North Marine, in collaboration with Marine Services Asia Pacific, has secured a contract to provide charter vessels for turtle conservation expeditions on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. The client for this endeavor is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, in collaboration with the Department of Environment & Science and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (QPWS&P).
The scope of North Marine and Marine Services Asia Pacific’s work involves conducting liveaboard research charters as part of a collaborative study focused on the threatened Green Turtle species. The companies’ research vessel, named ‘Escape,’ supplied by Marine Services Asia Pacific, undertakes up to five 14-day liveaboard trips annually to the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.
This state-of-the-art research vessel, in collaboration with Marine Services Asia Pacific, is designed to accommodate Traditional Owners, conservation officers, and scientists, along with multiple tender vessels, workstations, and field research equipment. The primary objectives of these research expeditions include investigating the impacts of climate change, contributing to area management strategies, collecting crucial turtle population data, and building the co-management capacity of Traditional Owners.
North Marine and Marine Services Asia Pacific boast several key discriminators that set their Liveaboard Research Charter Expeditions apart. The companies have demonstrated proficiency in delivering logistically complex and remote projects. Furthermore, they pride themselves on being ethically, culturally, and socially aware entities, with an established presence in the sensitive habitats of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The companies hold an extensive track record in government contracting, underpinned by a suitable fleet of vessels that comply with Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) standards, accommodation requirements, and biosecurity protocols.
In addition to their operational capabilities, North Marine and Marine Services Asia Pacific possess all necessary permits to conduct charter operations in the designated areas. As local Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) businesses, they operate with a local workforce and have premises in Far North Queensland (FNQ). The companies are ISO accredited, underscoring their commitment to quality management practices.
With experienced management and key personnel at their helm, North Marine and Marine Services Asia Pacific, in collaboration, are well-equipped to contribute significantly to the success of the collaborative study on Green Turtles while adhering to the highest standards of environmental responsibility and conservation ethics.