Science on the continental shelf: Securing our deep-sea biodiversity for the future (2012)

Australia's future includes the exploration and exploitation of gas, oil and mineral reserves from our vast continental shelf. Understandably these needs are cast against the potential ire and concern from the Australian public when oil spills or other environmental catastrophes damage or degrade our valued biodiversity. Somehow, marine conservation and development have to move to the future together. This project seeks to use the unique capabilities of manned submersibles to begin to understand the deep-sea biodiversity lying on our commercially-valuable continental shelf, and thus provide us with the necessary background to both protect and profit from our oceans.