Adapting the Ecological Knowledge System for Coastal and Marine Environments: report and webinar

The Ecological Knowledge System (EKS), a partnership between the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and CSIRO, provides a robust and transparent source of science and environmental information for the Nature Repair Market. The EKS was developed with an initial focus on terrestrial ecosystems. This report, just published, detail the key considerations, challenges and recommendations for the application of the EKS to coastal and marine ecosystems.

While focused on the EKS and the needs of the Nature Repair Market, the report’s findings will be of interest to anyone working in coastal and marine systems. It includes content on coastal and marine ecosystem ecology, restoration activities, assessment of data availability, modelling tools, and the broader social and governance implications of restoration projects in these systems.

Hear the authors Dr Megan Saunders and Dr Ana Bugnot (CSIRO) present their findings and provide an update on the developing modelling tools on offer for coastal and marine ecosystems.

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• Free

Dates and Times

Contact

Sally Tetreault Campbell

More information

Developing methods for protection and enhancement of Australia’s coastal and marine ecosystems under the Nature Repair Market needs nationally consistent approaches to biodiversity assessment and forecasting capability. The Ecological Knowledge System (EKS), a partnership between the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and CSIRO, provides fit for purpose science and environmental information, but is currently focused on terrestrial ecosystems across Australia.

The EKS team at CSIRO evaluated whether the analytical approaches developed for terrestrial ecosystems are valid in coastal and marine ecosystems. They also identified alternative modelling tools. The report articulates key considerations for developing an EKS applicable to coastal and marine ecosystems.

Engagement with experts, including with participants of the Australasian Coastal Restoration Network symposium in Sydney in May 2024, was instrumental in developing the content of the report. Combined with an extensive literature review and assessment of available tools and models the report found that:

• There is a need to consider differences between terrestrial and coastal and marine systems with respect to ecosystem processes, observability and data availability.
• Approaches used in the EKS are most easily translatable to the nearshore intertidal ecosystems such as mangroves and saltmarsh. Their application becomes progressively more challenging as water depth increases.
• The development of an EKS for coastal and marine ecosystems will need to balance the desire for direct comparability to terrestrial systems with the application of most fit-for-purpose data and modelling, resulting in the best representation of these ecosystems.

The report, An Ecological Knowledge System for the Nature Repair Market: Key considerations, challenges and recommendations for application in coastal and marine ecosystems, is available here.