Townsville becomes global centre for reef climate science with new $85 million instituteUpdated

Townsville will become the global capital of reef climate science after the federal government confirmed $85 million in funding to expand the Australian Institute of Marine Science's capabilities, tripling its research capacity and anchoring a new marine science precinct on the Townsville waterfront that will attract researchers and institutions from around the world.

The AIMS expansion will add new wet laboratory facilities for coral spawning and growth experiments, an expanded remote sensing data centre processing satellite observations of reef health across the entire Great Barrier Reef, and a new public engagement and education centre open to visitors. A joint institute to be established in partnership with James Cook University will focus specifically on developing interventions to help reef ecosystems withstand and recover from bleaching events.

Science Minister Ed Husic said the investment reflected the federal government's recognition that understanding and protecting the Great Barrier Reef required the world's best scientific capacity concentrated in the city closest to the reef's northern and central sections. "Townsville is where the science has to happen, and we are making sure it happens at the highest level possible," he said.

AIMS chief executive Britta Schaffelke said the expansion would allow the institute to answer questions about reef resilience and restoration that its current capacity could not address. The institute has been oversubscribed for research partnerships with international institutions, and the expanded facilities would allow it to accept those collaborations.

The marine science precinct concept envisages AIMS, JCU's marine science faculty, and several private sector environmental consultancies co-locating in a purpose-built waterfront campus by 2030.

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