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Friday, 8 January 2010

A two-week international summer school in oceanography to improve forecasts of ocean behaviour, which has attracted 20 lecturers and 70 students from more than 30 countries, begins at The University of Western Australia on Monday.

The summer school has been organised under the auspices of GODAE OceanView, an international collaboration of the world's leading oceanographic institutions and capacities in ocean forecasting.  It coordinates research on observing, assimilating and forecasting the ocean: vital for mariners, scientists, biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

Aimed at early career scientists and professionals, the summer school will cover topics such as the latest operational ocean observing systems, super-computing, remote sensing, data analysis and assimilation and ocean modelling.

Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi, Winthrop Professor of Coastal Oceanography at UWA, said thanks to the development of new technologies, oceanographers are able to consider highly complex interactions in the global ocean.

"Our aim is to provide information and forecasts on the ocean's ‘underwater' weather similar to that which is now available for the atmosphere," he said.

"We aim to bridge our research strengths in oceanography, ecology, engineering and resource management to allow for larger research programs that address science and resource issues in the Indian and Southern Oceans region.

"We are looking forward to enhancing our knowledge of the oceans that surround our island continent and I have no doubt that this summer school will do much to add to ocean science," Professor Pattiaratchi said.

The summer school has been organised jointly by the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research, UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Perth Regional Program Office and UWA.

For more information visit https://www.bom.gov.au/bluelink/summerschool/intro.html

Media references

Winthrop Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi (+61 8)  6488 3179
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716

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