Who cares about the Great Barrier Reef? Many people, and according to a paper published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, some of the most passionately connected individuals can come from far away places, across the globe. Effective environmental policy requires public participation in management, typically achieved through engaging community … Continue reading New paper: Redefining community based on place attachment in a connected world
Governance across the land-sea interface: Challenges & opportunities
In the context of increasing pressures on the land-sea interface, the role of governance is a potentially important, yet unfortunately an understudied consideration in our pursuit of sustainability. Existing governance can set the course for the fragmented decision-making that currently spawns many inappropriate uses of coastal areas and watersheds (e.g., land-clearing for agriculture without considering … Continue reading Governance across the land-sea interface: Challenges & opportunities
Designing marine reserve networks with stakeholders
Integrating stakeholder preferences into science-driven approaches to designing marine reserve networks can help to create designs that are scientifically sound, while taking into account local knowledge and preferences. Early engagement and input from stakeholders can facilitate the successful implementation of new marine reserves and maximise compliance. Worldwide, overfishing and climate change threaten marine biodiversity and … Continue reading Designing marine reserve networks with stakeholders
Does tourism really suffer at sites listed as World Heritage In Danger?
A recent article in The Conversation explores the possible impact for tourism on the Great Barrier Reef given the potential for listing of the Reef as World Heritage in Danger. Jon Day (PhD candidate in the ARC Centre for Coral Reef Studies) outlines the impacts for tourism at three other famous World Heritage destinations - … Continue reading Does tourism really suffer at sites listed as World Heritage In Danger?
Forthcoming global database on studies in systematic conservation planning
From 18-21 February 2016, six members of the Conservation Planning Group organized a writing workshop on Magnetic Island. The main aim of the workshop was to produce a journal paper describing the first stage of a global database on planning studies. The explosive growth of systematic conservation planning in the last decade has made it … Continue reading Forthcoming global database on studies in systematic conservation planning
New Paper: Influence of Governance Context on the Management Performance of Marine Protected Area Networks
Vera, Bob, and colleagues from James Cook University and University of the Philippines recently published a paper in Coastal Management. This study, which was a chapter of Vera’s PhD, looked at various contextual factors that influence management of marine protected area (MPA) networks in the Philippines. By drawing on interactive governance theory, they evaluated how … Continue reading New Paper: Influence of Governance Context on the Management Performance of Marine Protected Area Networks
New paper – Combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing with information: A case of probable illegal fishing in the Tropical Eastern Pacific
One of Adrian Arias’ PhD chapters has just been published online. The article describes the lack of coordination between government, an NGO concerned with sustainable fisheries, and a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO). Information obtained by the NGO indicated illegal fishing in Costa Rican waters, but the government has yet to react. The article states: … Continue reading New paper – Combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing with information: A case of probable illegal fishing in the Tropical Eastern Pacific
New paper: Factors influencing incidental representation of previously unknown conservation features in marine protected areas
Alana, Bob and Tom Bridge from the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies recently published an article in Conservation Biology examining how to plan for protection of unknown habitats and species in marine protected areas. Using the Great Barrier Reef as a case study, they show that biodiversity can be ‘incidentally’ represented in no-take … Continue reading New paper: Factors influencing incidental representation of previously unknown conservation features in marine protected areas
The Northern Australia Environmental Research Portal is now live
The Northern Australia Environmental Resources Portal brings together this collection of environmental knowledge to help us manage the opportunities and expectations for land and water resources of the north. Research from the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) consortium and the Northern Australia Hub has led to a dramatic increase in the knowledge and evidence … Continue reading The Northern Australia Environmental Research Portal is now live