The NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub has a two-way communication program to guide and promote its research. The program fosters engagement with stakeholders (such as managers and policymakers), collaboration with the broader marine research community and the promotion of research achievements.

Hub deputy director, Paul Hedge, works with director and principal investigator, Nic Bax, and with theme and project leaders, to understand and meet the research needs of stakeholders. Paul is on secondment from the Marine Division of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and he began his role with the Hub in January 2012.

Communication between NERP Hubs, the establishment of a collaborators network, and participation in scientific workshops enables the effective sharing of knowledge, field work, analysis and interpretation. Researchers also are encouraged to share their individual knowledge and expertise with managers and policymakers as a means of identifying research needs.

The Hub will sponsor  the 2012 Australian Marine Science Association conference to be held in Hobart from 1 to 5 July. This year’s theme is ‘Marine Extremes – And Everything In Between’ and Marine Hub researchers will host four symposiums:

• Hidden species in the oceans: environmental extremes, rapid cladogenesis and morphological stasis (Nikos Andreakis and Daniel Gledhill)
• Marine protected areas and fisheries management: recent research and thinking from the Australia-New Zealand region (Neville Barrett et al.)
• Marine ecological monitoring needs for the next decade: managing in extremes (Keith Hayes et al)
• Early life stages and environmental extremes (Rachel Przeslawski)

The Hub also produces scientific publications and monthly newsletters, and has an exhibition of biodiversity images touring Australia. The exhibition, curated by Museum Victoria head of science, Mark Norman, originally celebrated the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010. It highlights the beauty and fragility of Australia’s marine life, and the need for understanding and management. The exhibition was recently on display at Scienceworks, Museum Victoria from 18 February to 15 April with Questacon's ‘Our Water’ exhibition.

Communication can take many forms. The Hub is exploring several of these while remaining focused on our key objective of providing the provision of scientific advice to support the management of Australia’s marine territory. Please contact Annabel Ozimec with communication ideas.

Go to the Hub’s website to learn more about the Hub’s mission and research interests.

Images:
Walking on your hands. Pink handfish.  Copyright: Karen Gowlett-Holmes
Mapping the deep.  Lord Howe Island Bathymetry.  Copyright:  Geoscience Australia
Giant Kelp Forest.  Copyright: Karen Gowlett-Holmes
Coral cores as history books.  Copyright:  Eric G Matson, AIMS

Related links:
Hub website http://www.nerpmarine.edu.au/
2012 Australian Marine Science Association conference
Hub scientific publications
Hub newsletter archive
Exhibition of marine biodiversity images - download the flyer
Scienceworks
Email:  info@nespmarine.edu.au