Newsletter
The Blue Drummer Marine and Coastal Hub newsletter, June 2026
Jun 13, 2026
We begin with a tale of songlines followed deep into South-west Corner Marine Park to reveal Gorbiliyup – the submerged landscape of the Blackwood River – now a mesophotic reef teeming with invertebrates and fish. A decade ago, a relatively fleeting change in sea level caused a devastating mangrove dieback event in the Gulf of Carpentaria….
Marine and Coastal Hub offshore wind farm environmental research update, June 2026
Jun 10, 2026
Orchestrating the gigabytes: Project 4.7 update Hub Project 4.7 is developing methods and collating data required to conduct risk assessment for a suite of priority species that could be affected by offshore wind-farm development in Australia. This includes demonstrating the use of whole-of-ecosystem modelling and individual species modelling to estimate the population level impacts and…
The Blue Drummer Marine and Coastal Hub newsletter, March 2026
Mar 17, 2026
This month we announce four new collaborative projects in response to the harmful algal bloom in South Australia. The projects will work to help raise Australia’s preparedness for such events through improved ecological understanding, coastal habitat monitoring and assessment, and national coordination. Another study with national reach has demonstrated a framework for evaluating how coastal restoration…
Marine and Coastal Hub offshore wind farm environmental research update, March 2026
Mar 13, 2026
Introducing the Offshore Renewable Energy Research Consultative Group Several environmental research programs aim to support Australia’s offshore renewable energy industry. Many are led or funded by Commonwealth government agencies. Coordination is critical to maximise synergies and avoid duplication. The Offshore Renewable Energy Research Consultative Group was formed in September 2025 to meet this need. The…
The Blue Drummer Marine and Coastal Hub newsletter, December 2025
Dec 8, 2025
This month we bring the gift of two short films. The first was produced as part of the hub project Unbroken Whispers – The Ripples Connecting Sea-Kin. Through evocative imagery and narration, it portrays what the ocean and cetaceans mean to Aboriginal peoples across south-eastern Australia, and how the project holds those understandings within its purpose and methods. The second film, Checking in on…
Marine and Coastal Hub offshore wind farm environmental research update, December 2025
Dec 5, 2025
Three hub projects on migratory shorebirds Project 1.21 (completed) updated national trend analyses for 15 migratory shorebird species under conservation assessment. Project 4.17 is creating an updatable dashboard of reproductive output and survival parameters for key shorebird populations and a handbook to guide practitioner management efforts in Australia and along the East Asian – Australasian Flyway…
The Blue Drummer Marine and Coastal Hub newsletter, September 2025
Sep 9, 2025
This month’s stories highlight the value of data and data collectors. A 50-year ‘citizen science’ dataset continues to provide insights to support the long-term survival of migratory shorebirds along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Also, a 50-year aerial survey of the ‘western’ southern right whale population provides data essential to monitoring the status and recovery of…
Marine and Coastal Hub offshore wind farm environmental research update, September 2025
Sep 9, 2025
The need for knowledge-sharing is a strong theme as offshore wind farm environmental research gains momentum in Australia. The possibility of data sharing agreements was explored by hub project leader Dr Keith Hayes of CSIRO in July when he met with representatives of feasibility licence holders for offshore wind projects off Gippsland’s coast in Victoria….
The Blue Drummer Marine and Coastal Hub newsletter, June 2025
Jun 21, 2025
This month we take pleasure on congratulating long-time hub research leader Assoc Prof Neville Barrett on receiving the 2025 Australian Marine Sciences Association Silver Jubilee Award. Our story highlights his pioneering commitment to co-design and collaboration, long-term datasets and best-practice approaches, and his unbound enthusiasm for the marine realm. This issue also brings good news…
Marine and Coastal Hub offshore wind farm environmental research update, June 2025
Jun 6, 2025
This research update brings together Marine and Coastal Hub projects and outputs relating to offshore wind farm environmental research in Australia. The hub and its research partners have been working in this area since 2023 with a focus on key environmental factors considered relevant to offshore wind farm construction, operation and decommissioning in Australian waters….