FOO 2025
This forum continues our tradition of bringing together experts, innovators, and practitioners to discuss advancements and challenges in operational oceanography.
Keynote speakers include:
Katrina Maguire, Head of the International Environment, Reef and Ocean Division in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water
Arani Chandrapavan, Fisheries scientist with 20 years of invertebrate biology and fisheries stock assessment experience. She also has an extensive understanding of climate change, and marine heatwaves.
Lyndon Llewellyn, Deputy Chair of the National Marine Science Committee and Chair of the Science and Technology Advisory Committee for the Integrated Marine Observing System.
FOO is supported by
Keynote
Sustainable Ocean Plan – Katrina Maguire, DCCEEW
Session 1: Sovereign Industry
Generative AI and data assimilation for real-time ship route optimisation – Shane Keating, countercurrent.ai
Development of Ocean–Atmosphere Foundation Models – Justin Freeman, Flowershift
Ocean Data Collection and Sovereign Development – Sam Ward, BlueOcean MTS
Delivering coastal and ocean hazard information for the Australian Climate Service – Claire Spillman, Bureau of Meteorology
Artificial Intelligence to improve operational forecasting, what is the key ingredient? – Geoffrey Wake, Oceancomm
Session 2: Partnerships and collaborations across disciplines
Recent developments at ACCESS-NRI: from global to regional ocean modelling – Dr Helen Macdonald, ACCESS-NRI
Democratizing Coastal Ocean Observing Through Widespread, Low-Cost, High-Quality, Real-Time Ocean Data Collection – Moninya Roughan, UNSW
Establishing a coastal research infrastructure (CoastRI) for Australia – Michelle Heupel, IMOS
Interaction between Internal Tides and Waves: A Challenge in Predicting NWS Dynamics – Ivica Janekovic, UWA
Session 3: Data needs and gaps
From the Ocean to the Cloud – Now and the Future – Mark Rehbein, IMOS
XBT real-time applications – Ashley Parker, CSIRO Environment
New in Data Collection – Michael Mitchell, Elysium EPL
Keynote
National Marine Science Strategy – Lyndon Llewellyn, The Australian Institute of Marine Science
Keynote
Event response: The 2025 WA marine heatwave – Arani Chandrapavan (DPIRD)
Session 4: Event Responses
Hydrodynamic model downscaling for spill trajectory forecasts in Singapore – David Wright, RPS
Operational oceanographic support during South Australia’s unprecedented Harmful Algal Bloom – Mark Doubell, SARDI
NSW marine heatwave response plans – Curtis Champion, NSW DPIRD Fisheries
Session 5: Operational examples
Mixed Messages, Critical Choices: The last mile decision dilemma – James Taylor, Bureau of Meteorology
Operational marine heatwave prediction from weeks to months to seasons – Grant Smith, Bureau of Meteorology
Western Rock Lobster: A digital transformation journey – Chris King, Western Rock Lobster Fishery
Strategic Use of Index Insurance to Ensure Aquaculture Businesses Against Impacts from Marine Heatwaves – Jonathan Barratt, Celcius Pro
Using old statistics and new data to predict and characterise ocean currents at scales smaller than 100 km – Matt Rayson, UWA
Session 6: Sailing through developments – News and Updates
Building a Resilient Sea Level Monitoring Network in the Australian Antarctic Territories of the Southern Ocean – Karen Palmer, AAD
OceanMaps – Prasanth Divakaran
Surface Waves Working Group – Salman Saeed Khan, CSIRO
The updated CSIRO Atlas of Regional Seas (CARS) and CSIRO Ocean Data Archive (CODA) – Chris Chapman
Advancing Australia’s National Coastal Ocean Modelling Capability: The ANCOMS Implementation Plan and its potential role in national decision making – Emlyn Jones, CSIRO
AusTemp – Pallavi Govekar, Bureau of Meteorology