The Marine National Facility (MNF) supports Australian researchers and their international collaborators in carrying out research in Australia’s regional seas and oceans. Under direction of an independent Steering Committee, the MNF is owned and operated by CSIRO on behalf of the Australian Government.

Supplementary applications for sea time to utilise unused capacity on research voyages and transit voyages on Investigator during 2014-2015 are now being requested.

RV Investigator

RV Investigator

The MNF’s new, state of the art research facility is currently under construction. Following a commissioning year in 2013-2014, Investigator will be available for research in 2014-2015. Investigator is a highly advanced research vessel with a broad range of scientific equipment to support marine scientists in the following disciplines:

  • oceanography and climatology
  • fisheries and marine ecosystems
  • marine environmental research
  • marine geosciences

Seafloor rock samples (image Gregg Webb) Niskin bottles (image Andrew Bowie) Fish on the seafloor

Supplementary application process

Supplementary applications are designed to utilise unused capacity on research and transit voyage and need to work within the constraints stated for those voyages or transits.

Supplementary call for applications for the financial Year 2014 2015 Australian marine researchers are invited to submit a supplementary application for use of Investigator during the period July 2014 to June 2015.

Area of Operations 2014 2015

The existing research and transit voyages will determine the geographic areas available for supplementary applications.

Closing Data for Applications

A supplementary application for sea time must be submitted by 12 midnight Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, 9 May 2013.

Further details on applying for use of Investigator and application forms are available through the MNF website: http://www.marine.csiro.au/nationalfacility/application/secondcall.htm