Work is underway to add Near Real Time (NRT) telemetry to selected IMOS National Reference Stations significantly strengthening Australia’s coastal ocean observing system.
National Reference Stations (NRS) provide fundamental baseline information used to understand how large-scale, long-term climate change and variability is affecting Australian coastal seas. Each station continuously monitors physical ocean conditions, with monthly vessel-based biogeochemical (BCG) sampling at most sites.
Now, the system is being enhanced to deliver near real-time updates, ensuring more timely access to information about developing events such as marine heatwaves, harmful algal blooms, or low-oxygen conditions.
“Near Real Time Telemetry provides a significant increase in capability. Alongside the monthly BGC sampling and delayed-mode data, which currently provide an invaluable long-term time series, the new system will allow timely detection and response to emerging threats”
David Hughes, IMOS National Reference Stations sub-Facility Lead
Designing a smarter mooring system
This project will design moorings with surface expressions, capable of delivering near real-time data, to enhance existing NRS moorings at Maria Island, Kangaroo Island and Rottnest. To maximise data collection and delivery, two moorings will be produced for each location to enable efficient ‘hot-swap’ rotations.
The designs and components have been developed in consultation with the IMOS National Moorings Facility community to ensure standardisation across stations. The first system, recently completed for Maria Island, will serve as a test case to confirm functionality and refine the design before final builds are completed for Kangaroo Island and Rottnest.
The moorings are being designed and built in Australia by our partner, CSIRO. Mechanical components are primarily constructed in-house, while electronics build on earlier CSIRO NRT systems with upgrades including solar charging, and new acoustic modem technologies.
Why near real-time matters
Currently, delayed-mode data from NRS moorings can be up to six months old by the time a mooring is rotated and data recovered. In contrast, NRT data will provide rapid feedback. This is critical for two reasons:
- Detecting technical issues: If a sensor malfunctions, corrective action can be taken immediately, preventing the loss of months of data from a long-term time series.
- Responding to environmental changes: Early signals of developing marine events can inform timely responses by managers, researchers, and industry.
In addition, NRT data can be used to improve ocean models by feeding them with current conditions or validating outputs, increasing their accuracy and usefulness for forecasting.
With the first Maria Island deployment aiming to be completed in 2025, this project will ensure the NRS network continues to deliver both the long-term insights and the rapid information needed to understand and manage Australia’s changing oceans.
Images: David Hughes, CSIRO
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