Geoscience Australia has participated in a month-long seabed mapping survey in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and Timor Sea off the coast of the Northern Territory.
The survey was the third undertaken as part of a partnership agreement with the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Findings from the survey reveal the shallow carbonate banks are covered by rich sponge and coral gardens, and the deeper channels contain muddy sands that support a diverse mix of species living within the seabed sediment – some of which are new to science.
A final report on the scientific outcomes of the survey will be completed by June 2011.
Understanding of the north’s rich tropical marine endowment was enhanced this year following the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding between Charles Darwin University, AIMS, The Australian National University and the NTG.
The memorandum detailed a framework of cooperative research, academic and training activities, and expanded research infrastructure, helping to ensure sustainable and community-friendly development of tropical marine resources.
Last year innovation minister Kim Carr announced that $5.5 m in extra funding had been allocated to upgrade infrastructure and equipment at Darwin’s Arafura Timor Research Facility (ATRF) to help the Australian Institute of Marine Science better map marine resources around the Northern Territory.
