About this Provider
Funded by the Australian Government, the Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet is an initiative to provide the marine research community with better access to coastal research vessels in Southern Australia to undertake high quality research for the benefit of the nation. The Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet is a partnership between the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the [Western Australian] Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, with support from the CSIRO Marine National Facility.
Contact Information
- 2 Hamra Ave, West Beach, SA, 5022
TYPE OF CLIENTS
Clients include state and commonwealth departments, universities, research agencies and marine industries.
The Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet offers Australian researchers the opportunity to apply for funded sea-time on board one of the coastal research vessels within the fleet. The MRV Ngerin (owned and operated by SARDI, South Australia) and the RV Naturaliste (owned and operated by DPIRD, Western Australia) are the primary vessels within the fleet, which are supported by smaller (18-20m) patrol and research vessels.
Allocation of sea time onboard the Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet is managed through a competitive application process open to Australian researchers and their international collaborators.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Provide competitive access to fully funded grants of sea time onboard coastal research vessels in Southern Australia.
The 25 metre-long, 200 tonne MRV Ngerin is a marine research vessel operated by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).
It is designed for biological and oceanographic studies in southern Australia, including aquaculture environmental assessment, fisheries surveys, and species abundance and biodiversity mapping.
The vessel is equipped with trawl equipment, hydraulic winch, computer facilities, wet and dry laboratories and seawater tanks.
The main activities undertaken by the MRV Ngerin include:
- multi-disciplinary research programs using fishing gear including trawls, fish traps and crustacean pots
- fully standardised annual surveys monitoring recruitment and spawning stocks in key fisheries
- collecting abundance and biological data involving the deployment and operation of specialised or standardised research sampling gear
- towing underwater survey cameras and deploying oceanographic monitoring equipment
- providing offshore research capacity for projects in waters off southern Australia.
The RV Naturaliste is a 22 m hard chined displacement steel vessel fitted with trawl booms and stabilisers, designed to operate all forms of fishing gear and with the ability to deploy and retrieve specialised and heavy research equipment. RV Naturaliste is capable of operating safely in most sea conditions experienced off the Western Australian coastline.
The main research activities undertaken by the RV Naturaliste include:
- fully standardised annual surveys to monitor the variations in recruitment and spawning stocks for the major “fish” (includes invertebrate species i.e. lobsters, prawns, scallops, crabs, etc.) resources supporting fisheries in WA;
- collecting abundance and biological data involving the deployment/operation of specialized/standardized research fishing gear, i.e. often involving equipment (e.g. sonar) and expertise combinations, not generally available on commercial fishing vessels;
- undertaking multi-disciplinary research programs using combinations of research gears including: trawls, fish traps, crustacean pots, baited remote underwater video (BRUVs), towed underwater survey cameras and the deployment of oceanographic monitoring equipment;
- Simultaneously collect data on multiple stocks during the same survey e.g. combined scallop, crab, prawn and biodiversity data collection in Shark Bay;
- undertaking semi-commercial fishing to fill gaps in management data during peak fishing periods, when commercial vessel availability is limited and research survey demands coincide annually;
- providing an offshore fisheries research capacity for projects in deep waters or the remote areas of the state, particularly the Kimberley region; and
- providing a mobile “field station” capacity to the State’s research institutions in remote and offshore areas when required and time is available.
Services
Competitive access to coastal research vessels that are equipped to undertake:
- Multi-disciplinary research programs
- Biological and oceanographic studies
- Aquaculture assessment
- Fisheries surveys
- Species abundance and biodiversity mapping.
Coastal research vessels
Marine environment monitoring
Environmental threats
Cabability
The Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet, featuring the MRV Ngerin and RV Naturaliste, offers access to coastal research vessel operating in southern Australia. These specialised vessels are equipped to operate in the coastal waters of southern Australia, allowing for a wide range of multi-disciplinary research projects at sea. Additionally, the fleet is managed by an experienced crew, ensuring expert navigation and support for scientific endeavours.
Marine Research Vessel Fleet
Marine Research Vessel Ngerin
Marine Research Vessel Naturaliste
A call for applications of up to 14 days of sea time on the Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet is open each year to Australian researchers.
As a guide, applications for voyages from Shark Bay in Western Australia, throughout South Australian waters, west of Lakes Entrance in Victoria and around Tasmania will be considered. However, the location of proposed voyages may be restricted by the limits of the fleet.
These opportunities are provided through the Australian government-funded ‘Supporting the establishment a southern coastal research vessel fleet’ project.
The annual call for sea time generally opens in June and closes in August, information on the call for applications will be provided.
