The manager of SAEON’s Egagasini Node, Professor Juliet Hermes, and PhD candidate Matthew Carr recently attended the sixth International Indian Ocean Science Conference (IIOSC 2023) hosted by the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre in Perth, Australia.

The event brought together distinguished scientists and secretariats from various Indian Ocean communities, providing an opportunity to report on progress, share challenges and strategise for future scientific advancements within the Indian Ocean.

Juliet co-chaired the Indian Ocean Region Panel (IORP) meeting, where members and former members of the research panel presented recent research outcomes from IORP projects. Notable talks were given by Dr Ming Feng (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation – CSIRO), Dr Roxy Mathew Koll (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology) and Dr Aneesh Lotiker (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information), among others.

The meeting also featured updates on existing research infrastructures such as the RAMA mooring array and TRUMPH monitoring programme during Part II. Part III focused on exploring potential collaborations and research overlap with Sustained Indian Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (SIBER), leading to the creation of two workshops targeting the Western Indian Ocean communities and the investigation of marine heatwaves on a global scale.

During parallel meetings, including the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2), Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS) and the Indian Ocean Observing System Resource Forum (IRF), Juliet, Dr Jenny Huggett (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment) and Dr Angus Paterson (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity) reported on South African research activities and further research interests.

Early career scientists

A prominent theme throughout the conference was the active participation and empowerment of early career scientists within Indian Ocean research and research infrastructures. As part of this initiative, Matthew Carr presented his research during the IIOE-2 early career scientist network session.

The conference served as a vibrant platform for scientists from around the globe to exchange the latest research findings in the Indian Ocean region while jointly planning future research projects and infrastructures. It is evident that Indian Ocean research enjoys strong support and possesses a clear vision for the future.