Mission
To better understand and address the barriers and opportunities to adapting to climate change among marine conservationists, resource users and industries.

Adaptation of marine-dependent industries and communities to climate change occurs through social processes (e.g. the most efficient adaptation strategy may be ineffective if there are counter values and cultural norms that preclude its implementation). Similarly, assessing the vulnerability of marine-dependent industries and communities to climate change requires understanding of both the sensitivity of those industries and communities to climatic changes, as well as their capacity to respond to those changes (adaptive capacity). Thus, the aim of the Communities Theme is to better understand and address the barriers and opportunities to adapting to climate change among conservationists, marine resource users and the industries which depend on them.

Theme Leader
Prof Tim Smith is the Director of the Sustainability Research Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast.  His research interests lie in the area of sustainability science, coastal management, social and institutional dimensions of climate change, adaptive capacity and community engagement. His role as Communities Theme Leader of the Network incorporate all aspects of his research interest.




Co-theme Leader
Dr Melissa Nursey-Bray (University of Tasmania - Australian Maritime College) is a lecturer at the National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability. Her research foci is in investigating how communities can participate in environmental decision making. Her current work includes development of risk assessment tools for local government so as to build adaptive capacity, development of curriculum and training packages in climate change adaptation for professionals and various projects that focus on how to build social-ecological resilience within Indigenous and non Indigenous fisheries. She is also Director of the Social Science for Climate Change Research Network (SSCCRN).

This network is committed to building capacity as well as action and education for sustainable climate change adaptation through research and collaboration. Engagement with a range of stakeholders is necessary to achieve successful adaptation responses. Read more for a full outline of the principles used by the Network