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Australia Commits to Super Science Marine and Climate Initiative |
 In its 2009 budget statement on 12 May, the Australian government substantially increased its support for Marine Science at a national level. Senator the Hon. Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, announced a $387.7 million Super Science Marine and Climate Initiative.
The IMOS (Australian Integrated Marine Observing System www.imos.org.au ), for which Nick D'Adamo, Officer in Charge, IOC Perth Regional Programme Office is a National Advisory Board member, runs in its initial 5-year phase to mid-2011, under $50M AUD funding. In the Federal budget announcement, IMOS was explicitly highlighted as receiving a further $52M AUS, taking it to 2013. The funding will enhance and extend Australia's marine observing network, including new observational infrastructure for the Southern Ocean and off North/Northwest Australia.
IMOS makes a tangible Australian contribution to GOOS, and by association therefore to the IOC's high level objectives more broadly. IMOS enhances the nature and amount of data relevant for specification and assimilation into ocean models, and forecasting systems such as Australia's Bluelink (www.bom.gov.au/bluelink ). The Super Science initiative will enhance and extend IMOS as a more comprehensive national marine observing system and would most closely be described as a Regional Ocean Observing System in the IOC's Ocean Observations and Services framework. Further information at:
http://minister.innovation.gov.au/Carr/Pages/SUPERSCIENCEMARINEANDCLIMATE.aspx
http://www.innovation.gov.au/General/Corporate/Pages/SuperScienceMarineandClimate.aspx
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