Mangroves taking eons to recover from oil spill

Posted by Ellen Ditria
On May 20, 2020

By Professor Rod Connolly On a dark and stormy night in 1992 a major oil slick polluted a pristine mangrove forest. The oil came from a shipping mishap at the hydrocarbon facility at Port Bonython in Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It’s a significant wilderness area, home to flocks of imperious pelicans, endemic seadragons, and the […]

Mangroves, oasis of the desert

Posted by Ellen Ditria
On May 19, 2020

By Dr. Fernanda Adame and Dr. Mischa Turschwell If you ever fly over a subtropical coast, where the desert meets the ocean, you will notice a stripe of bright green bordering the edges of meandering creeks. The greenery contrasts with the orange, yellow, and red of the surrounding desert. In this seemingly inhospitable landscape, where […]

How can we best assess the threats and status of connected coastal wetland habitats?

Posted by Ellen Ditria
On May 14, 2020

By Dr Michael Sievers Habitat degradation is a global crisis. Quantifying and evaluating habitat change and its impacts on ecosystem function is needed to inform management and conservation that ultimately safeguards biodiversity and human benefits. Many of these benefits in coastal ecosystems depend not only on habitat status, but also its connections with other […]

Global fragmentation of mangrove forests

Posted by Chris Brown
On May 4, 2020

To inform conservation actions we need global indicators of wetland ecosystems that represent changes in ecosystem function. But current indicators are largely based on changes in the area of wetland ecosystems. In our new study we mapped fragmentation of mangrove habitats at a global scale. The fragmentation of habitats into patches may be a better […]

Marine conservation investment needs informed guidance: where do we begin?

Posted by Ellen Ditria
On April 30, 2020

By Dr Viv Tulloch Read Time: 508 words about 3 mins. Marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change, human activities in the oceans and on the land, yet significant gaps still exist in managing the impacts of these pressures around the world. Marine Habitat Destruction. Photo Jeff Yonover. Efficient conservation investment requires linking dominant pressures to […]

Marine conservation implications and opportunities for China’s Belt and Road Initiative – the world’s largest ever infrastructure project

Posted by Chris Brown
On January 9, 2020

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, or the ‘New Silk Road’, is the world’s largest infrastructure development project, aimed at linking Europe and East Africa with Asia. The initiative combines a large network of terrestrial and maritime routes with the intent of linking over 70 countries, at an estimated cost of US$8 trillion by 2049. The […]

Coastal science gathers for #CERF2019

Posted by Tom Rayner
On November 4, 2019

This week 1,700+ coastal scientists are gathering for CERF 2019 in Alabama. The 25th biennial conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation aims to help the research and management community become more “responsive, relevant and ready” – to connect science and society in trouble-shooting and conserving coastal environments. The Global Wetlands Project will be […]

Find your #scicomm sweet spot!

Posted by Tom Rayner
On October 16, 2019

Under pressure Researchers and natural resource managers are under pressure to communicate their work. That includes summarising key outcomes for policy and decision-making, relaying concerns and opportunities to community groups, campaigning for funding to address critical knowledge gaps and supporting their own careers.

Seagrass lacks protection at global scale

Posted by Laura Griffiths
On October 9, 2019

Seagrass ecosystems face multiple threats, from pollution to sea level rise. However, management is failing to adequately protect these ecosystems and prevent their decline. We reviewed global policy relevant to seagrass protection and identified some critical gaps. We need to rethink how we protect coastal ecosystems in general, and seagrasses in particular, from multiple cumulative […]

Australia’s blue carbon budget

Posted by Tom Rayner
On September 13, 2019