Welcome to The Striped Trumpeter, a quarterly round-up of stories, videos, journal articles, reports and data from the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub.
Earlier this month Hub director Nic Bax facilitated coastal restoration sessions at the marine thematic workshop in Montreal, Canada, for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework being planned by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. While many parties were
familiar with the promise of mangrove restoration for blue carbon, and the need for coral restoration in the face of its existential threat, few were aware of broader restoration activities in Australia and elsewhere.
The Hub has been pivotal in reviewing knowledge, establishing national networks, and identifying the prospects and benefits of coastal restoration. Now we’re getting our hands wet, among seagrass meadows and giant kelp forests. These habitats have intrinsic value, and provide homes for fish and invertebrates, including commercially valuable and listed species. Our national experiences are starting to guide
and promote restoration to a much larger audience.
We’ve also been generating knowledge vital for managing threatened species, including a national overview of shark conservation, discovering parasitic worms that offer clues to connectivity among hammerhead sharks, and supporting local protection of the diminishing red handfish population.
We must all work together if we are to address the issues threatening the marine environment. Earlier
this year we were fortunate to lead an AMSA workshop in Western Australia that did just that, by bringing a group of research providers together with Traditional Owners from the Kimberley to Esperance, in a respectful and collaborative way.
And, finally, if you’re getting into the water for a swim or a surf this summer, check out the National Outfall Database Ranking Report to see how the nutrient loads at your local ocean
outfall compare with others around the nation.
We are very interested to know whether the information in this newsletter is useful, and to receive any other feedback. Please drop us a line.