About us

Funded by the Australian Government, we are Australia's dedicated blue-water research facility, enabling world-class research across our vast marine estate.

The Marine National Facility (MNF) is Australia’s only dedicated blue-water research facility.  It is funded by the Australian Government, and owned and operated by CSIRO under the oversight of an independent Steering Committee.

Research we enable

The MNF provides Australia with an impressive multi-disciplinary marine research capability which can enable a wide range of research activity. RV Investigator supports biological, oceanographic, geological and atmospheric research, as well as marine education and training. The vessel is funded by the Australian Government for full year operation, delivering up to 300 research days each year. The MNF also supports Australia's regional contribution to large international research programs to address research questions in a global context.

Who can use the Marine National Facility?

The MNF is available to all Australian scientists and their international collaborators, with access granted on the basis of proposals that are internationally peer reviewed, and independently assessed for science quality and contribution to the national interest.