Construction of a sea simulation facility in Townsville, Queensland, began on 13 July.
The AU$35 million National Sea Simulator is located at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences.
The simulator aims to bridge the gap between the sea and the lab, allowing Australian and international scientists to undertake research relevant to the protection of tropical regions from climate change.
“The research we will be able to undertake thanks to this facility will help our scientists find out how our marine ecosystems can adapt to the changing climate and accidental spills. The combination of capabilities the facility brings do not yet exist anywhere else in the world,” said Kim Carr, Australia’s innovation minister, who launched construction of the facility.
The simulator will allow scientists to control temperature, acidity, salinity, sedimentation and contaminants in large volumes of water to determine how complex environmental changes impact tropical marine ecosystems.
Funding for the simulator is being provided through the government’s Super Science Marine and Climate initiative.