Sydney Hosts Global Conference on Managing Coastlines

Marine science and coastal studies experts from around the world are in Sydney this week to discuss the various ways they are tackling the impact of climate change on the coastlines and oceans.

Their presentations will be part of the International Coastal Symposium (ICS), a biennial global event, hosted this year in Coogee.

The symposium will showcase the University of Sydney’s Geocoastal Research Group (formerly the Coastal Studies Unit) which has led the world in beach morphodynamics: the study of how beaches evolve and respond to coastal erosion.

The group has been monitoring day-to-day changes on Australian beaches for more than 40 years, giving it one of the most extensive beach morphodynamic data sets available.

This data is used globally by scientists investigating morphodynamics.

Keynote addresses at the symposium include:

  • Professor Andy Short and Professor Bruce Thom: how to study coasts and beach erosion, and how to adapt coastal management practices to mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the beaches;
  • Dr Janice Lough: what a changing climate means for Australia’s coral reefs;
  • Associate Professor Giovanni Coco: ecological issues beyond beaches, focusing particularly on the long term prospects for estuaries, salt marshes and mangroves.

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