Coast to Coral: Fighting Starfish; Managing Crown of Thorns Starfish on the GBR.

Join Reef Check Australia and friends on the second Tuesday night of each month in your lounge room/office/comfy chair, for an evening of discovery, inspiration and appreciation of our local marine, coastal and catchment environments.

THE SPEAKER:
This month we will hear from Dr. Dan Godoy. Dan is a marine scientist who received his PhD on Turtle Ecology at Massey University, Albany, Auckland. Although Dan specialises in marine turtles, he’s worked with a variety of species, including elasmobranchs, patch reef communities, tropical reef fish, temperate fish, seahorses and benthic fauna. Dan has extensive offshore experience on seismic surveys, in a variety of team lead roles. Dan is currently a senior marine scientist and project manager for the Crown Of Thorns Starfish (COTS) control project run by Blue Planet Marine.
ABOUT THE TALK:

The Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), although native to the Great Barrier Reef, can become a significant pest when they reach outbreak densities. COTS outbreaks are recognised as one of the key cumulative pressures that cause reef-wide decline in coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef. The impacts of COTS outbreaks compound the damage caused by tropical cyclones, coral bleaching events, coral disease outbreaks and flooding events. Unlike the other causes of coral mortality, strategic culling of COTS is a direct and targetable management action that can reduce coral mortality and support the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. As part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) COTS control program, Blue Planet Marine (BPM) has been engaged to undertake COTS Control and research activities within several regions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). This presentation will provide an overview of BPM's COTS control and research program in the Great Barrier Reef.

Virtual doors (zoom) opens at 6.25pm for a 6:30 pm start.

Stay after the event for networking and nibbles (BYO obviously!) - get your burning questions answered and continue your thoughts, ideas and sea-minded discussions with your local community, all from the comfort of your couch!

Bring a mate and share in the discovery!

At Reef Check Australia we’re all about inspiring our mates and we love to read your thoughts! So, share your favourite parts about the night and tag us! Reef Check Australia #coasttocoral

This initiative is hosted by Reef Check Australia, and proudly supported by oh so many groups including the City of Gold Coast, Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, Sunshine Coast Council's Environment Levy partnerships grant, and Townsville City Council.

Future talks take place on the second Tuesday night of each month, with a new, interesting and engaging speaker.

For more information contact seqsurveys@reefcheckaustralia.org

WHEN
March 08, 2022 at 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Will you come?