In support of our catchment and marine habitat restoration activities, and to show leadership in sharing ideas around such, in partnership with the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub, NESP TWQ recently held a two-day Coastal Restoration Symposium in Townsville. This was an invitation event, with 60 people specifically chosen to represent a diversity of habitats from freshwater to coastal to marine, and a variety of approaches from community organisations to large-scale government-science initiatives. Keynote speakers included three international speakers: Prof. Mike Elliott from Hull University, England; along with Todd Miller (North Carolina Coastal Federation) and Bob Stokes (Restore America’s Estuaries) from the USA. The event was a huge success with all attendees agreeing the small size of the symposium enabled effective networking and relationship-building whilst the variety of approaches presented, and the successes demonstrated therein, provided great inspiration and energy for participants to take back to their organisations. All agreed that similar events should be held annually and plans are in place for that to occur. The 3rd day of the symposium included a tour for participants to a reef restoration site on Magnetic Island that is supported by the TWQ Hub. This tour generated a substantive news piece in Seven Local News Townsville.

 

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