Tiaki Moana – Marine System

The world’s oceans are hugely important climate regulators– absorbing 90% of the extra heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions and land use changes. The Southern Ocean absorbs about 67-95% of that heat, as well as about 10% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

The Southern Ocean also regulates Antarctic ice shelf stability (and consequently Antarctic contributions to global sea level rise), supports sea ice growth and decay, and hosts unique and globally significant ecosystems.

But absorbing all this heat and CO₂ is starting to take its toll.

Records show marked changes in the Southern Ocean over recent years, with waters warming and becoming more acidic. This reduces their ability to uptake additional heat and impacts ecosystems susceptible to ocean acidification.

We are studying how physical drivers (such as increased temperatures) directly and indirectly impact bio-physical process (such as carbon absorption by the ocean). Tiaki Moana is structured through three objectives, Oceanography, Sea Ice and Ecosystems, guided by critical signposts of change and their interconnectivity. We are also incorporating parts of the Ice Shelf Cavity Hoe, which facilitates integration between Tiaki Moana and Tiaki Whenua research to assess drivers and consequences of ice shelf instability. A unifying theme strives to develop an internationally coordinated Ross Sea Monitoring Network with our international partners to assess change and to detect early warning signs. Signposts direct our research efforts to scenarios of irreversible thresholds and policy-relevant consequences.

We are focused on the Ross Sea region, its environment and ecosystems, and their vulnerability to climate change impacts. The research will underpin understanding of the interaction between the global climate system and Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

The Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area (RSrMPA) is one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries, protecting one of the most biologically productive areas in the Southern Ocean. It is also the first large-scale protection of the high seas - covering an impressive 1.55 million square kilometres (about 70% of which is fully protected).

While the biological consequences of this legal protection are not yet clear, the RSrMPA provides a globally significant opportunity to understand the impacts of climate change outside of the myriad of stressors typically associated with human activity.