Here at the NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub we’re all about research that delivers real-world solutions to problems affecting the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments. That’s why we’re co-hosting the inaugural GBR Restoration Symposium in Cairns on 16-19th July 2018.
Like many reefs around the world, the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from the combined effects of many threats and disturbances, including mass coral bleaching, pollution, storm damage, and outbreaks of pests like Crown-of-Thorns starfish, among others.
While some of these threats are caused or exacerbated by global issues such as climate change, others may be amenable to local- or regional-scale intervention, restoration and management. Unfortunately, we currently have limited knowledge about these options and how they might be effective on the Great Barrier Reef.
Help us help the Reef.
Our international Symposium is bringing together restoration practitioners, scientists, engineers, environmental managers, NGOs and industry partners to share experiences, insights and ideas about what works, what doesn’t, and what more we need to know to help the Great Barrier Reef.
Symposium participants will present and discuss methods currently being trialled elsewhere in the world, as well as novel approaches that may be still in development; from small, local-scale approaches to large-scale projects, including engineering and oceanographic interventions. Participation from a wide range of disciplines, including those not normally associated with coral reef research, are encouraged.
Submit your abstract, or contact me (Damien.burrows@jcu.edu.au) if you’d like to discuss how you can contribute to our Symposium..