The Team

Andreas Marouchos is a Principal Research Engineer at CSIRO and specialises in the design of bespoke science systems and platforms for use in the marine and atmospheric research fields. This includes the design and manufacture of ship based systems and instrumentation, autonomous science platforms, and oceanographic moorings. Andreas is also involved the development of new leading edge engineering technologies and methods to meet present and future engineering challenges. These projects are specifically targeted towards addressing fundamental technical and operational challenges in the development of ocean observing science platforms. Fields of study include ocean science and monitoring, mooring development, advanced materials, system autonomy, and environmental technology to support aquaculture science and industry.

Bronte Tilbrook is an oceanographer with CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere. Since the early 1990’s he has established and maintains coastal and open-ocean observing systems to determine carbon uptake and storage and ocean acidification in Australian regional seas and the Southern Ocean. Bronte has key roles in the development of international biogeochemical and carbon cycling programs and leads the planning and implementation of the ocean carbon observing using the saildrones.

Abe Passmore is the Carbon System Specialist for the CSIRO saildrones. Abe is responsible for sensors that measure six parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, partial pressure CO₂ (air and surface seawater). Together these six parameters can be used to describe ocean surface carbon chemistry and ocean-atmosphere carbon flux. Abe also plays a role in planning navigation and scientific objectives for saildrone missions.

Rudy Kloser is a senior principal research scientist with CSIRO’s Ocean and Atmosphere. Since the late 80’s he has developed and used acoustic methods with associated optical and physical sampling to map the seafloor, estimate fish biomass and explore pelagic ecosystems. An example research area is the development of bio-acoustic methods for local and basin scale characterisation of macro zooplanktonic and micronektonic communities, including acoustic sensors on saildrone (e.g. http://imos.org.au/facilities/shipsofopportunity/bioacoustic/ ). This research contributes to the scientific advice about the structure, function and dynamics of pelagic ecosystems in light of climate change, variability and human use.

Tim Ryan is a bio-acoustics specialist with CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere with more than 20 years’ experience. He has applied acoustic and complementary optical methods to determine biomass commercially important fish species, developed automated QC and data processing methods for large data sets (e.g. IMOS) and led an international collaboration that developed metadata standards for processed active acoustic data. Tim is responsible for the acquisition of acoustic data from the Saildrone platform, including calibration, equipment setup, survey planning and development of data products.

Jeff Cordell is an electronics specialist with over 30 years of seagoing experience. His main role in the Saildrone project is to assist with the acoustics systems, in particular looking at reduction of electrical noise as well as advising on technical upgrades which could improve data quality. He also provides assistance with some of the onshore logistics.