Science topics
Deep sea ecology - Dr Alan Williams.
The Scientist
Hi, my name is Alan Williams. Receiving a fishing rod for my fifth
birthday was probably the starting point for my career in marine
science! Fishing led to a broad interest in aquatic biology and
a passionate interest in fishes that eventually evolved to formal
study.
I graduated in Biological Sciences, with a major in Fish Biology,
at University Southwest in the UK, then went on to complete a PhD
in fish parasitology at Murdoch University in WA. I've worked for
CSIRO for the last 13 years on an exciting range of research projects,
many aimed at understanding the ecosystems of deep waters that extend
far from Australia's shorelines.
I spend several weeks at sea each year on average, either on our
research vessel Southern Surveyor, or on commercial fishing
vessels. My job involves working with scientists from a range of
disciplines, managers from fishery and conservation agencies, and
commercial fishers - all of whom have an interest in using our marine
resources sustainably.
Alan's collaboration is with artist Troy
Ruffels.
The Research
My science examines seabed ecosystems in the deep ocean.
I use a sampling 'toolkit' including cameras to survey the animals
that live in this environment, and the associations they have with
particular habitats. Deep ocean animals include a great variety
of invertebrates such as sponges and corals, as well as many species
of fish - some of which are shown on the right.
We have a rather limited understanding of deep ocean ecosystems:
the vast majority of deep seabed 'landscapes' have not been seen,
and most of their animal inhabitants are poorly known. In fact,
many 'new' species of invertebrates and fishes - never seen before
- have been collected by recent CSIRO surveys.
My research aims to improve our knowledge of these deep ecosystems,
and to help fishers and resource managers understand how to use
deep ocean resources sustainably while conserving species, habitats
and landscapes.
More information:
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