Great Australian Bight Research Program
Welcome to the Great Australian Bight Research Program website.
The Great Australian Bight Research Program was a four-year, $20 million research program to improve understanding of the environmental, economic and social values of the Great Australian Bight.
It was a collaboration between BP, CSIRO, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the University of Adelaide and Flinders University.
This study brought together multi-disciplinary research teams comprising more than 100 of Australia's scientists and technical staff who are leaders in their field, focused on seven major research themes.
The oceanography, ecology and geochemistry of the Bight were studied together with the socio-economic research on communities and businesses dependent on the region.
The Great Australian Bight Research Program sought to build the first integrated model of how the biological and physical systems of the Great Australian Bight are linked and influenced by the environment around them.
The program aimed to help balance human activity and sustainability; to ensure future developments co-exist with the area's environment, industries and the community.
The program concluded in 2017. All research reports have now been finalised and are available under Research Results. Highlights and theme reports are available below.
Highlights reports
The Great Australian Bight Research Program - Building a bigger picture of the
Bight (PDF 1,143KB)
The Great Australian Bight Research Program 2016 Progress Report (PDF 2,211KB)
Program Highlights 2013-2017 - The Great Australian Bight Research Program (PDF 4,600KB)
The Great Australian Bight Research Program: Program Findings 2013 - 2017 (2,766KB)
Theme synthesis reports
Presentations - final science symposium
Great Australian Bight Research Program Overview
Oceanography - The science that underpins
Oceanography - Circulation of the Great Australian Bight: the influence of waves and the Leeuwin current
Open water research - Lower trophic ecosystem dynamics in the Great Australian Bight
Open water research - Exploring the slope/offshore Great Australian Bight (GAB) pelagic habitat paradox
Apex predators - Status, distribution, and abundance of iconic species and apex predators in the Great Australian Bight
Apex predators - Identifying areas of ecological significance for iconic species and apex predators in the Great Australian Bight
Apex predators - Southern bluefin tuna spatial dynamics and potential impacts of noise
Socio-economic analysis - Social profile of the Eyre and Western region: literature review and community analysis
Socio-economic analysis - Regional economic baseline, economic model and scenario testing
Socio-economic analysis - fisheries baseline study and potential impacts of the development
Integration and modelling - key findings, outputs and legacy
The Great Australian Bight Research Program is a collaboration between BP, CSIRO, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the University of Adelaide, and Flinders University.