ISSUE 182 : Jul/Aug - 2010 - Australian Defence Force Journal

The three partners have recently agreed to a third phase, starting in July 2010, in which theglobal model will be substantially improved and a range of new capabilities developed. Theseinclude a coupled ocean-atmosphere model, initially located over the exercise areas off easternAustralia, which will be able to model the upper layers of the ocean, the lower layers of theatmosphere and how they interact with each other. By modelling these complex interactions,ducts in the ocean and atmosphere will be able to be predicted, enabling their effects onsonar and radar propagation to be determined. This will be of crucial importance as newundersea warfare capabilities and the Air Warfare Destroyers are brought into service. Thethird phase of BLUElink will also enable new observational data sets to be incorporated intothe forecasting system to take full advantage of the increasing volume of ocean observationsavailable around the world.Now that global and basin-scale ocean forecasting models are established in a number oforganisations around the world, there is a trend towards downscaling the models to bringthem onto the continental shelf and hence resolve coastal and littoral scale processes. Thesecoastal waters are of particular interest, because they are where human activities have thegreatest impact and where some of the greatest societal benefits can be derived. A growinginterest can therefore be expected in coastal processes, including biological, geological andchemical processes, as well as environmental impact studies and research to support fishingand aquaculture, offshore engineering and the oil and gas sector. This ties in nicely withthe RAN’s interest in littoral environments, with the sub-surface and sea bed environmentsproviding the greatest challenges.The wider strategic policy landscapeThe Defence White Paper sets out a clear vision for improving Australia’s ‘hard’ maritimepower. Maritime power should be viewed more broadly, however, as the ability to use thesea to promote our national interests and become a regional leader in oceans managementand maritime security. Australia’s interests in the ocean are extensive and varied, and may bebroadly categorised as strategic, political, economic and environmental. We should take everyopportunity to explore new economic opportunities in the oceans, including renewable energy,desalination, deep seabed mining, carbon capture and storage and marine biotechnology.The ‘Sea Change’ report also proposes the establishment of an ‘Australian National OceansObservatory’, which would provide data to researchers, industry and the public, and promoteawareness of ocean resources.In order to appreciate the need for ‘soft power’ in the oceans, both the direct and indirectthreats must be considered. The direct threats are currently receiving attention, because theyare more obvious and shorter term, but there are also indirect threats which tend to be longerterm and consequently given lower priority. The potential consequences of the indirect threatsare nevertheless very serious and need more policy focus and international cooperation, aswell as good marine scientific research.10