GEELONGPORT CITIZEN SCIENCE

The GeelongPort Citizen Science Program is an initiative aiming to connect the Geelong community to Corio Bay’s coastal ecosystems and climate change research.

Overview

The GeelongPort Citizen Science program aims to raise local awareness and collect research data on the value of Corio Bay’s costal ecosystems for climate change mitigation. To achieve this, 150+ GeelongPort community members will participate from a citizen science journey including educational workshops and blue carbon fieldwork.

Educational workshops

GeelongPort and Deakin scientists will deliver tailored educational talks on climate change, coastal wetlands and blue carbon. This component provides participants background information on natural capital and the importance of Corio Bay’s wetlands for climate mitigation.

Fieldwork and Research

GeelongPort community members will support blue carbon research aiming to quantify the carbon gains from saltmarsh restoration in Victoria. Participants will get to visit saltmarsh communities in Corio Bay with different conditions (i.e. healthy, degraded, rehabilitated) and help Deakin scientists collect soil cores, take greenhouse gas measurements, survey wetland vegetation, and measure surface elevation. This field allows participants to experience first-hand the value and services wetlands provide, while collecting critical research data.

Background

Corio Bay holds a wealth of blue carbon ecosystems (ie. saltmarshes, mangroves and seagrass meadows) that are helping Victorians mitigate and adapt to climate change. They serve as natural carbon sinks, biodiversity hotspots, and offer coastal protection services. However, challenged with unprecedented degradation, coastal wetlands in Victoria have dramatically declined in the last decades.

Unfortunately, many Australians have little connection to the coastal ecosystems on their doorstep, and minimal understanding of their role as nature-based solution for climate change. This program aims to address these issues locally, by immersing GeelongPort community members into Corio Bay’s coastal ecosystems and connecting them with nature and climate change science. Increased local understanding of the value of coastal ecosystems is critical to guarantee their protection and restoration within Corio Bay.

Program goals

By providing an immersive experience into Geelong’s coastal wetland research, this program will educate the GeelongPort community on the importance of healthy wetlands, while advancing Australia’s blue carbon science.

GeelongPort staff will increase understanding of internal sustainability policies, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the linkages of Corio Bay ecosystem services to the port industry. Participants will be empowered to value coastal blue carbon ecosystems, care for our natural capital, reduce their carbon footprint and build a sustainable workspace.

We will collect publishable data on the ability of Australian coastal wetlands to trap atmospheric carbon and fight climate change. This will help prioritise sites for protection, restoration and future carbon offsetting.

The program will contribute to the health, wellbeing and team-bonding of GeelongPort staff thanks to the day spent in nature and the outdoor group activities undertaken.

Research program

GeelongPort’s citizen scientists will support on-ground data collection for the following research program.

Title	PREDICTING THE GAINS FROM SALTMARSH RESTORATION
Need for research	Saltmarsh restoration is known to enhance bird biodiversity and thescenic value of the coastline. However, the blue carbon benefits fromrehabilitating coastal vegetation are unclear in the region. This researchwill be critical to build the case for the restoration and protection ofsaltmarsh for blue carbon offsets in Victoria.
Approach	Measure and compare blue carbon dynamics across sites with (a) natural,(b) degraded, and (c) rehabilitated saltmarsh communities
Data collection activities
Outputs	Data will be used to prepare a scientific publication and inform potentialblue carbon offsets from saltmarsh restoration in Victoria.