Dr Megan Saunders, Nathan Waltham2, Toni Cannard1, Marian Sheppard3, Mibu Fischer4, 5, 6, Alice Twomey7, Prof. Melanie Bishop, Kris Boody9, David Callaghan10, Beth Fulton4, 6, Catherine Lovelock7, Dr Mariana Mayer Pinto11, Ian McLeod2, Taryn McPherson12, Rebecca Morris13, Andrew Pomeroy13, Mike Ronan14, Prof. Stephen Swearer13, Andy Steven1
1CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Australia, 2TropWATER, Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, , Australia, 3CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Australia, 4CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Australia, 5Noonucal, Ngugi and Goenpul from Quandamooka Country, , Australia, 6Centre for Marine Socioecology, Hobart, Australia, 7School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 8Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia, 9Gold Coast City Council, Gold Coast, Australia, 10School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, 11School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of NSW, , Australia, 12Queensland Parks and Wildlife, Queensland State Government, Brisbane, Australia, 13School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkvile, Australia, 14Wetlands Team, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane, Australia
Widespread implementation of restoration and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in coastal and marine ecosystems offers potential to support biodiversity while providing climate change mitigation and adaptation and supporting livelihoods and economies. At present, there are substantial environmental, technical, social, economic, and political challenges to implementation of scaled restoration and NbS. This Australian National Environmental Science Program (NESP) funded research elicited information on current activities, barriers, motivations, and future research needs facing coastal and marine restoration and NbS stakeholders in Australia. The research was conducted through a series of workshops, surveys, literature reviews, and participatory co-design. The research culminated in the development of a ‘roadmap’ to landscape scale coastal and marine restoration consisting of 10 guiding principles: 1) Co-design is central; 2) Fit-for-purpose governance; 3) No-gap funding; 4) Social, economic and ecological data are available; 5) Evidence-based and transparent decision making; 6) Robust monitoring, evaluation and reporting; 7) Restoration is coordinated and at scale; 8) Clear strategy to adapt to climate change; 9) Nature-based solutions are implemented; and 10) Knowledge is shared effectively. The findings underpin a conversation around transformational change in implementation of coastal and marine restoration and NbS. Following through on the roadmap will support biodiversity while boosting local economies, returning the delivery of ecosystem services, helping us mitigate and adapt to climate change, and benefiting local communities.
