Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies - IMAS

07/09/2026

Five University of Tasmania researchers have received Young Tall Poppy Science Awards for 2026, in celebration of their significant impact in science, and genuine passion for engaging and inspiring others.

“We are so proud of our exceptional early-to-mid career researchers who have been recognised as Tasmania’s Young Tall Science Poppies this year,” said the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Prof Nicole Webster.

“Their ability to build knowledge that can shape a better world, and to clearly and enthusiastically share their science with the community and other important audiences, gives us confidence that the future of STEM is in good hands.”

👋Meet our amazing Tall Poppies who are tackling important challenges, inspiring others through science communication, and helping to ensure research has real-world impact (📸 in order of appearance below):

✨Dr Harriet Goodrich (IMAS)
✨ Dr Tori Graham (Sciences & Engineering)
✨Dr Owen Missen (Sciences & Engineering)
✨ Dr Brooklyn Fraser (Menzies)
✨Assoc Prof Rutger de Zoete (Health)

Find out what each of our Young Tall Poppies are working on ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/TAS-Young-Tall-Poppies-2026

Tall Poppy Campaign University of Tasmania Menzies Institute for Medical Research

07/09/2026

Bree Fox is bringing science, policy and law together, with a double degree in Marine and Antarctic Science at IMAS, and Law at the University of Tasmania.

Her aim: to play a role in protecting the oceans that have shaped her life from the very beginning.

Bree's early exposure to the wild-catch fishing sector in her hometown of Port Fairy VIC gave her a firsthand understanding of the complex relationship between industry, conservation, and sustainable resource management.

"It opened my eyes to the importance of marine governance and the need to maintain healthy ecosystems," Bree said.

Dive in to read more 🤿

There’s more to uni than studying. Learn how you can connect with new people through events, sports, volunteering opportunities, and more.

07/09/2026

Congratulations to the winners in our lobster tagging lottery! 🦞🎣

Two commercial and two recreational fishers who reported tagged rock lobsters have taken home some incredible prizes.

Congratulations to:
⭐Michael White (commercial) who won a winch (VC800) kit.
⭐Geoff Kelleher (commercial) who won a $200 voucher.
⭐Rodney Heather (recreational) who won a Voyager Lures worth $150
⭐Tiana Porter (recreational) who won a $50 voucher.

There is only one more prize draw left this season, with some exciting prizes up for grabs for both recreational and commercial participants.

For every tag you report, you'll receive one entry into our quarterly lottery. Every report also earns you an entry into our major end-of-season prize draw, giving you even more chances to win!

Reporting tagged lobsters helps IMAS collect valuable information that supports sustainable rock lobster fisheries. Whether you're a recreational or commercial fisher, processor, or a member of the wider community, your reports make a real difference.

🦞 Caught a tagged lobster? Report it here: https://tinyurl.com/4xfyh3

If the tagged lobster is undersize, please don't remove the tag. Just leave the tag in and take a photo of it before releasing the lobster.

Good luck!

07/09/2026

Meet Francisco Albergoli, whose PhD research at IMAS is informing habitat management for the Critically Endangered red handfish! 🐟

🌟 ASFB Student Spotlight: Francisco Albergoli

Francisco is a PhD Candidate at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania.

💡 Supervisors: Jemina Stuart-Smith, John Keane, Scott Ling

– Every time I see a red handfish, I can’t help but think they’re living an endless Monday without coffee - they look permanently grumpy. Despite that, their quirky appearance, along with their preference for walking rather than swimming using their “hand-like” fins, makes conserving them even more special.

🐟 Francisco tells us more about their project: Informing habitat management for the Critically Endangered red handfish (Thymichthys politus)

“My project aims to: improve understanding of red handfish food environment and habitat requirements, test restoration tools including artificial structures and reef enhancement, understand urchin grazing impacts, and evaluate a scalable translocation-based urchin management approach.

“Together, these outputs establish evidence-based restoration targets and practical management tools for degraded reef systems.

“Effective restoration requires clear ecological targets, yet the habitat requirements of red handfish remain poorly understood. Overabundant urchin grazing is also a major driver of habitat degradation, reducing algal resources and structural complexity essential for survival.

“The project characterises the red handfish food environment to define restoration baselines and identify key algal species. It then examines how urchin densities influence algal communities and identifies grazing thresholds that significantly degrade habitat quality. Building on this, artificial reef structures are tested as a tool to enhance habitat complexity and restore algal cover and food resources.

“Finally, it evaluates a scalable urchin management strategy that translocates urchins from conservation areas to fishing grounds as a socially acceptable, ecosystembased approach to reducing grazing pressure while supporting fisheries and conservation outcomes. Overall, the project integrates ecological understanding with applied restoration tools to develop evidence-based strategies to rebuild habitats essential for red handfish recovery.”

06/09/2026

A major international review, involving 80 scientists from 17 countries, has outlined a bold plan to address some of the biggest uncertainties in Antarctic science ❄️

The study proposes three continent-scale geophysical surveys around Antarctica to fill critical gaps in our understanding of how ice, ocean, atmosphere and the solid Earth 🌏 interact in the coastal zone, where small changes can have major consequences for future ice loss and global sea-level rise.

Australian Antarctic scientists, including our IMAS/ACEAS/AAPP researcher Chen Zhao, contributed to the review which highlights the need for internationally coordinated observations to improve projections of these impacts.

The roadmap comes at a critical time, with scientists working to better understand how rapidly Antarctica could change in a warming world and what that means for communities worldwide.

Discover more ▶️ https://tinyurl.com/Rings-around-Antarctica

The study was led by Dr Kenichi Matsuoka from the Norwegian Polar Institute and coordinated through the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) RINGS Action Group.

📷 Totten Glacier Ice Shelf. Credit: Felicity McCormack (SAEF)

University of Tasmania

03/09/2026

Coral reefs around the world are being hit by marine heatwaves so frequently that the time available for recovery is shrinking dramatically.

The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025 Report 🪸 released this week identifies climate change-induced heat stress as the primary driver of the long-term decline in hard coral cover.

“The frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves is shrinking the window for coral recovery, with modelling in the report suggesting that if global coral bleaching events continue at their current rate, hard coral cover is expected to keep declining,” said IMAS marine ecologist Dr Sterling Tebbett, who is the joint first-author of the Report’s Australian chapter.

“While the report shows that there was a relative increase in global hard coral cover of around 6% between 2017 and 2019, this does not reverse the long-term trend of decline.

“What it does show is that reefs retain the capacity to recover when disturbances ease and sufficient recovery time is available,” he said.

“Modelling in the report points to the potential for a more hopeful future: stronger cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, combined with effective management of local and regional pressures, could improve the outlook for the world's coral reefs.”

Discover more 🪸 https://tinyurl.com/4y37bys3

Dive into the report🤿 https://gcrmn.net/2025-report/

📸 (1) Coral reef on North Direction Island QLD by Sterling Tebbett (2-3) the onset and aftermath of coral bleaching on the GBR by Sterling Tebbett and (4) Reef Life Survey diver monitoring Ningaloo Reef WA by Rick Stuart-Smith

University of Tasmania

03/09/2026

📢Are you a Year 9 or 10 student wanting to see what being a marine or Antarctic scientist is really like? Now’s your chance! Our IMAS work experience program is happening in November this year 🔬

Discover what it's like to work in marine and Antarctic science and explore the pathways you could take into research, conservation, fisheries, aquaculture and environmental careers.

Applications close at midnight on Sunday 13 September, so dive in to find out more or apply here 🤿 https://tinyurl.com/IMAS-work-experience

University of Tasmania

02/09/2026

An IMAS scientist has determined the age of what is believed to be the largest Southern Bluefin Tuna recreationally landed in Tasmania.

It comes as four young recreational fishers landed the 160kg southern bluefin tuna off Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula at the end of 2025.

While the catch is not an official recreational fishing record, it’s believed to be the heaviest southern bluefin tuna landed by recreational fishers in Tasmania, with few fish weighing more than 140kg having been landed in the state.

IMAS Senior Technical Officer and Research Fellow Dr Peter Coulson removed the fish’s otoliths – a small ear bone used to determine the age of a fish.

By counting the number of growth rings in the otolith, the fish was estimated to be about 28 years old.

“The age of this southern blue tuna is quite old for this species,” Dr Coulson said.

“A previous age and growth study found only about six per cent of southern bluefin tuna across their geographic distribution were more than 28 years old, with the oldest recorded at 41 years.

“The reported abundance of smaller and younger fish as well as examples of older fish such as this individual, indicates a healthy southern blue tuna population, which is a great sign for the future of the fishery.”

Tasmania’s recreational southern bluefin tuna fishery has grown rapidly over the past decade, with fish now present through much of the year rather than during strict seasonal migration windows.

This includes in waters off the north and north-west coasts of the state where the fishery is booming and trophy-sized fish are within reach of trailer boat fishers.

“The 28-year-old fish provides a rare glimpse into the age and size structure of southern bluefin tuna found in Tasmanian waters, adding to our understanding of a species that has become increasingly important to the state’s recreational fishery,” Dr Coulson said.

“As more large and small fish are encountered around Tasmania, these observations can help build a clearer picture of the population and how the fishery is changing.”

📸 (1) Young recreational fishers Liam Walters and Aiden Barnes landed a 160kg southern bluefin tuna off Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula at the end of 2025. Credit: Supplied. (2) Sectioned otolith showing individual growth zones (white/black dots) on the ventral wing. Inset shows a magnified view of the otolith edge, with the black dots indicating the same growth zones in both images. Arrows indicate inflection points used to identify the first two growth zones.

Fisheries Tasmania

31/08/2026

Not even some cloudy days and squalls could dampen the enthusiasm of more than a hundred IMAS Intro to Marine and Antarctic Science students and our teaching team, as they set out last week on an exciting learning adventure aboard Pennicott Wilderness Journeys vessels.

Across three field days, five trips left from Port Arthur or Eaglehawk Neck and headed to Tasman Island on the Tasman Peninsula, with students seeing the breathtaking sea cliffs and experiencing wildlife encounters 🐬

“The trips were a real highlight for our students and a great opportunity for us to connect classroom learning with observations in the field,” said lecturer Dr Pier van der Merwe.

“The students were delighted to observe whales, seals, dolphins and a wide variety of seabirds rounding up and feeding on baitfish.

“These field trips give our students a glimpse of the specialised areas of study they'd like to pursue in years 2 and 3 of their Bachelor of Marine and Antarctic Studies (BMAS).”

✨ Our Island is your classroom: utas.edu.au/study-at-imas

📸 Images by Pier van der Merwe (1,2), Scott Ling (3,4) and Paul Spence (5)

University of Tasmania Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

28/08/2026

What could a commercial sardine fishery mean for Tasmania?

Socioeconomic research conducted by IMAS shows a sardine fishery operating at the proposed precautionary limit of 7,500 tonnes could deliver:

💰 Up to $9.4 million to the state economy
👷 Up to 60 jobs across fishing, processing and support industries

This work looks at how benefits could stay in Tasmania, including local fleets and onshore processing opportunities.

Read the full report on the IMAS website: https://tinyurl.com/mus2jbdp

Fisheries Tasmania