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Information relating to past and upcoming conferences, workshops and meetings can also be found on our Calendar of Events.

Estimating Sea-Level Rise in an Uncertain Future

A national series of free information seminars and workshops for coastal infrastructure owners, planners, engineers and policy makers

Right:  Australian coastal communities face erosion due to rising sea levels.  Photo courtesy of Bruce Miller.

We are now living in a world in which the climate is being substantially modified by human activity.  These changes are leading to a wide range of impacts, one of which is a sustained rise in sea level at a rate that is unprecedented for the last five thousand years.  A major consequence of this rise is an increase in the frequency and probability of flood events from the ocean.

Already held in Cairns and Townsville, the seminar series will summarise the present state of sea-level science and will describe the method of incorporating this knowledge into risk-based planning.  This will enable policy makers, planners and owners of coastal infrastructure to:

• Assess the risks posed to existing coastal infrastucture;

• Set prudent guidelines for infrastructure maintenance; and

• Set appropriate design codes and planning policies for new infrastructure and coastal development.

It is important for effective management of the coastal zone that these altered conditions be addressed.  We should not over-react, however.  Our decisions should be based within an appropriate risk assessment framework.  Such a risk-based solution will be presented at the seminars.

For a list of upcoming seminars and venues, and to register, visit http://www.sealevelrise.info/

Download: RRRC Media Release issued Monday, 22 June 2009

Challenges in Environmental Sciences and Engineering International Conference (CESE-2009)

James Cook University will host the second annual CESE conference, to be held at Jupiters Hotel and Casino, Townsville, from 14-17 July 2009.

North Queensland is unique in the sense that is possesses two World Heritage Areas - the Wet Tropics rainforests and Great Barrier Reef.  While we can still enjoy the beauty of these areas, we are also starting to observe degradation due to anthropogenic activities.  This conference will enable researchers, policy makers, academics, students and interested members of the community who are active in contributing solutions to the problems posed by these environmental challenges to meet and share their visions.

Further information about the conference including Keynote Speakers, abstract submission and registration is available from the James Cook University website.

Senator John Hogg visits iconic Daintree rainforest

Senator The Hon. John Hogg (right) takes a ride in the Australian Canopy Crane gondola with RRRC managing director Sheriden Morris.

Senator The Hon. John Hogg, President of the Senate and Senator for Queensland made a flying visit to North Queensland's spectacular Daintree rainforest on 7 May 2009.  Accompanied by the RRRC's managing director, Sheriden Morris, Senator Hogg first visited James Cook University's Australian Canopy Crane near Cape Tribulation and talked with University researchers who receive funding through the MTSRF program.

One of the major topics of discussion was the likely impact of climate change on the rainforest and surrounding communities, and the climate change mitigation and adaptation options that MTSRF-funded research is working to develop.

"One of the most important features of the MTSRF is that the focus is on research to help government and the tourism industry to manage our rainforests better," reflected Senator Hogg.  "It is exciting to see the scientific resources that are available in North Queensland - such as James Cook University's canopy crane research facility - use to help generate management solutions to the envionmental problems faced by the region."

Senator Hogg also met with local representatives from international NGO Rainforest Rescue, which is putting MTSRF-generated solutions into action in the Daintree, and viewed several revegetation sites in the vicinity of Cow Bay.  The rainforest revegetation toolkit, derived from a productive collaboration between Griffith University, Terrain NRM Ltd and the MTSRF helps non-specialists to improve the success of their rainforest revegetation efforts.  "It's very rewarding to see some of the tools that have been produced through the MTSRF already being picked up and used, by all kinds of organisations, to improve environmental sustainability," said Sheriden.  "In this way all North Queenslanders are becoming beneficiaries of our federally-funded research programs."

"Senator Hogg's visit was a great opportunity for the consortium the RRRC represents.  While guiding the Senator on this visit we were able to really highlight the useful contributions being made by all of our research partners and end users working on climage change and rainforest issues."

Sharks help live-aboard dive boats rake in tourism dollars

The live-aboard dive boat industry in Cairns and Port Douglas is worth at least $16 million per annum to the region, according to scientific research results that will be announced at the 2009 Annual Conference of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility.

The results also show that live-aboard divers travelling to Osprey Reef valued shark sightings more highly than sightings of other wildlife.

Download the MTSRF Media Release (24 April 2009)

(Right) Snorkellers with Maori Wrasse in the Coral Sea off the Far North Queensland coast (Image courtesy of Matt Curnock, JCU).