Mr Garrett was in Hobart to release the findings of two recent DEWHA/CSIRO research voyages to monitor the Tasman Fracture and Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserves, about 100 nautical miles off the coast of southern Tasmania.  “Mr Garrett said the discoveries were a surprising insight into the biodiversity of the largely unexplored Southern Ocean.”

“These discoveries, in just two of the 14 reserves which form the South-east Commonwealth Marine Regional Network, show just how important that network and indeed the entire Commonwealth marine jurisdiction is in conserving Australia’s remarkable deep ocean biodiversity,’’ Mr Garrett said.”

“In total, 274 species new to science were brought to the surface and analysed, along with 86 species previously unknown in Australian waters and 242 previously studied species. The sophisticated sonar equipment onboard also discovered 80 previously unknown seamounts, raising the total in the region to at least 144, which is easily the highest concentration in Australian waters. Scientists also discovered 145 new undersea canyons, raising the regional total to at least 276. “

DEWHA media release http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2008/mr20081008.html
CSIRO fact sheets http://www.csiro.au/science/SeamountBiodiversity.html

Video footage recorded during the surveys can be accessed via YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQmkOs0uS78
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4os8IW5i8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNssRlGJzwI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWpmqK8osw