Hobart, capital of Tasmania, is only a four hour flight from Australia’s Antarctic research stations. Whilst there I had a fascinating visit to the Antarctic Division, the equivalent of our own British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. Scientists there talked about some of the fascinating research they are doing on the impacts of climate change, which are probably more visible in the Antarctic than anywhere else. The Division and the University of Tasmania are world leaders in this field. We heard how changing sea level temperatures and melting ice are affecting the global circulation of ocean currents which have such a big influence on our local climates.
It was particularly interesting to see a tank of krill, recently brought back from the Antarctic to study how they adapt to rising sea temperatures. These small creatures are a key building block in marine food-chains, so fluctuations in their populations would have a massive impact. We also visited the Secretariat of CCAMLR (the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic and Marine Living Resources) an international organisation which monitors and manages the stock of key marine species. Britain is a signatory and leading supporter of their work, which faces the twin challenges of climate change and rising pressure from Asian fisheries industries.
As we drove through Hobart Harbour, we saw the Aurora Australis, a research and supply vessel, heading off for the Antarctic, carrying some of the people we’d met the previous day. I’m sure they faced very challenging conditions, but you couldn’t help envying their exotic destination.
We did lots of other things in Tasmania too. My wife and I stayed with the Governor in his impressive Victorian mansion, and met local politicians. We visited various businesses with links to the UK including Incat who make catamaran car ferries used in the English Channel, and the long established Cadbury’s chocolate factory, which was particularly busy in the run-up to Easter. It certainly whetted our appetite to make a return visit to Australia’s southernmost island state, whose rolling landscapes and historic buildings are quite reminiscent of Britain.