Australian
Institute of Marine Science
Annual
Report 1997-1998
Program
Performance
Indicators of
success
The Institute
evaluates the quality and impact of its
research through the following indicators of
success:
- client
satisfaction;
- impacts
of our research results;
- international
and national recognition as a
world-class centre of excellence in
innovative, broadscale,
multi-disciplinary marine science;
- an
innovative and creative working
environment characterised by
participative management, growth in
funding and staff commitment;
- increasing
financial support from non-government
sources; and
- effective
relationships with decision-making
and educational bodies, allowing
flow-on of knowledge.
The reporting
period, 1997-1998 is the first year of the
1997-2000 triennium research activities set
out in the AIMS Research Plan 1997-2000
published in November 1997. The AIMS
Research Plan 1997-2000 is a summary of
the triennium research plans prepared by the
scientific project teams and support service
sections.
During
1997-1998 AIMS has continued to provide high
quality research outputs relevant to the
protection and sustainable use of
Australia’s marine resources. In
undertaking this research AIMS seeks to
ensure effective use of its resources and
strong links to users of its research.
Outcomes against goals set out in the AIMS
Research Plan 1997-2000 for the reporting
period are summarised here.
In 1995 the
Government included a set of performance
indicators in the Resource Agreements signed
between AIMS and the then Ministers of
Finance and Industry, Science and Technology.
These performance indicators were established
to ensure that external earnings targets did
not distort the efforts of the science
Authorities and limit them to a narrow range
of their overall functions. These performance
indicators are identified in the summary of
performance measures here, and are listed in
Appendix 5.
Summary of
performance measures
- Client
satisfaction: productivity and technology
transfer
The Australian
marine industries, the public and Federal and
State Governments require an increasing range
of scientific knowledge and technical
sophistication to use marine resources in an
ecologically sustainable way. In order to
ensure a high degree of satisfaction among
all its clients AIMS encourages a high level
of scientific productivity, technology
transfer and community involvement, and uses
a range of indicators, as outlined below,
with which to monitor progress.
Scientific Publications
(Indicator 2, Resource Agreement, Appendix 5)
- Journal/book
articles 84
- Conference
proceedings 33
- Technical
reports 1
- Reports
(consultancies) 20
- Monographs 3
Scientific
publications 1993-98
Technology Transfer
(Indicator 6, Resource Agreement, Appendix 5)
The
Institute’s research findings were
transferred in the following ways:
- AIMS
provided training courses and
workshops in monitoring and survey
techniques, for example: coral
taxonomy, Sri Lanka; conservation
surveys for Indonesian reefs; coral
reef monitoring, Tonga; mangrove
monitoring, Vietnam.
- The
second monitoring report, Long-term
Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef:
Status Report No. 2, was
published, making available a further
set of continuous data for managing
the Reef.
- A
national review of Australian
fisheries habitat research (Cappo
et al. 1998) was completed, and
will be used by the Fisheries
Research and Development Corporation
to guide the Ecosystem Protection
Program
(http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/research/afhr/afhr-00.html).
- The
environmental monitoring techniques
that were developed by AIMS for coral
reef surveys were applied to
hydrocarbon exploration industry
investigations in the Timor Sea. Big
Bank Shoals of the Timor Sea: an
environmental resource atlas,
produced in collaboration with BHPP,
provided a resource for Timor Sea
exploration.
Commercialisation
- Two
provisional patents were registered,
one concerning a paralytic shellfish
toxin assay, the other for screening
inhibitors of particular enzymes.
- Sunscreen
products of commercial interest are
being tested for formulation
suitability.
- Seafood
toxin testing techniques and
compounds which could be useful in
agrichemical applications are being
evaluated for commercialisation.
- A
software control system and
underwater computer prototypes were
developed for delivery to the Royal
Australian Navy.
- Patent
applications have been lodged in a
number of countries for an underwater
computing system, WetPC™, and a
kordic interface. A Licensing
Agreement is being negotiated for
transfer of the technologies to an
Australian company.
International and
Australian Patents
| |
94/95 |
95/96 |
96/97 |
97/98 |
| Previously
deeded and now maintained |
24 |
28 |
28 |
30 |
| Deeded during
the year |
5 |
- |
2 |
1 |
| Currently under
examination |
17 |
17 |
33 |
29 |
- Impacts of
our research results: linkages and
customer satisfaction
The
Institute’s research outputs have
relevance and use for a number of users, from
both publicly- and privately-funded
organisations. AIMS seeks to establish links
across the broad range of stakeholders and to
build on good client relations by being
accessible, responsive and timely. The
Institute measures its effectiveness in this
objective through the establishment of an
expanding client base, increased external
earnings and satisfaction that our products
are used, useful and dependable.
External Earnings
(Indicator 5, Resource Agreement, Appendix 5)
The pattern of
change in external funding over the past five
years is shown in the graphs below.
During the
year AIMS exceeded its external earnings
target of 20 per cent of total income.
External funds of $5,283,106 (24% of total
income) were obtained.
Community Involvement
- Number of
guided tours during the year 57
Customer Satisfaction
(Indicator 7, Resource Agreement, Appendix 5)
- Number of
contracts successfully completed 31
- Recognition
The impact of
the Institute and its research products in
the national and global context is measured
by the recognition of others. Acknowledgment
of the Institute and the excellence of its
staff may be through the presentation of
awards or prizes.
Distinguished Awards
(Indicator 3, Resource Agreement, Appendix 5)
A member of
the Monitoring Change in Tropical Marine
Biota Project, Andrew Halford, was
awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate
reef monitoring in Indian Ocean countries.
Major Prizes
The Western
Australian Department of Mines and Energy
Golden Gecko Award for environmental
excellence was awarded to Big Bank Shoals
of the Timor Sea: an environmental resource
atlas.
- Working
environment
The Institute
seeks to maintain a safe and healthy working
environment that encourages high levels of
productivity and creativity amongst its
staff. Its working environment is innovative
and creative, and characterised by
participative management, growth in funding
and staff commitment.
- The
Institute continues to prepare a
large number of peer-reviewed,
scientific publications and makes
many presentations to peer, industry,
and student groups.
- Measures
to ensure continuous improvement of
health and safety in the workplace
were further advanced through the
introduction of regular OH&S
update seminars.
- Measures
to improve management systems and
procedures were further advanced
during the year with the trial of an
electronic management information
system, Project Diary.
- New
finance and human resource management
information systems were implemented
during the year on AIMS intranet.
- Liaison
and collaboration
An effective
relationship with users of research outputs
is a high priority of the Institute. This
includes coordination of research through
collaboration and research networks, and
linkages with decision-making and educational
bodies that facilitate the flow-on of
knowledge.
Collaborations
- Number of
national collaborations 47
- Number of
international collaborations 55
- Number of
countries in which collaborations
have been established 18
- Cooperative
Research Centres 3
Policy-making
Institute
representatives served on a number of expert
committees that are assisting the Government
in the development of policy, for example the
Marine Science and Technology Plan, Oceans
Policy, and the Western Australia
Environmental Protection Agency draft policy
on seagrasses.
Advice
The Institute
provided formal advice through representation
on numerous expert committees, for example
the Milner Bay Scientific Advisory Group, the
Reef Line Fishery Management Advisory
Committee (REEFMAC), Harvest Fisheries
Management Advisory Committee, the South East
Fishery Total Allowable Catch Committee, and
the Task Force for Marine Protected Areas.
The Institute
prepared a comprehensive submission to the
Senate Inquiry on the Hinchinbrook Channel.
Contribution to
Australia’s Research Future Through Teaching
and Training (Indicator 4, Resource Agreement,
Appendix 5)
In
collaboration with several Australian
universities, Institute staff jointly
supervised postgraduate students and AIMS
scientists presented lectures and seminars to
students.
- Number of
postgraduate students supervised by
AIMS 43
- Number of
conjoint teaching positions
undertaken with universities 5
Presentations
During the
year AIMS scientists made many presentations
of their work to a wide range of client
groups, for example at conferences and
workshops, and to schools, community groups,
industry bodies and environmental agencies.
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