In this Workshop you will learn about the latest science that underpins the control of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) on the Great Barrier Reef, and you will gain practical skills for using the state-of-the-art technologies that have been developed for COTS control. The workshop will include ~30 mins seminar presentation from leading COTS Control scientists and practitioners, ~30 min Q&A, ~60 mins practical exercises focussing on setting-up and maintaining COTS injection devices, and reporting COTS sightings and cull activities via GBRMPA Eye-on-the-Reef.

In this Workshop you will learn about cutting-edge methods for up-scaled production of coral larvae and spat for reef restoration from some of Australia’s leading Researchers. The workshop will include a brief explanation of coral reproduction followed by a set of three ~30 min interactive sessions about: 1) automated land-based spawning and fertilisation, larval rearing, and settlement of corals for reef restoration; 2) techniques and technologies for on-reef mass-production and deployment of coral larvae in the field (via larval pools and tanks); and 3) methods and equipment for large-scale deployment of settled corals into different reef habitats, taking into account reef ecology. The workshop will end with a brainstorming session with the panel around the future of sexual production of corals for reef restoration, a discussion about emerging methods and technologies, and a Q&A session.

Resilience-based management of coral reefs, and detecting the efficacy of reef interventions, requires large scale assessment of reef condition. New data collection technologies that rely on artificial intelligence for automated assessment of coral reef condition (coral cover and benthic composition) have been developed to solve data gaps for reef monitoring, In this workshop you will learn from the developers of the ReefCloud system about the underpinning science, and you will gain skills in how to access and contribute to ReefCloud. The session will include a comparison between ReefCloud and other similar platforms being used around the world. The workshop will end with a Q&A session. NOTE: Computers are available but you may wish to bring a laptop computer with internet access.

RRAP Explorer is a modelling tool that integrates the latest Great Barrier Reef environmental datasets with models for coral population and community dynamics. RRAP researchers have created a web-based general user interface that will allow users to assess outcomes of different restoration scenarios. In this workshop, you will learn about the modelling and decision support tools used by RRAP and CCIP, and you will gain skills for using RRAP Explorer. The workshop will include: 1) ~30 mins presentation about the underlying science and an introduction to RRAP Explorer; 2) ~ 60 mins interactive session learning how to use the GUI; 3) ~30 minutes Q&A session about the application of the models and benefits and limitations of the approach. NOTE: Computers are available but you may wish to bring a laptop computer with internet access.

Two-way knowledge sharing between Indigenous communities and scientists is integral to our collective desire to conserve the marine environment for generations to come. Moreover, engagement with rights-holders and the public, along with robust governance (both Law and the Lore), is critical to achieving successful implementation of reef interventions. In this workshop, you will gain new understanding of Traditional Owner perspectives on sea country. The workshop will include: 1) ~30 mins presentation about the natural synergies that exist between reef research and the management and protection of sea country by Traditional Owners; 2) ~ 60 mins interactive session about how to co-create new shared research that weaves Indigenous Knowledge of sea country with other sciences; 3) ~30 minutes Q&A session. NOTE: Maximum attendees is 40.