The National Sea Simulator (SeaSim) at AIMS is an internationally significant experimental marine research facility. It uses cutting-edge industrial process automation technologies to enable complex, large scale, long-term aquarium-based experimental studies to support research on Australia’s marine estate.
SeaSim’s reliability and precise control of multiple parameters enables scientific excellence across diverse ocean conditions and ecosystems, from coral reefs to seagrass meadows. The facility enables scientists to gain valuable insights into ecosystem and organism function, their responses to environmental changes, and to support informed decisions for managing our oceans into the future.
SeaSim features various experimental spaces ranging from 1300m2 of outdoor space allowing large-scale experiments under natural lighting conditions to smaller controlled environment rooms with artificial lighting.
The facility offers unparalleled opportunities to study marine organisms and processes, providing precise control of environmental parameters like:
- temperature,
- light,
- pH,
- salinity,
- sediments, and
- contaminants
This control allows research in areas such as:
- future oceans and climate change, climate change mitigation and adaptation
- water quality and emerging contaminants (ecotoxicology),
- marine diseases and pests,
- biodiversity conservation,
- sustainable development and
- technology and innovation.
Supporting tropical marine research
Adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef, and just 50km from Townsville CBD at AIMS headquarters, the SeaSim is in an optimal location to support research on Australia’s tropical marine estate including key government initiatives, such as the Reef 2050 Long-term Sustainability Plan and the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program.
Funding
In recognition of its pivotal role in marine research, the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) announced a $36.3 million investment for SeaSim in 2021. NCRIS is an Australian Government initiative administered by the Department of Education. It’s investing $4 billion from 2018 to 2029 to support national research infrastructure for Australian researchers. Click here to learn more about NCRIS.
SeaSim is one 26 national research infrastructure facilities funded through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Together, we support high-quality research that will drive greater innovation in the Australian research sector.
Research Infrastructure Connected is a website that connects researchers and innovators with Australia’s national research infrastructure tools, data and expertise supported by NCRIS. Click here to learn more about Research Infrastructure Connected.
Research
Our facility boasts advanced capabilities to precisely regulate a multitude of factors to support research
