A new marine science institution that will research topics as diverse as biotechnology, oil and gas engineering, aquaculture and fisheries management, is expected to obtain a $21 million State Government research grant.
The Western Australian Marine Science Institute, to be based at the University of Western Australia, will be the second research body to gain State Government funding on this scale.
A similar $21 million grant was awarded last year to the WA Energy Research Alliance, which was established by CSIRO Petroleum, Curtin University and the University of WA.
WA ERA, chaired by Coogee Chemicals founder Gordon Martin, has already signed a $30 million funding deal with Woodside Energy and is currently seeking to finalise a funding deal with ChevronTexaco.
Woodside Energy is also backing the new institute, which aims to capitalise on the existing marine science research capabilities in WA.
Dr John Keesing, director of the Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment, a joint venture between CSIRO and the State Government, has coordinated the establishment of the new institute.
It aims to improve collaboration between marine research groups in WA to create a critical scientific mass capable of attracting increased federal funding.
Dr Keesing believes there will also be an increased capacity for marine science in WA to gain international business.
The institute’s five-year plan anticipates $28 million of cash and $36 million of in-kind support from its founding partners, on top of the $21 million in State Government funding.
CSIRO, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Woodside collectively have committed $12 million in direct new project expenditure to the institute, whose foundation chair is former EPA chairman Dr Bernard Bowen.
WA’s four public universities have agreed to commit $6 million to the institute “to harness their existing areas of research, train tomorrow’s marine scientists and add significant capacity to the state’s ability to further leverage commonwealth funds”.
The institute is also expected to attract an extra $7 million in funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
Other organisations involved in founding the institute include the Bureau of Meteorology, the WA Museum, the WA Biomedical Research Institute, the WA global ocean observing system and four State Government departments.
The institute’s research activities will be formed around seven ‘nodes’, or programs.
An over-arching program will seek to deliver the “strategic science needs” of government agencies involved in managing marine resources.
It will foster the development of new biotechnology industries, for instance by researching bioactive compounds in marine organisms that can be used in drug discovery.
The institute will research the impact of the marine environment on offshore oil and gas platforms and sub-sea pipelines, with the aim of improving engineering design and operations.
Dr Keesing said WA had some unique ocean physics problems off the north-west coast, including the impact of tropical cyclones and ‘internal waves’.
The institute will undertake research to support the development of aquaculture, particularly the prawn, abalone and rock lobster industries.
It will also seek to support the sustainable development of the state’s wild fisheries.
Another research program will seek to improve management of the state’s marine environment by providing a better scientific basis for decision making on tourism, and industrial developments and conservation initiatives.
The institute’s final program will seek to improve climate prediction through a better understanding of the role of the Indian Ocean in the climate system.