'While hard to envision, the reality is that our land beneath the ocean is just as valuable as any of the land we can readily walk upon.
Only the challenges are different.
If we meet those challenges our ocean territory contains as many possibilities for wealth creation as the land.
The need for a national research effort is based on the reality that no other nation is going to do Australia's ocean research for us.'
National Research Priorities Submission, 2002
The Nereus Foundation is a practical response to this call for action.
The vision of a small group of concerned individuals, the Foundation is growing into a national not-for-profit organisation under the guidance of experts from the scientific, educational, marine and business communities.