Marine Environmental Prediction & Informatics

We specialise in delivering environmental and climate intelligence generated by predictive, dynamic ocean modelling systems at regional to national scale. Our expertise in coastal modeling allows us to develop and operate fit-for-purpose models simulating ocean circulation, waves, sediments, biogeochemical processes, and their interactions. We deliver data products, visualisations, and decision-support tools via best-practice web applications to support research and development across multiple domains including aquaculture, water quality, climate impacts, and adaptation. We assess threats, inform decision makers, and promote a comprehensive understanding of environmental sustainability and climate risks in Australia.

Coastal and marine environments are subject to rapid population growth and industrial development which can create tension between development and the need to conserve the natural values of these highly diverse ecosystems. Global coastal ocean and adjacent estuaries are among the least well observed or predicted environments. As the tension between development and conservation escalates, there is a need to simulate the likely outcomes of managing development in the coastal environment.

A predictive capability that encapsulates our understanding of the coastal dynamics fills in the gaps that exist in current observing systems, to forecast the future system state and run scenarios to answer “what if?” questions. We design information systems to support the dissemination and curation of data used to support management decisions.

Our goal is to develop and apply coastal modelling and information systems that provide skilful products fit for use in research and decision support tools for the public, industry and government.

Capability Profile

Technical capabilities:

Numerical Modelling
- Circulation
- Waves
- Sediments
- Biogeochemistry
- Marine carbon cycling
- Ocean Acidification
- Bio-optics
Informatics
- DevOps
- Portals
- Client-driven services
Software engineering
- Scientific programming
- Model development
- System development
Data assimilation
Particle tracking
Visualisation

Application areas:

National scale prediction to service the blue economy and government sectors
Coastal and marine water quality prediction
Carbon cycling
Environmental modelling for Defence applications

Related Research

CSIRO Coastal Group GitHub

The CSIRO Coastal Group GitHub specialises in providing environmental intelligence for decision support tools.

OzCoasts

OzCoasts provides comprehensive information about Australia’s coast, including its estuaries, coastal waterways and climate change impact. This helps to generate a […]