Join Reef Check Australia and friends at The Bearded Lady for an evening of discovery, inspiration and appreciation of our local marine, coastal and catchment environments.

This month we'll hear from Dr Chris Brown - a senior lecturer at Griffith University.

About the talk:

Populations of large sharks have been drastically reduced over the past several decades. Australia’s environmental protections mean Australia is a haven for threatened shark species, but our recent research has found significant declines in some of Queensland’s large shark species. Recent events have put the spotlight on Queensland’s shark nets and drumlines, which are used as part of beach safety programs. We will discuss the possible causes of decline, which are unresolved. We will then discuss whether shark control programs are necessary and look at alternative approaches to beach safety. We will argue that science can help us find a resolution to the debate over shark conservation and beach safety.

About the speaker:

Dr Chris Brown is a senior lecturer at Griffith University. He works on the conservation of marine life and sustainable management of fisheries and has published over 60 peer-reviewed studies on these topics. He is a marine biologist, an avid water sports enthusiast, and also a keen statistical analyst – skills he applies to develop planning tools for environmental decisions that are ecologically realistic. His work has proven relevant beyond academic research and is being used to inform environmental decisions for better management of ocean ecosystems.

18:00 Bar opens

18:30 Grab a seat (they go fast!)

18:45 Talk kicks off

19:30 Pizza and good sea-minded conversation

Entry is $3 (which gets you pizza at the end).

As the venue is a bar, under-18s are most welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. And a 5 year gap is necessary, ie. 17-yr-old cannot be accompanied by an 18-yr-old.

For more information contact our ambassadors at ambassadors@reefcheckaustralia.org or visit our Facebook Event page. 

This initiative is hosted by Reef Check Australia, and proudly supported by Queensland Government Community Sustainability Action Grants, with amazing in-kind support from The Bearded Lady.