King Frederik and Tasmanian-born Queen Mary of Denmark were welcome guests at the University of Tasmania today, taking to the water with a team of scientists to learn about our giant kelp and marine ecosystem conservation efforts.
Their Majesties joined Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black, and scientists from the University's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science (IMAS) and partner Sea Forest onboard research vessel Noctiluca for a trip out to the port of Hobart's closest remnant patch of giant kelp forest at the southern end of the Alum Cliffs.
Along the way, they passed many places familiar to Queen Mary, who grew up and attended school in Taroona, before studying commerce and law at the University of Tasmania.
Professor Black said it was an honour to share some of the work the University was doing in partnership with industry, governments and the community to support the health of the marine environment around Tasmania.
"The rehabilitation of giant kelp is an example of what you can achieve when you bring science, business, government and the community together to work on solutions that improve whole systems," he said.
"This cooperative, integrated approach is at the core of what we do as a university – collaborating to improve systems across fields like health, education and the natural environment."
Interim IMAS Director Professor Vanessa Lucieer said: "IMAS is a globally significant community of researchers and students, working from Tasmania to address many of the great marine and Antarctic challenges of our time."
Onboard RV Noctiluca, IMAS marine scientist Professor Scott Ling outlined the quest to understand and restore the giant kelp and conserve its marine ecosystem, working with key partners including Sea Forest and The Nature Conservancy.
Professor Ling showed Their Majesties some range-extending long-spined sea urchins and native short-spined sea urchins – which over-graze Tasmania's kelp forests in our warming waters – and impressive rock lobsters, the urchins' natural predators.
"This is an ecosystem that has been reduced from extensive, rich and dense forests to a few isolated patches in just a few decades," Professor Ling said.
"In recent years, this remnant patch of kelp forest has re-emerged, potentially due to the commercial harvesting of short-spined sea urchins, and rebuilding stocks of predatory lobsters."
While at the site, the royal couple were able to virtually follow IMAS scientific divers beneath the waves on footage captured by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). They watched divers collect reproductive material (sporophylls) from adult kelps, which will be propagated as seedlings at the Sea Forest hatchery in Triabunna, ready for kelp re-seeding efforts to be undertaken by Eaglehawk Dive Centre.
Professor Ling explained the recent breakthroughs in kelp re-seeding, and the deeper understanding of local ecological conditions that would enable giant kelp to thrive.
"It was a fantastic experience to share our work to improve the ecological conditions for the threatened giant kelp marine forest community, and our unique whole-of-reef ecosystem approach which is achieving such exciting results," Professor Ling said.
"This important conservation work is made possible by scientific partnerships with Sea Forest and The Nature Conservancy and strong collaboration with a host of important parties including the marine harvest industries, government, Tasmanian Aboriginal communities, the recreational diving community, and commercial sea urchin and lobster fishers.
"It's a partnership focused on creating capacity for local restoration initiatives and industries to bring back giant kelp forests."
The collaborative kelp restoration effort has been supported by the Australian Government's Saving Native Species program, The Nature Conservancy, and the Sea Forest Foundation. Reef repair work permits have been established with the Tasmanian Government and work conducted via subcontracts with The Nature Conservancy, Eaglehawk Dive Centre, Sea Forest, indigenous partners, and Seafood Industry Tasmania to oversee the Tasmanian Commercial Dive Association divers to harvest sea urchins and out-plant giant kelp.
Images featuring Their Majesties were supplied by the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet.
