Research Voyage Opportunities

"Next Wave"
Experience a Research Voyage aboard our Marine National Facility

7 days aboard the Southern Surveyor

25 January - 1 February 2009, Sydney to Wellington (NZ)

The Southern Surveyor is Australia's national oceanographic research vessel, 66 m long with a ship's crew of 14. The vessel operates 24 h while at sea - students typically work 12 hour shifts between 0600 to 2400. The voyage will have up to 4 scientific staff for computing, electronics, swath mapper and possibly hydrochemistry.

The 7 day transit voyage to Wellington includes approximately 30 hours of additional time to divert to oceanographic features of interest and deploy a CTD and plankton trawls. We will be particularly interested in eddies of the East Australian Current off Sydney, to follow up on voyages in Aug and Oct. We will also operate the swath mapper as it crosses the Taupo Seamount; measuring currents with an ADCP; recording numbers of seabirds and marine mammals; nutrients and calibrating chlorophyll sensors in the vicinity of an ocean glider. Occasional tutorials will be provided by the staff.

Up to 10 young scientists are invited to apply for this experience. Food and airfare back to Sydney covered by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, ARCNESS (ARC Network for Earth System Science) and NSW Dept of Primary Industries, except for $100 levy per student paid to SIMS before travel. Other airfares to Sydney and back to other cities will be supported as much as possible. Up to 12 young scientists in total, including the Chief Scientist Dr Jason Everett, one other watch leader and up to 10 university students. Applicants must be full time enrolled as an undergraduate or postgraduate, >18 years old, and possess a valid Australian passport.

If you are interested, please e-mail a 1-2 page letter with: Name, Contact details, School/Department, University, current enrollment (degree, dates), name and e-mail of an academic referee, and signed by the applicant and by your referee. Outline the reasons for applying (i.e. your interests and aspirations). Send application to Jason.Everett@unsw.edu.au by 14 November 2008. Applications will be assessed by Iain Suthers, Nathan Bindoff and Steve Kennelly.

Voyage is supported by CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, the Marine National Facility, ARCNESS and NSW Dept of Primary Industries. The voyage is being facilitated by the Sydney Institute of www.sims.org.au , I.Suthers@unsw.edu.au ).