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"The deepest trenches, highest mountains, biggest earthquakes, most explosive volcanoes are all associated with these places. We're discovering things all the time."
For ten years, the RV Southern Surveyor represented the vanguard of Australian marine science. On over 100 voyages, this former North Sea fishing trawler with her distinctive blue and white livery carried scientists and technicians across the Southern, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the waters off northern Australia. She conducted physical, chemical, geological and biological investigations and deployed state-of-the-art instruments to map vast unexplored tracts of the seafloor.
Over the course of a year, prior to her final voyage, Michael Veitch interviewed the Southern Surveyor's former captains and crew, support staff and scientists. The result is a warm, engaging and sometimes dramatic account of their adventures – finding sunken WWII shipwrecks and swirling coastal vortexes, 'undiscovering' islands and watching pre-dawn fireworks from undersea volcanoes. But these are also stories of discovery which tell the legacy of scientific innovation and impact that Southern Surveyor left in her wake.
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
THE OCEANOGRAPHERS
Tom Trull Physical oceanographer
Bernadette Sloyan Oceanographer
Nathan Bindoff Physical oceanographer
Anya Waite Oceanographer
Martina Doblin Biological oceanographer
Iain Suthers Biological oceanographer
THE CREW
Ian Taylor Ship’s Master
Fred Rostron Chief Engineer
Kel Lewis Integrated Rating (crew member)
John Barr Ship’s Master
Seamus Elder Engineer
John Boyes (‘Boysey’) Chief Mate
THE GEOSCIENTISTS
Neville Exon Sedimentary geologist
Robin Beaman Marine geologist
Tom Hubble Marine geologist
Patrick De Deckker Geologist/zoologist
Colin Woodroffe Coastal geomorphologist
Andrew Heap Marine geologist
Steven Micklethwaite Geologist/geophysicist
Richard Arculus Igneous petrologist
THE SCIENCE SUPPORT STAFF
Alicia Navidad Hydrochemist
Steve Thomas Electronics technician
Matt Sherlock Electronics engineer
Ian Hawkes IT manager
Jeff Cordell Electronics support technician
Lindsay Pender Physicist/marine systems engineer
Mark Lewis Equipment specialist
Tara Martin Geophysicist
THE BIOLOGISTS
Chris Wilcox Marine ecologist
Brian Griffiths Marine biologist
Rudy Kloser Marine biologist
MNF SHIP’S GROUP
Lisa Woodward Voyage manager
Ron Plaschke Director, Marine National Facility
Don McKenzie Operations manager
THE FUTURE
Toni Moate Executive Director, Future Research Vessel Project
List of interviewees
Michael Veitch began his career writing and performing in television comedy, before working as a newspaper columnist and regular broadcaster for ABC radio. He presented the national arts program, Sunday Arts , on ABC television for five years. In addition to numerous television, film and theatre credits, he has written four books: Flak, Fly, The Forgotten Islands and Heroes of the Skies .
