FORUM: The resilience of our coastal and marine life
August 23 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Local experts to tackle Port Stephens’ marine challenges
Port Stephens boasts the largest Marine Park in New South Wales—a breathtaking underwater world teeming with unique biodiversity. But beneath the surface, a rapidly changing climate is pushing these fragile habitats to their limits.
How resilient is our local marine environment against these escalating threats?
To answer this urgent question, EcoNetwork Port Stephens is hosting a public forum on Sunday, 23 August. Local scientists and environmental authorities will pull back the curtain on the hidden crises facing our waters, offering a rare look at both the damage and the inspiring restoration projects underway.
Hosted by Bob Creese, marine ecologist and science assessor, the forum presenters are Iain Watt, Ryan & Lia Pereira, Dave Harasti, Tom Davis and Vicky Cole.
This FREE community forum brings together leading local speakers to discuss some of the most pressing issues affecting the Port Stephens marine environment, including coastal erosion, turtle mortalities, freshwater impacts following heavy rainfall and oyster reef restoration.
Afternoon tea will be provided and there’ll be plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.
Find out a little more about some of our coastal challenges
The battle against crumbling coastlines
Shoreline erosion is eating away at the NSW coast, and Port Stephens is on the frontline. Hotspots like Jimmy’s Beach, Shoal Bay, and Conroy Park are trapped in a exhausting cycle of erosion. While moving sand offers a temporary band-aid, what happens when the storms get worse?
The expert insight: Iain Watt, a semi-retired international marine environmental consultant, will break down the true physics behind our disappearing beaches and reveal the long-term strategies needed to protect our shorelines.
Shoreline erosion prior to sand renourishment in early 2026 at Conroy Park
Shoreline erosion at Shoal Bay August 2024, prior to several sand renourishment builds
The silent killer: extreme storms and turtle deaths
Storms don’t just batter our beaches—they trigger invisible ecological disasters. Recent severe weather has dumped massive volumes of muddy freshwater into the Port, radically altering water quality. Experts link this exact phenomenon to last summer’s unprecedented and heartbreaking spike in local sea turtle deaths.
The expert insight: Ryan and Lia Pereira from Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters will present a deep-dive investigation into the tragic turtle event.
Large green turtle resting under a ledge in Port Stephens. Photo © by Lisa Skelton
Thriving colonies of the endangered ‘Cauliflower soft coral’ in Port Stephens prior to extreme flooding in 2021-22. Photo by Dave Harasti
Following them, Dave Harasti and Tom Davis from the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute will reveal exclusive underwater data showing exactly what was destroyed beneath the waves—and what is fighting to recover.
Rewilding the lost reefs of Port Stephens
Climate change is a massive future threat, but humans have already left a heavy footprint. Many locals are entirely unaware that historic oyster dredging virtually wiped out the Port’s massive reef systems.
The expert insight: Vicky Cole from the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute will share the fascinating history of these lost ecosystems and showcase the cutting-edge, modern restoration efforts aimed at bringing these vital reefs back to life.
Re-establishing oyster reefs on a sandy seafloor in the northern part of Port Stephens estuary. Photo by Kirk Dahle
Event details
- What: EcoNetwork Port Stephens Marine Forum: The Resilience of Port Stephens’ Coastal and Marine Life
- Where: Tomaree Library
- When: Sunday, 23 August 2-4pm
- Cost: Free
- Booking: Please book your seat via events.humanitix.com/marineforum2026 or by scanning the QR code.
