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Antarctic Tasmania

Supporting Antarctic and Southern Ocean research

Tasmania’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean research, innovation and collaboration community is the backbone of our Antarctic sector.

Tasmania is recognised as an international centre of excellence for Antarctic science research and education. Hobart has one of the largest collections of cold-climate experts and researchers in the world, with more than 500 scientists and technical staff focussing on cold-climate research in the agencies housed in Hobart. The next generation of Antarctic scientific researchers are supported in Tasmania, with over 150 postgraduate students in Antarctic studies enrolled in Hobart-based institutions.

The extent of scientific expertise gathered in one place, and the level of private-public research collaboration within Tasmania is unique and strengthens Tasmania’s reputation as being a centre of excellence in cold-climate science and research.

The headquarters for the Australian Antarctic Division, located in Kingston, coordinates the national research efforts for the Australian Antarctic program.

The Tasmanian Government supports key international Antarctic research, including:

  • The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). CCAMLR manages fishing activities in the Southern Ocean below 60 degrees South and its parties are actively engaged in the global effort to eliminate illegal and unregulated fishing in Antarctic waters.
  • The Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). ACAP aims to conserve albatrosses and petrels by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to these vulnerable species.
  • The Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), a research infrastructure body which monitors the nation’s marine domain and delivers high quality marine and climate data to Australia’s research community.
  • The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), a joint initiative of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), facilitates the sustained collection and delivery of essential observations of the Southern Ocean.

These organisations are all headquartered in Hobart and contribute to Tasmania’s global standing as a centre of Antarctic and Southern Ocean expertise, as well is its scientific standing.