Setting the scene for a global reef conservation and innovation challenge

With the world locked in to a trajectory of climate change, global mitigation efforts must go hand in hand with actions to preserve and restore resilience of our most vulnerable ecosystems. In response to two years of mass... [ view full abstract ]

With the world locked in to a trajectory of climate change, global mitigation efforts must go hand in hand with actions to preserve and restore resilience of our most vulnerable ecosystems. In response to two years of mass coral bleaching and devastating impacts of tropical storms, Australia’s lead marine research, and management institutions joined forces behind a comprehensive proposal to deliver a 10 year, multi-institutional program focused on reef restoration and adaptation. In response to this bold ambition, the Australian Government has now announced a funding package that includes A$100 million towards this program. These efforts are closely aligned with the core goals of other global partners, such as the newly formed Coral Restoration Consortium, led by NOAA and TNC to scale-up and expand restoration work globally. This focus group builds on these initiatives and the outcomes of two associated symposia and invites Congress delegates to work with an expert panel to identify global conservation and innovation challenges to restore and enhance the resilience of reefs to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Challenges will be focused on issues of scalability, the definition and subsequent restoration of functionality, adaptability and sustainability in a changing environment, and how to create exponential conservation outcomes through innovation and re-thinking current practice. The focus group will be facilitated by Dr Alex Dehgan from of Conservation X Labs with a mission to harness exponential technologies, open innovation, and entrepreneurship to dramatically improve the efficacy, cost, speed, scale and sustainability of conservation efforts.