The Coral Reef Futures symposium of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies will be held at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane on the 19th and 20th July, 2018.
In the immediate aftermath of a multi-year global bleaching event, the need for coral reef research has never been greater. In 2017, we witnessed the first back-to-back bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef, resulting in unprecedented damage to two-thirds of this iconic World Heritage Area.
Returning coral reef systems to their former composition is not possible. The objective is for research to inform and support reef governance and management to navigate the transition to new ecosystems that will maintain biodiversity, biological functions and support human well-being.
Two events are scheduled:
A 2-day symposium will be held on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th July, with more than 30 presentations by leading scientists. The symposium is aimed at a general audience of scientists in related fields, natural resource managers, conservationists and policy makers. The symposium will be held at The Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane.
A Public Forum is scheduled for Thursday, 19th July. This year’s host is Adam Spencer, popular media presenter, well known as the quirky intellectual host of ABC’s enormously successful 702 Breakfast radio show from 2006 until early 2014. This event is intended for everyone: the general public, teachers and school children (older than about 10) as well as scientists, resource managers and policy-makers.