What is the CERF Marine Biodiversity Hub?

The University of Tasmania , CSIRO, Geoscience Australia , Australian Institute of Marine Sciences and Museum Victoria received $6 million from the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) programme to create a CERF Hub for the Prediction and Management of Australia's Marine Biodiversity (Marine Biodiversity Hub). The 5 partners are contributing $12 million of their own funds to this initiative.

Evolutionary history and local environmental conditions predict the distribution of species and communities on land and this underpins landscape management. The Marine Biodiversity Hub's aim is to provide a similar predictive capacity for Australia 's seascape. The Hub will build research capacity and collaboration between marine research agencies, and provide new tools to support the identification, assessment, conservation and sustainable use of Australia 's marine assets, including enhancing the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) and other ESD management applications. This will assist conservation agencies, resource management agencies, and users develop management approaches that provide comprehensive, adequate and representative conservation of Australia's seascape. Hub outputs will help agencies and stakeholders meet the requirements of the NRSMPA, Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the Commonwealth Fisheries Act, and various State Fisheries and Conservation Management legislation.

There are four multidisciplinary collaborative projects in the Hub. There are opportunities to undertake graduate research in each of these project areas. Some specific PhD projects have already been identified

Contacts

Programme Leader
Dr Nic Bax
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
Nic.Bax@csiro.au

Executive Officer
Ms Vicki Randell
CERF Marine Biodiversity Hub
TAFI, Private Bag 49, Hobart, TAS 7001
Ph: 03 6227 7270
M: 0408 132 909
Fax: 03 6227 8035
vicki.randell@utas.edu.au