The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies: An International Flagship for the University of Tasmania

Tasmania has long been a gateway to the tempestuous Southern Ocean and the frozen continent of Antarctica beyond, with human endeavours intermingling basic exploration and resource exploitation. While the pointy ends of islands and continents in the Southern Hemisphere – Tasmania, New Zealand, South America, South Africa – are aimed at Antarctica, the coastline of southern Australia as a whole cradles the Southern Ocean, and matches the coastline of East Antarctica in shape. This is no accident; until approximately 100 million years ago, Antarctica and Australia were joined, part of the supercontinent of Gondwana. Thus the 42% of icy Antarctica claimed by Australia, lying due south of our sunburnt land, has a long geological history of connection and continuity.