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To ensure a thriving future industry, operators need to both understand the climate risks and how they can prepare.

ACWA contracted leading researchers from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), and the Centre for Marine Socioecology, both at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) to conduct climate risk assessments to identify potential risks of climate change for WA aquaculture, as part of the Sea Change Australia program. Assessments were conducted for key WA species (abalone, coral/live rock, finfish, oysters, pearling, seaweed/algae, freshwater finfish and crayfish) across the phases of production. These assessments were co-developed via aquaculture expert input and review.

This report outlines a screening-level climate risk assessment for key aquaculture species in Western Australia. This report is the state's first qualitative climate risk assessment, focused on aquaculture.  

Report available here: Climate Risk Report 2025 – Aquaculture Council of Western Australia

ABC WA Country Hour interview available here (from 43mins): Western Australia Country Hour - ABC listen

This webinar is delivered by the Aquaculture Council of Western Australia (ACWA) in partnership with DPIRD, IMAS, and the Sea Change Australia program. Support is funded by the Australian Government Future Drought Fund, and the DPIRD Farm Business Resilience Program.

CMS would like to extend a huge congratulations Dr Malcolm Johnson and his team of HDR students who have taken out first place in the 2025 Disaster Challenge for their project pitch developed during the CMS Interdisciplinary School 2025! Congratulations Malcolm Johnson (HVC/CMS), Bianca Suarez (ANU), Edith Shum (UTAS/CMS), Kianna Gallagher (UTAS/CMS), Hevi Hardini (AMC/CMS) and Rosie Katunar (NRE Tas)!

Their project 'Thriving coastal futures in southern Tasmania' impressed judges with their innovative, community-driven approach to protecting Australia’s coastlines from the growing impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather. Their solution integrates blue-green infrastructure, citizen science and trauma-informed community engagement to strengthen coastal resilience and restore ecosystems, all while ensuring local voices remain at the heart of decision making.

Press Release: Thriving coastal futures wins 2025 Disaster Challenge with community-led coastal resilience solution | Natural Hazards Research Australia

From Natural Hazards Research Australia’s LinkedIn page:

Congratulations to the 2025 Disaster Challenge winning team with their Thriving Coastal Futures pitch! Dr Malcolm S. Johnson (Huon Valley Council), Bianca Suarez (The Australian National University), Edith Shum (University of Tasmania), Kianna Gallagher (University of Tasmania), Hevi Hardini (Australian Maritime College), Rosie Katunar (Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas))

This passionate, community-driven team impressed the judges with their innovative approach to coastal resilience, combining blue-green infrastructure, citizen science and trauma-informed community engagement to help protect Australia’s coasts and empower local action. Their work reminds us that tackling wicked problems starts with collaboration between communities that care deeply, researchers who think boldly and decision-makers ready to act. Thank you to all finalists, judges and attendees who made this year’s Disaster Challenge such an inspiring celebration of innovation and resilience. Post | Feed | LinkedIn

Sea Change Australia wants to hear your questions about climate change. Whether you’re in rec fishing, commercial fishing, aquaculture, processing, or supply chains, your questions will help Aus fisheries and aquaculture better prepare for the future.

Your questions will be answered by members of the Sea Change Australia Expert Network - a national group of 60+ specialists across science, industry, Indigenous knowledge systems, and policy. Responses will be published on the Sea Change Australia website to support understanding and adaptation.

Submissions are open year-round. Questions received before 14 November 2025 can be entered into a prizedraw to win 1 of 4 x $100 BCF vouchers.

(Thanks to OzFish that supports Sea Change Australia in our mission to ensure sustainable fisheries in a changing climate).

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION: www.seachangeaustralia.org

CMS would like to extend a massive congratulations to Dr Madeline Green who was shortlisted in the prestigious Nature Awards – Inspiring Women in Science!

Madeline Green is a molecular ecologist specialising in fisheries compliance, based at the University of Tasmania, Australia. She leads the Forensic Fisheries Lab, where her team develops DNA tools to trace seafood supply chains, detect illegal fishing, and protect endangered species. Her work supports evidence-based conservation and is helping to improve how fisheries are monitored, regulated, and enforced worldwide.

“These awards are important for shining a light on the contributions of women in science, and I feel deeply honoured to be recognised alongside so many inspiring researchers,” Dr Green said.

“The inclusion of women and other minorities in science has progressed greatly, and I stand on the shoulders of the courageous women who paved the way before me,” she said.

“I draw strength from these experiences and people, as they inspire me to build a team culture that values not only research excellence, but also empathy and kindness.”

See all the 2025 winners here: Nature Awards Inspiring Women in Science

Presenter: Assoc Prof Emily Ogier (IMAS/CMS)

Title: Novel marine-climate interventions: Understanding the current global status of their use and how we can govern them responsibly

Description: Novel marine-climate interventions – such as ocean alkalinity enhancement, assisted evolution of marine species, assisted migration of marine species, regrowing targeted species, restoring habitat, and aquaculture for carbon sequestration – are being rapidly implemented to address both the causes and consequences of warming oceans. A recent survey revealed five types and 17 sub-types of interventions proposed or deployed in 37 marine systems globally. There is low consensus in climate goals being pursued by these interventions, however, and there is limited assessment and management of the broader ecological, cultural and social risks and benefits. This webinar will present the types of novel interventions being developed or deployed, their geographic distribution and stage of development (i.e., pilot or full deployment at regional scale), types of climate goals and benefits pursued, and current arrangements (if any) for responsible governance. Recommendations for responsibly governing these interventions at both pilot and upscaled deployment – such as robust evaluation of opportunity cost of alternative actions, bioethical and cumulative impact assessment at pilot scales, and building in triggers for downscaling or exits based on community monitoring – will also be discussed.

Recording date: 16 Oct 2025

Hosted by: Open Communication for the Ocean (OCTO)

Original upload: Novel marine-climate interventions: Understanding the current global status of their use and how we can govern them responsibly | OCTO: Open Communications for the Ocean

Congratulations to CMS members Dr Olly Dove and Emma Hamasaki, and the rest of the That’s What I Call Science podcast team on recently releasing their 300^th episode!!

Listen here: https://thatsscience.org/2025/10/05/episode-300-twics-turns-300/

On top of this, the show is also a finalist in two award categories at the Community Broadcasting Awards (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia have their gala night to announce winners on Sat 25^th Oct). They are up for Best Program: Talks and Outstanding Presenter (as a team).

Amazing work!

The next Species on the Move (SOTM) 2026 Conference, is to be held April 20–24, 2026 at Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan. This will be a fantastic conference about all things climate-driven species redistribution —high-quality science and excellent opportunities for cross-disciplinary exchange.

SOTM 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the series, with a special retrospective on the past decade and a forward-looking perspective on research gaps. The conference considers all species, all biomes, all disciplines and all knowledge systems, with the program spanning themes from biodiversity redistributions—phenomena and mechanisms—to ecosystem transitions, conservation, policy, cultural impacts and responses, social science, societal engagement and adaptation and much more, truly reflecting the breadth of our field.

The venue is equally inspiring: Sun Moon Lake offers stunning mountain and lake scenery, rich cultural heritage, and April is the best season for birding, hiking, and enjoying hot springs.

Abstracts are due November 10, 2025. Notifications and early-bird registration will follow. Although the schedule is tight, accepted abstracts can still be updated after acceptance, so we encourage early submission.

More details: www.speciesonthemove.com

Interactive Q&A platform connects the seafood community with climate change experts.

Sea Change Australia is a new national initiative bringing fishers, aquaculture producers, industry, managers, and researchers together to facilitate knowledge exchange and co-develop climate-resilient options for strong and healthy fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Australia.

Climate change is a growing threat—and stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors need tailored information, practical tools, and a space to share what’s working (and what’s not). Through two-way conversations, story-sharing, and on-the-ground collaboration with selected fisheries and aquaculture operations, Sea Change Australia is identifying what’s working, where the barriers are, and how to scale up adaptation across Australia.

It’s about strengthening the agility of our fisheries and aquaculture sectors to adapt to climate change and creating and testing a model that might also be useful in other places, or in other contexts (i.e. fisheries and aquaculture in other regions, or a land-based agriculture sector, for example).

Sea Change Australia is building a nationwide network to:

Key Features Now Live

Fishing for Climate Answers – Q&A Platform: https://seachangeaustralia.org/qa-platform/

• Stakeholders (e.g. fishers, industry professionals, managers, and researchers) can submit climate-related questions, and our system connects them to registered experts.
• Experts (e.g. scientists and seasoned practitioners) can register directly and create a profile in our portal.
• Registering doesn’t commit you to answering — you’ll simply get notified when a question aligns with your expertise and can choose to respond or not.

Sea Change Australia initiative is endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development under the FishSCORE2030 program.

Our website and social media channels are now live!

Follow along – here’s where you can find us:

Congratulations to Dr Malcolm Johnson and his team of HDR students who workshopped a real-world problem in the CMS Interdisciplinary School 2025 earlier in the year, and who have now been listed as finalists in The Disaster Challenge 2025!

Three innovative, forward-thinking teams’ ideas to make Australia safer and more resilient to natural hazards were announced as finalists for the 2025 Disaster Challenge today. 

The project: 'Thriving coastal futures in southern Tasmania'

Team: Dr Malcolm S. Johnson (Huon Valley Council/CMS), Bianca Suarez (Australian National University), Edith Shum (University of Tasmania/CMS), Kianna Gallagher (University of Tasmania/CMS), Hevi Kurnia Hardini (Australian Maritime College/CMS), Rosie Katunar (Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania)

Malcolm applied for some seed funding during the CMS pitch funding session earlier this year to be able to get the team of students to put their ideas into actions.

What’s next?

Over the next three months, the three team finalists will receive mentoring and support from Natural Hazards Research Australia and its network of universities and emergency management organisations to further develop their ideas and refine their presentation skills.

These finalist concepts will be showcased at the Disaster Challenge final in Hobart, Tasmania on 14 October 2025 to mark the UN International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Disaster Challenge final is a public event — stay tuned to Natural Hazards Research Australia’s website

CMS Director Prof Gretta Pecl presented during a public panel session at AMSA 2025 conference in Melbourne (July 2025), called "Why Oceans Matter". The session was recorded and broadcast by RRR.

Listen here: https://www.rrr.org.au/shared/broadcast-episode/34716/1603000/3600000