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| Australian Marine Sciences Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Marine Sciences Association |
| Abbreviation | AMSA |
| Formation | 1962 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Region served | Australia and Oceania |
| Language | English |
Australian Marine Sciences Association is an Australian learned society that represents researchers in marine and coastal sciences. Founded in 1962, the association connects professionals from universities, research institutes, museums, and government agencies across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. Its activities span research, policy advice, education, and outreach with ties to international bodies.
The association was established in 1962 following meetings that involved scientists from University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian National University and state-based marine laboratories, and early conferences attracted delegates from Royal Society of New Zealand, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Bureau of Meteorology and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. During the 1970s and 1980s the association engaged with issues raised by reports from International Whaling Commission, United Nations Environment Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wildlife Fund, and the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park prompted collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science. In the 1990s members contributed to reviews linked to Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Ramsar Convention, and national inquiries involving the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Recent decades have seen partnerships with CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Pew Charitable Trusts, Australian Research Council, National Environmental Science Program, and regional networks including the Pacific Islands Forum and Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research.
Governance follows a volunteer board model with roles analogous to those at Australian Academy of Science, Royal Society of New South Wales, Geological Society of Australia, Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, and Ecological Society of Australia, featuring an elected president, vice-president, treasurer and ordinary councillors drawn from members affiliated with institutions such as University of Queensland, James Cook University, Monash University, University of Tasmania and state departments like NSW Department of Primary Industries and Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Committees mirror practices used by bodies such as Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Australian Research Council College, and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority advisory panels, and incorporate code-of-conduct frameworks similar to those of the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour and Australian Society for Fish Biology.
Membership categories include student, early-career, professional and corporate tiers, with institutional affiliates from Australian Museum, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Museum Victoria, Western Australian Museum, and regional centres like Australian Antarctic Division and South Australian Research and Development Institute. Chapters and regional groups align with states and territories—New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory—and tie into networks such as SeaLife Trust, Coral Reef Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, Pacific Community, and university-based clubs at Griffith University and Southern Cross University.
Core programs include professional development workshops, mentoring schemes, national policy submissions, and collaborative research projects that have intersected with initiatives by Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Australian Marine Parks, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and regional conservation campaigns like those of BirdLife Australia and Australian Conservation Foundation. Activities cover citizen science projects akin to Reef Check Australia, training linked with Institute of Marine Science programs, and capacity-building supported by grants from Australian Research Council and philanthropic partners such as The Ian Potter Foundation.
The association organizes biennial national conferences that attract presenters from institutions including University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Flinders University, Deakin University, and international delegates from University of Auckland, National University of Singapore, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Hawaii. It disseminates newsletters, conference proceedings, and policy briefs; members publish in journals such as Marine Ecology Progress Series, Journal of Marine Systems, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Coral Reefs, Deep-Sea Research, and contribute to edited volumes produced by publishers like CSIRO Publishing and university presses.
The association presents awards for excellence in research, early-career achievement, lifetime contribution, and student prizes, comparable to honors from Australian Academy of Science medals, Prime Minister's Prizes for Science, RHS Australia awards, and society prizes from Royal Geographical Society of Australasia. Awardees often include fellows and researchers affiliated with Australian Laureate Fellowships, NHMRC fellowships, and recipients of national honors such as the Order of Australia.
Advocacy work includes submissions to inquiries by parliamentary committees, engagement with policy processes at Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, collaboration with Australian Marine Parks, and public outreach via media partnerships similar to those used by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC Science, SBS, and online platforms run by ScienceAlert and The Conversation. The association also partners with conservation groups like Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Surfrider Foundation Australia, Oceania Environment and educational programs at institutions such as Taronga Conservation Society Australia and Australian National Maritime Museum to promote marine literacy and stewardship.
Category:Scientific societies based in Australia Category:Marine biology organizations