Investigating The Investigator Investigating The Sea

Next Generation Marine Experts Set Sail

You may have seen the bright blue (RV) Investigator in Fremantle since last weekend. She’s Australia’s only research vessel and operates out of Hobart.

CAPSTAN (the Collaborative Australian Postgraduate Sea-Training Alliance Network) Voyage Manager, Dr Ben Arthur from the CSIRO Marine National Facility conducted a media tour on Wednesday and Fremantle Shipping News was delighted to be there.

The vessel wasn’t open to the public on this occasion, just the Media. Here she is alongside Absolute, the Port of Fremantle fuelling ship.

Investigator is heading off today on a 13 day research and training voyage to Hobart. Twenty students from universities across Australia are joining the CSIRO research vessel for the voyage. Competition for these places is high with 220 students applying for 40 positions. Ben Arthur explained that –

“Students will be familiarised with multidisciplinary scientific systems, equipment and operations on RV Investigator over the course of the voyage. CAPSTAN offers an incredible learning opportunity for students, and they’ll be involved in a diverse range of operations to collect data and samples to support research that addresses real world challenges. The training program is designed to be like the multidisciplinary research we deliver during each of our science voyages, so that students get a wide exposure to science operations at sea and searching for new sea creatures.”

Dr Ben Arthur, CAPSTAN Voyage manager

Two of the lucky students, Kendall Messer, a 34 year old final year master’s student from UWA and Jasmine O’Neill, an undergrad student from UOW, were part of the media tour. Kendall and Jasmine will join 18 other students who will gain hands-on experience at sea, conducting real-world research to help shape Australia’s next generation of marine experts. They will be supervised by six trainers. This is part of a national sea-training program. During the voyage students will be trained in the vessel’s scientific systems and conducting real-world science including seafloor mapping, sediment sampling and oceanographic surveys.

The voyage is part of CAPSTAN – the Collaborative Australian Postgraduate Sea-Training Alliance Network – a national tertiary sea-training initiative of Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), and the Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium (ANZIC).

CAPSTAN Director, Dr Pier van der Merwe from IMAS, said the sea-going experience was invaluable for developing Australia’s next generation of marine experts.

“You can teach the theory in a classroom, but it’s when students are out on the water that the pieces start to fall into place,” Dr van der Merwe said. “They see the conditions scientists work in, the technology used to collect data, and how teams collaborate to solve research questions. For many students, being part of the CAPSTAN program is a life-changing experience that often shapes the direction of their careers.”

Pier then showed us the CTD machine that is lowered into the deep ocean at a depth of between 1500 and 6000 metres to sample water.

Now in its second year following the program relaunch in 2024, CAPSTAN brings together marine science students and trainers from 18 Australian universities involved in diverse studies including – earth sciences, oceanography, marine ecology, Antarctic studies, and more. During the voyage, the ship will visit the Bremer Canyon Region to repeat sampling and surveys first carried out during a previous CAPSTAN voyage in 2017 and carry out a survey of an historic shipwreck along the route on behalf of the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water’s Underwater Cultural Heritage team.

Dr Sarah Kachovich – Program Manager, Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium (ANZIC) said: ‘CAPSTAN gives students a rare chance to experience life and research at sea, working alongside leading scientists. By supporting initiatives like CAPSTAN, we’re helping future scientists to better understand our oceans and the Earth’s systems beneath them. Here is Sarah with her 18-month daughter – ‘Future Scientist’ – who won’t be going on the voyage with her mum!

It’s a magnificent ship, 94-metres long with ten internal decks. The bridge is 20 metres above sea level providing fantastic views over the ocean.

The CAPSTAN voyage leaves Fremantle later today,Thursday 23 April at 7 pm from Berth C at Victoria Quay, with a crew of 20 as well as 36 researchers and technical staff and will complete a 13-day transit through the Great Australian Bight via continental shelf waters of southern Australia, before arriving in Hobart on Tuesday 5 May.

We wish all aboard a bon voyage!

*Story and photographs by Jean Hudson

Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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