Two new monitoring stations have been successfully deployed by the IMOS Estuarine and Coastal Moorings – Western Australia Facility, expanding Australia’s national coastal observing capability into one of Western Australia’s most ecologically significant, and historically under-observed, marine environments.
Co-funded by the Western Australian Government, Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, the new monitoring sites will provide near real-time ocean observations from Exmouth Gulf.
Located within the Ningaloo World Heritage region, Exmouth Gulf supports internationally significant ecosystems and fisheries while facing increasing pressures from climate change, increasing human visitation, and industrial development. The Gulf is also the focus of a proposed new marine park across its southern and eastern waters, increasing the need for robust environmental observations to inform research and management.
The new IMOS Estuarine and Coastal Moorings Western Australia sites include moored instruments that will measure ocean currents, temperature and salinity throughout the water column. Surface observations of temperature, salinity and currents will be transmitted in near real time, while additional bottom-mounted instruments will provide high-quality delayed-mode measurements of current profiles and near-bottom conditions.
Together, the observations will improve understanding of circulation patterns in Exmouth Gulf, support the development of ocean circulation and wave models, monitor changes in salinity , and provide long-term observations of ocean temperature and marine heatwave conditions.
The data collected will directly support research led by Western Australian universities and state and federal agencies, while providing valuable information for marine park planning, fisheries management, environmental impact assessments and coastal operations.
One application of the moorings data is to support the development and management of the new Exmouth Gulf Marine Park.
Photo Mike Cuttler, UWA.