Keynote Presentation (30 mins) Australian Marine Sciences Association 2022

KEYNOTE: A roadmap for coordinated landscape-scale coastal and marine ecosystem restoration (#8)

Megan I Saunders 1 , Nathan Waltham 2 , Toni Cannard 1 , Marian Sheppard 3 , Mibu Fischer 1 , Melanie Bishop 4 , Kris Boody 5 , David Callaghan 6 , Beth Fulton 7 , Catherine Lovelock 6 8 , Mariana Mayer Pinto 9 , Ian McLeod 2 , Taryn McPherson 10 , Rebecca Morris 11 , Andrew Pomeroy 11 , Mike Ronan 10 , Andy Steven 1 , Stephen Swearer 11 , Alice Twomey 8
  1. Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  2. TropWater, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
  3. Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO , Aspendale, Victoria, Australia
  4. Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
  5. Gold Coast City Council, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
  6. School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  7. Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
  8. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  9. School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  10. Queensland State Government, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  11. School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Momentum is building to support the widespread implementation of restoration and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in coastal and marine ecosystems in Australia. However, there are environmental, technical, social, economic, and political challenges to implementation of scaled restoration and NbS. Through a series of workshops, surveys, literature reviews, and participatory co-design, we elicited information on current activities, barriers, motivations, and future research needs facing coastal and marine restoration and NbS stakeholders. The research culminated in the development of a ‘roadmap’ consisting of 10 guiding principles: 1) Co-design is central; 2) Fit-for-purpose governance; 3) No-gap funding; 4) Social, economic and ecological data are available; 5) Evidence-based and transparent decision making; 6) Robust monitoring, evaluation and reporting; 7) Restoration is coordinated and at scale; 8) Clear strategy to adapt to climate change; 9) Nature-based solutions are implemented; and 10) Knowledge is shared effectively. The findings form the basis of a conversation around transformational change in implementation of coastal and marine restoration and NbS. Following through on the roadmap will elevate the state, condition and function of coastal and marine assets, provide social and economic benefits to communities, and increase our capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change.