Oceanic conditions are a critical factor in the earth's climate system. They directly influence fisheries and most aquaculture endeavours, while knowledge of them is essential for such diverse applications as coastal construction, maritime safety, marine pollution response and sustainable management of the marine environment. Oceanographic Services comprise some of the most recent additions to the suite of services provided by the Bureau of Meteorology. Since taking responsibility for operating the national centre for tidal expertise (the National Tidal Centre or NTC) in 2004, operational oceanographic services in the Bureau have grown rapidly. With the introduction of the routine provision of several new products from the BLUElink ocean prediction system, Oceanographic Services now encompass a substantial set of informative products which support the safer and more intelligent use of the ocean by users who undertake a wide range of activities on or near Australia's great oceanic environments. BLUElink is a multi-million dollar initiative by the Bureau, the CSIRO and the Royal Australian Navy to provide the nation with a major step forward in our ongoing understanding of the behaviour of the vast coastal and ocean areas in our neighbourhood, and for our ability to operate in those environments more safely, more effectively and for a more sustainable future. The Bureau has been providing tidal services, including predictions, tsunami services, ocean surface wave predictions, and a range of products concerning ocean temperature including sea surface temperature (SST) analyses and temperature-depth analyses, for some time. The new products from the BLUElink system now provide both analyses and daily forecasts out to 7 days, for a range of surface oceanographic variables, including SST, surface currents, surface salinity, and sea level elevation anomaly. These products support improvement to regional climate forecasts, ship routing to achieve greater fuel savings, improvement to maritime rescue and safety capabilities, and the identification of changes in coastal water temperatures, salinity and currents that directly influence reefs, aquaculture and all forms of marine life. Oceanographic Services encompasses a wide range of National and International Projects associated with the Bureau of Meteorology. These include the Australian Baseline Sea Level Monitoring Project, BLUElink Ocean Forecasting Australia, the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC), and the South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project. To learn more about these projects and view their online data, click on the links below.

The Tantabiddi transect is a subset of and extension to measurements made in the NW Cape region over the summer of 1998/99. Intensive sampling occurred from March to May 1999 with more instrumentation available. Of note was Cyclone Vance, which passed through Exmouth Gulf in Late March 1999. The sites were re-occupied from March 2002 and will be recovered and possibly redeployed in November 2003. The siting of the moorings was made to enable monitoring of the Leeuwin current and the counter Ningaloo current, which is primarily wind-driven. The Leeuwin current intensifies significantly at NW Cape, so it is at a key location that will be useful to compare with other regional ocean current measurements.

The Cape Wiles (CWI) HF ocean radar site (34.943 S, 135.681 E) is one of two HF ocean radars covering the area between Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. The other HF ocean radar station is at Cape Spencer. The HF ocean radar coverage is from the coast to beyond the edge of the continental shelf. The CWI HF ocean radar is a WERA phased array system with a 16-element receive array. This radar operates at a frequency of 8.512 MHz, with a bandwidth of 33 KHz, a maximum range of 200 Km and a range resolution of 4.5 Km. Azimuthally the radar covers a sweep 60 deg either side of a bore sight direction of 190 deg true east of north (approximately south). Within the HF radar coverage area surface current radials are measured. Data are also collected from which wind directions and significant wave height can be calculated.

The North Nambucca (NNB) HF ocean radar site (32.031 S, 115.746 E) is one of two HF ocean radars covering the waters off Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. The other HF ocean radar station is at Red Rock. The NNB HF ocean radar is a WERA phased array system with a 16-element receive array. This radar operates at a frequency of 13.912 MHz, with a bandwidth of 100 KHz, a maximum range of 100 Km and a range resolution of 1.5 Km. Azimuthally the radar covers a sweep 60 deg either side of a bore sight direction of 285 deg true east of north (approximately west by north-west). Within the HF radar coverage area surface current radials are measured. Data are also collected from which wind directions and significant wave height can be calculated.

Sea level and meteorological data collected during various projects in Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent, South Australia since 1990.

Since its launch in 1998, Coastalwatch has become Australia's most popular water sports website, and is consistently ranked in the top eight sporting websites. The site displays live vision from over 90 coastal locations around Australia and overseas. It also provides daily surf reports, swell forecasting, weather information and news; as well as video, photographic and editorial content. Coastalwatch has also developed a Coastal Conditions Monitoring System, which utilises the camera network to make a significant contribution to safer coastal use and more efficient and cost effective coastal management. To this end, Coastalwatch has partnered with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surfing Australia; and supports Volunteer Rescue organisations, community groups, and charities such as SurfAid International and the Surfrider Foundation Australia. Coastalwatch is committed to bringing the coast to all Australians and overseas visitors, and becoming the premier reference site for all coastal user groups. With this in mind, Coastalwatch is dedicated to assisting with sound coastal zone research and management through the use of all its resources.

Hard-copy black & white / colour aerial photographs were obtained by Hugh Kirkman from a variety of sources for many locations along Australia's coastline. There are 24 boxes of photographs containing 100's of historical photographs.

The Cape Spencer (CSP) HF ocean radar site (35.294 S, 136.879 E) is one of two HF ocean radars covering the area between Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. The other HF ocean radar station is at Cape Wiles. The HF ocean radar coverage is from the coast to beyond the edge of the continental shelf. The CSP HF ocean radar is a WERA phased array system with a 16-element receive array. This radar operates at a frequency of 8.512 MHz, with a bandwidth of 33 KHz, a maximum range of 200 Km and a range resolution of 4.5 Km. Azimuthally the radar covers a sweep 60 deg either side of a bore sight direction of 237 deg true east of north (approximately north by north-west). Within the HF radar coverage area surface current radials are measured. Data are also collected from which wind directions and significant wave height can be calculated.

Shorelines of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Since its launch in 1998, Coastalwatch has become Australia's most popular water sports website, and is consistently ranked in the top eight sporting websites. The site displays live vision from over 90 coastal locations around Australia and overseas. It also provides daily surf reports, swell forecasting, weather information and news; as well as video, photographic and editorial content. Coastalwatch has also developed a Coastal Conditions Monitoring System, which utilises the camera network to make a significant contribution to safer coastal use and more efficient and cost effective coastal management. To this end, Coastalwatch has partnered with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surfing Australia; and supports Volunteer Rescue organisations, community groups, and charities such as SurfAid International and the Surfrider Foundation Australia. Coastalwatch is committed to bringing the coast to all Australians and overseas visitors, and becoming the premier reference site for all coastal user groups. With this in mind, Coastalwatch is dedicated to assisting with sound coastal zone research and management through the use of all its resources.