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From tentative first steps in the late 1970s, Australian research in Antarctic marine biology is now participating in international programs aimed at ensuring that harvesting of Southern Ocean living species can be sustained without harming this vital resource. The task is as herculean as it is important. Australian research into Antarctic marine biology began in the late 1970s, spurred on by the establishment of the international BIOMASS (Biological Investigations into Marine Antarctic Systems and Stocks) Program. Driven by the development of a fishery for krill, BIOMASS looked at the distribution and abundance of Antarctic krill, seeking information on the interrelationships between krill and the other elements of the marine ecosystem. Australian Antarctic marine research was made feasible by the conversion of the supply ship Nella Dan into a functional research vessel, in which the Australian Antarctic Division made its first concerted forays into open ocean research. Australia was a participant in the highly successful 1981 First International BIOMASS experiment (FIBEX) – the first attempt to survey the distribution and abundance of Antarctic krill using acoustic techniques. The results from this huge effort, using 13 ships from 11 nations, were translated 10 years later into catch limits for the krill fishery in the Atlantic and South West Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. The Second International BIOMASS Experiment (SIBEX) was fraught with logistic difficulties. Summary provided by http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=4305