Australia’s national ocean research vessel, RV Investigator, has called at Lautoka as part of a major voyage to understand how the Pacific’s oceans, atmosphere and climate are changing, with four early-career Pacific researchers, two of them from Fiji, on board.
Operated by CSIRO, the vessel hosted local partners, stakeholders and students, who learned about the science behind the expedition and the case for regional collaboration on climate change. CSIRO framed the visit as part of the Fiji-Australia Vuvale partnership, aimed at strengthening climate resilience and supporting a sustainable future for Pacific communities.
RV Investigator will now undertake full-depth ocean measurements from the equator to the Antarctic ice edge along the 170°W section of the Pacific, monitoring ocean change and variability. The voyage runs in two legs: 40 days at sea from Lautoka to Wellington, then 35 days from Wellington to Hobart, with a port call in Wellington from 5 to 12 November.
The western Pacific is among the regions most affected by warming waters, ocean acidification and Antarctic melting, yet it has some of the least data and observations. The findings will feed into global climate models, IPCC assessments and regional climate projections.
For Pacific nations facing acute climate risks, evidence-based understanding of changing ocean conditions is essential for planning infrastructure, protecting communities and managing marine resources, CSIRO said. The Pacific early-career researchers will gain hands-on experience, mentoring and involvement in a globally significant ocean observing program, helping build long-term regional scientific capability.
Two other projects are running on the voyage. CSIRO’s Carlie Devine and Rich Little are developing “Jonathan,” an automated on-vessel seabird detector. Joel Alroe of Queensland University of Technology leads Ice to Equator 2, a high-resolution survey of cloud, precipitation and aerosol processes along a rare full transect of the southern Pacific.
The voyage carries about 70 science participants from more than 15 institutions worldwide, joined by crew from Cyan Vessel Operations.
The 170°W line was previously surveyed by RV Investigator in 2016, RV Southern Surveyor in 2009 and ORV Franklin in 2001, which CSIRO said reflects sustained support for global ocean monitoring.
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