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Research Voyages

Voyage to the Gulf of Carpentaria

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REPORT 1 - Settling in

Fish biologist Mark Tonks sorts through gorgonians in the fish lab.

Scientists attend an occupational health and safety session, with first mate Samantha Durnian at the helm. A safety briefing is held for all onboard within 24 hours of departure.

Marine biologists process at light speed the first samples collected from the ship.

Fish samples sorted into trays in preparation for identification and data entry.

Rodrigo Bustamante says the scientists are coping well with early onboard challenges, except perhaps the lure of the galley at midnight.

It was a wonderful feeling as the RV Southern Surveyor steamed north from Trinity dock (Cairns) towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.

After almost two years of planning, our ambitious plan to characterise the seabed and water column of the south-western gulf was in motion.

With me on the voyage is an experienced group of geologists, ecologists and oceanographers from Geoscience Australia, CSIRO and Griffith University.

We are assessing seabed habitats and marine life – and the ecological and oceanographic processes that connect them – at up to 150 sampling stations in various habitat types subject to different trawling intensities, in and outside tiger and endeavour prawn fishery grounds.

Subsequent evaluation of the effects of fishing on seabed habitats and communities will provide a scientific foundation to support regional marine planning and conservation, and the environmental management of the Northern Prawn Fishery.

Testing times

Our first few of days at sea involved various housekeeping duties. We held meetings, assigned tasks and shifts, set up labs, formed sub-committees and carried out health and safety inductions.

We have tested our seamanship, sampling gear and procedures on and off a large submerged coral reef (25 metres depth) in the south-eastern part of the gulf. The reef yielded several important biological samples of benthic invertebrates and fishes, and offered a brutal reminder of how unforgiving the rough grounds can be on our gear.

Since 3 am today (Sunday 27 February) we have been positioned over another fringing reef deploying a current meter instrument frame that will measure water and sediment fluxes. Next we will move to a nearby station to deploy an instrument that will measure water currents at different depths. Both instruments will be fixed at these positions for 24 days.

We will begin our overall benthic survey in the north of Mornington Island by noon today.

Neptune has been kind to us: gentle seas and great weather have allowed good and steady progress. We are on schedule, the sea is beautiful, the sunsets and sunrises are awesome, and we are adapting to unforseen issues.

And best of all, the food is good varied and steady (although the midnight snacks are getting dangerous) . . . so far so good.

About Rodrigo Bustamante
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Updated: 29/03/07