Headlines

They make up 98% of the biomass of the world’s oceans. They supply more than half the world’s oxygen. They are the major processors of the world's greenhouse gases and our greatest hope for mitigating the effects of climate change. They are the cause of diseases which are suspected to be spreading due to global warming, yet paradoxically they may hold a cure for cancer and the solutions for combating known diseases. They support all marine life and yet we know next to nothing about them. They are marine microbes - tiny, microscopic organisms that feed ecosystems, consume waste, and act as living lungs for the planet. [ read more ]

The combination of a freak winter rainstorm and an extremely low tide caused mass mortality in shallow water corals around the Keppel Islands. Corals living on the reef flat were high and dry at around 2 am on November 4^th when a patchy rainstorm bathed the exposed reef with 17-30 mm of fresh water. The story made news around the country when we aired it last month. [ read more ]

The subject of drought has become very topical, with the South Australia Premier’s Office declaring that the current drought is a one in 1000 year anomaly. Coral cores collected by AIMS scientist, however, tell another story. [ read more ]

As fresh water shortages threaten Australia’s agricultural industry, scientists suggest the solution may lie in the world’s most abundant resource – seawater. According to scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Australia’s tropical oceans have the potential to produce significant amounts of seafood through aquaculture. [ read more ]

AIMS PROVIDES VALUE FOR MONEY

An independent review of the impact of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) entitled "Marine Imprint: the crucial impact of 33 years of AIMS research in the public interest" has examined the social, economic, and environmental importance of the Institute’s research. The report highlights the importance of Australia’s tropical marine resources and the value of marine industries to the nation. [ read more ]

LIGHT LOVING CORALS FOUND IN THE DEEP DARK BLUE

Reef building corals that require the sun’s light to grow have been found living in deep waters off the coast of Western Australia.

Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) discovered this scientific anomaly during a 10 day field trip to study seafloor communities at Scott Reef, Australia’s largest individual offshore reef. [ read more ]