearshore, to make ocean data local, timely and relevant;

2. Data science, AI, machine learning, data assimilation, ensemble methods, statistical tools, and uncertainty quantification to translate raw ocean measurements and model output into usable data streams and products for marine industries and other stakeholders; and

3. The underpinning science, research and development to exploit and enhance these new tools and capabilities. 

This program will transform ocean data into actionable ocean intelligence. Outputs will include innovative ocean products in data visualization, data discovery, projection uncertainty estimation and decision-making tools.

RP3: Science for Ocean Resilience

In RP3 “Ocean Resilience” we will deliver the next decade of science and a legacy of tools and prediction systems for Australia to adapt to our changing ocean environment. Continued and accelerating ocean change has been locked in for the coming decades, yet the scale of change on the horizon is unclear, exposing Australia’s oceans, our marine industries and our built coastal environment to potentially costly damages. The five scientific research areas of ocean resilience that we will target are:

1. Sea Country

2. Coastal Hazards and Adaptation

3. Marine Extremes

4. Fisheries and Aquaculture

5. Marine Parks

RP4: Science for Ocean Resources

Australia’s marine industries contribute around $120b annually to our economy, with our oceans and coasts providing a further $25b annually in ecosystem services, including carbon dioxide absorption, nutrient cycling and coastal protection. In RP4 Ocean Resources, we will develop the process understanding and predictions to sustain and grow Australia’s Blue Economy across five major resource sectors that are critically dependent on oceanic conditions:

1. Ocean Energy

2. Marine CO₂ Removal

3. Navigation and Shipping

4. Ocean Productivity

5. Ocean Tourism