Australian Institute of Marine Science

Bio-physical Oceanography of the Kimberley coastal region

Historical research voyages:October 1993, January 2011, October 2011

Planned research voyages :February 2014 (AIMS), October 2013 (WAMSI), February 2014 (WAMSI)

IMOS Kimberley

IMOS ITF

Collier Bay

Bio-physical Oceanography of the Kimberley coastal region

Objectives: To quantify key physical and biological oceanographic processes in nearshore waters of the coastal Kimberley under wet and dry season conditions to:

1) better define seasonal ranges in properties and rates in areas selected for MPA declaration as a basis for identifying potential climate-related changes, 2) better define marine productivity and seasonal forcing processes, 3) acquire oceanographic and biogeochemical information necessary to extend system models developed in the Camden Sound region as part of WAMSI II, and 4) better resolve the role of large monsoonal freshwater inputs on tropical pelagic metabolism.

This work will provide: • Improved capacity for providing expert advice to WA government on managing Kimberley MPA’s

• Foundation data sets of small- and regional-scale water quality parameters (Temperature, Salinity, Turbidity), productivity, pelagic community structure, community metabolism to support more rigorous extension of models developed in Camden Sound to the wider Kimberley coastal region

and northern MPA.

• More robust descriptions of physical and biological properties in the Kimberley coastal region to support WAMSI scientific objectives – in particular the calibration of regional scale BGC models.

Biological Oceanography1993 - 2009

Biological OceanographyCamden Sound, Jan & Oct 2011

Variable Wet Season Dry Season

Temperature oC 30.1 26.9

Salinity 33.5 33.5

Chlorophyll a mg L-1 1.83 0.52

>150 µm zooplankton biomass mg m-3

113 12

Zooplankton m-3

7000 2000

Primary productiongC m-3 d-1

1.8 1.6

Respirationmmol O2 m-3 d-1

2.93 1.82

Secondary productionCommunity AARS activity

251 169

Bio-physical Oceanography of the Kimberley coastal regionShip Track 2011-2012