Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)

Australian Government - Department of Industry Innovation and Science

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The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is Australia’s premiere tropical marine research agency. We play a pivotal role in providing large-scale, long-term and world-class research that helps governments, industry and the wider community to make informed decisions about the management of Australia’s marine estate.

Website http://www.aims.gov.au/

Key science sectors

• Biotechnology
• Environment and nature
• Food and agriculture
• Life sciences
• Social sciences
• Tropical

Strengths and capabilities

• Provision large-scale, long-term and world-class research
• Innovative scientific and technological research
• Strategic and applied research into marine life
• Monitoring the condition and trends in health of the marine environment
• Building models and decision-support tools
• Integrated observing systems
• Robust long-term monitoring
• Effective environmental risk assessment
• Integrated monitoring program

Facilities and major equipment

• National Sea Simulator
• PC2 laboratory
• Analytical laboratory
• Chemistry laboratory
• Research vessels Solander and Cape Ferguson
• Engineering facility
• Biomolecular Analysis Facility
• Chromatography laboratory
• Symbiont Culture Facility

Number of research staff

100-200 research staff

Address

Australian Institute of Marine Science, 1526 Cape Cleveland Rd., Cape Cleveland, 4816

Lead researchers

• Research Scientist - Geneticist Madeleine van Oppen—Prof van Oppen, a winner the Australian Academy of Science Dorothy Hill Award and has published over 140 peer-reviewed articles.
• Senior Principal Research Scientist Janice Lough—Dr Lough is a distinguished climate scientist with over 150 peer-reviewed publications.
• Principal Research Scientist Katharina Fabricius—Has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters and awarded the 2016 International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) Eminence Award

Achievements of the centre

• Explained the major decline of coral cover over the last 27 years
• Provided important insights into historical coral growth rates and climate impacts
• Research program at Scott Reef is one of the longest and most comprehensive investigations of a coral reef system in Australia and serves as model engagement between industry and science.

Other centre in Queensland

• Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics Research

Organisation type

• Commonwealth statutory authority