2024 AMSN Regional Meeting Brisbane, Qld | 19-22 Nov, 2024

AMSN 2024. An outline of people, activities and actions: 

Committee

Vicki Bennion, Jack Hill, Valerie Kwan, and Alex Pearse, with support from Cath Lovelock and Norm Duke. Also included were Rose Foster (UQ Law), Fern Adame and Renee Piccolo (Griffith Australian Rivers Institute), UQ Art Museum folks, and Quandamooka Traditional Owners (see below). The committee had a strong ECR presence. 

Theme

• We continued the inclusion of art themes from Adelaide and invited the UQ Art Museum team to the committee. They were entering the final year of a decadal exhibition program about oceans and Blue Spaces, and our Lovelock Lab had developed strong research links with them over the past few years. They were keen to engage.   

• We used existing contacts at the UQ Moreton Bay Research Station and within Quandamooka Elders to engage Quandamooka TOs and artists, for an Indigenous keynote and a themed session following their priorities and interests.

Field trips

There were three concurrent field day experiences, as well as Art Museum activities -- 

• Magandjin’s urban wetlands. We explored the social and governance aspects of wetland conservation and creation. Boondall Wetlands, a RAMSAR-listed wetland, an important stop for migratory shorebirds. The Reserve was created as a result of public concern; now, it is one of the best spots for bird watching around Magandjin (Brisbane). We herd from local creek catchment groups about how they pieced together and celebrate creek history, and their work on water quality offsets. Lastly, we visited new mangrove areas under construction as part of the Southern Redland Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant project. 

• Yandina Wetlands (Blue Heart) Sunshine Coast blue carbon pilot site. We visited the Blue Heart, This was Australia's first registered blue carbon tidal restoration site. The Sunshine Coast Council and Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners shared their restoration journey and walked us through some of the processes occurring on site now. We herd from research partners on their findings during guided tours of the wetland.  

• Minjerribah/Terrangeri  (North Stradbroke Island) cultural tour. We experienced world-famous Quandamooka Country (Moreton Bay) with Elders from the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders-In-Council. We visited Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) for Neembeeba Binung Gana ('look, listen, understand') cultural awareness training. We toured important mangrove and paperbark sites on the world's second largest sand island, with a focus on cultural values, wetlands and water, including time for a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, yarning circles and Q&As. 

2023 AMSN Regional Meeting Adelaide, SA | 14-17 Nov, 2023

2022 AMSN Regional Meeting Ballina, NSW | 4-6 October, 2022 

“LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD”

 The School of Environment Science & Engineering in partnership with the NSW Department of Primary Industries Wollongbar were proud to host the 2022 Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network (AMSN) Conference in Ballina.    The AMSN was established to address management issues that face tidal wetland habitats around the world.   The conference brought together researchers, coastal managers, industry representatives and members of community groups who work across mangrove and saltmarsh landscapes.

The Twitter Feed for AMSN 2022 was pretty cool - jump in and have a look!

Left to Right . . .

Front Row Kneeling: Vishnu Prahalad, Jonathan Yantsch, Patrick Dwyer, Kai Ching Cheong, Anjali Gopakumar, Tanveer Adyel, Kerrylee Rogers, Dhafeena Ahmed, Grace Bendall-Pease, Claudia Santori, Annabel Green, Jade Teigeler, Siobhan Threlfall, Alice McGlashan, Sonia Bazzacco, Swapan Paul, Michelle Usher, Sharie Detmar, Alice Jones

First Row Standing: Rebekah Kenna, Rob Williams, Norm Duke, Julieta Gamboa-Cutz, Gemma MacKenzie, Samantha Tonissoo, Danny Bucher, Felicity Forth, Joanne Oaks, Ralph Dowling, Rachel Spinks, Tiago Passos, Sarah Robin, Valarie Kwan, Patricia Saco, Mayara de Oliveira, Sabrina Sayers, Kirti Lal, Emma Asbridge, Jose Rodriguez, Porni Mollick, Sanny Castro, Main Uddin

Back Rows Standing: Max Osborne, Matthew Shermot, Sarah Cosgrove, Marc Bezuidenhout, Lesley Diver, Carla Ganassin, Pawal Waryszak, Ben Schemel, Greg West, James Russ, Patrick Wilcox, Kylie Russell, Timothy Thomson, Jeff Kelleway, Clare Murphy, Alex Pearse, Chloe Baker, Charles Cadier, Violet Harrison-Day, Jack Hill, Juliano Soares, Vicki Bennion, Mark Bennett, Zoe Immisch, Troy Gaston, Sabine Dittmann, Matt Taylor, Shantala Brisbane, Will Glamore, Sarah Conacher, Pat Dale, Chris Owers, Kate Buckley, Dayna Will, Mick Bettanin, Emily Messer (obscured), Arnon Accad, Dan Friess

Photographer:  Bradley Harrison

Website: https://www.scu.edu.au/amsn2021/

2020, 2021 AMSN - CoVID respite years

2019 AMSN Regional Meeting - Melbourne

Wetlands of the Future!

The 2019 AMSN conference and workshop was held in Melbourne, 18-20 June 2019

Focus Meeting of the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association

AMSN 2019 was proudly hosted by Monash University’s School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment

Convenor: Prof. Ruth Reef, Monash University

2018 AMSN Regional Meeting - Sydney

Mangroves and Saltmarsh - the Urban Survivors!

The 2018 AMSN conference and workshop was in Sydney on 17-20 April 2018

Convenors: Swapan Paul (SOPA), Neil Saintilan (MU), Colin Field (UNSW retired), Cameron Webb (NSW gov)

Host organisations include: Macquarie University (MQ) and Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA).

The annual conference of the Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network (AMSN) was held in Sydney during 17-20 April 2018. Jointly hosted by Macquarie University and the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, this meeting provided a unique opportunity to hear primarily about the current trends in saltmarsh and mangrove management with a specific focus on the complex issues faced by conservation and rehabilitation efforts in urban environments.

Scientific Committee Members:

• Swapan Paul (SOPA)

• Neil Saintilan (MU)

• Colin Field (UNSW retired)

• Cameron Webb (NSW gov)

• Nerida Gill (NSW gov)

• Robert Williams

• Sarah Clift (Parramatta)

• Max Finlayson (CSU)

• Norm Duke (JCU TropWATER)

2017 AMSN Regional Meeting - Hobart

COASTAL FRONTIERS : Saltmarsh and Mangroves!

The 2017 AMSN conference and workshop was held in Hobart, 21-24 March 2017.

Convenors: John Aalders, Vishnu Prahalad, Ian Cresswell, Joanna Ellison

Host organisations included  UTAS and CSIRO.

The 2017 AMSN Conference was in Hobart from Tuesday, 21 March 2017 to Friday, 24 March 2017 and was held at the CSIRO, Castray Esplanade, Hobart (on the waterfront adjacent to Salamanca). The format was similar to that of the Darwin conference (which was an excellent event). 

Scientific Committee Members:

• Damien Burrows (JCU TropWATER)

• Ian Cresswell (CSIRO)

• Norm Duke (JCU TropWATER)

• Jamie Kirkpatrick (UTas)

2016 AMSN Regional Meeting - Darwin

The 2016 AMSN conference and workshop were held in Darwin, 3-6 May 2016.

Convenors: Kristin Metcalfe, Maddie Goddard, Andrew Campbell, Simon Townsend, Adam Bourke & Carmen Walker

"The only way is up! Sea level rise, climate change and coastal development: Mangrove and saltmarsh resilience and community response"

Charles Darwin University was proud to host the 2016 Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network Conference. The conference promoted sustainable communication and collaboration amongst professional researchers, managers, industry officers and environmental consultants, as well as community enthusiasts. More details and abstracts are posted on the website.

Major sponsor: Charles Darwin University's Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL).

Reflections from the conference, making the link with Charles Darwin University and the next AMSN meeting.

2015 AMSN Regional Meeting - Wollongong

Australian Mangrove & Saltmarsh Network Conference entitled “Working with Mangrove and Saltmarsh for Sustainable Outcomes”, 23-25 February 2015. Meeting hosted by the University of Wollongong, The Nature Conservancy & the NSW Department of Environment & Heritage.

Conference & Workshop convenor: Kerry Lee Rogers & Colin Woodroffe.

2014 AMSN Regional Meeting - Townsville

Australian Mangrove Society Conference & Workshop entitled “Re-establishing science in the rehabilitation and monitoring of mangroves and tidal salt marsh”, 24-28 February 2014, at the ATSIP Building Meeting Room, Townsville. 

Meeting hosted by James Cook University TropWATER Centre.

Conference & Workshop convenors: Norman Duke, Damien Burrows & Jock Mackenzie.

2013 AMSA Symposium - Gold Coast

Australian Marine Science Association Conference Special Symposium entitled “Tidal wetland blue carbon and the whole-of-ecosystem approach to mangrove-saltmarsh repair and coastal condition monitoring”, 8-11 July 2011.

Symposium convenors: Norman Duke & Marcus Sheaves.

2011 AMSA Symposium - Fremantle

Australian Marine Science Association Conference Special Symposium entitled “Mangroves & saltmarshes – crucial ecosystems at the land-sea interface”, 4-7 July 2011.

Symposium convenors: Norman Duke & Marcus Sheaves.

2010 AMSA Symposium - Wollongong

Australian Marine Science Association Conference Special Symposium, entitled “The forum for Australian mangrove researchers, managers and enthusiasts: mangroves as proxies and benefactors for coastal, estuarine and catchment condition”, 5-8 July 2010.

Symposium convenors: Norman Duke & Marcus Sheaves. 35 people attended. Talks chiefly by postgraduate students.

2009 AMSA Presentations - Adelaide

Australian Marine Science Association Conference, 6-9 July 2009.

General talks by Norman Duke, Marcus Sheaves, and others.

2008 Australian Mangrove Research Labs Forum - Moreton Island

The First Australian Mangrove Research Labs Forum, 20-21 November 2008, at the UQ Moreton island Research Station.

Meeting hosted by the University of Queensland Marine Botany Group.

Forum convenors: Norman Duke & Marcus Sheaves.