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A two-week international summer school in oceanography to improve forecasts of ocean behaviour took place from 11 - 22 January in the UWA. The event attracted 20 lecturers and 70 students from more than 30 countries.

The summer school was organised under the auspices of GODAE OceanView , an international collaboration of the world's leading oceanographic institutions and capacities in ocean forecasting.
It coordinated 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 covered 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 ( on the attached photo ), 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" 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 further information about the International Summer School for Observing, Assimilating and Forecasting the Ocean visit the website .