Just 60 years ago I started my journey in coastal research. I had the good fortune of selecting the coastal strip between Newcastle in the south and Seal Rocks in the north as a study area for a fourth-year honours thesis in Geography at Sydney University. Read More

Coastal managers frequently find themselves in a quandary. Actions taken in the past, sometimes legally sometimes not, have left behind legacies which today are noted for adverse effects. In a world of increased population growth and development in coastal locations and the threats posed by global warming, these legacy issues loom large in thinking how best they can be managed. Read More

Recollections and notes from field investigations on Hainan Island, China, in 1981. Read More

Inundation by rising sea levels and increased storm surge is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the habitats and associated biodiversity along Australia’s coastline. Read More

Environmental legislation now before federal parliament offers an opportunity to go beyond that of removing “green tape”. Devolution to the states of federal responsibilities without an independent regulator and funding support will ensure our environmental trajectory remains unsustainable. Read More

In writing the blog on estuary health and management, I was prompted to think about the diversity of estuary types around the Australian coast. Many have written on this topic. Read More

Last week I participated in a presentation by fellows of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry on national water reform. Jan Dolan, one of the Commissioners, commented on the growing disconnect between science and policy in what is a contested space in public policy. She referred to several “big picture” themes as challenges to be addressed in water reform including population growth, climate change, indigenous water strategies, and how to manage for extremes in water scarcity and other impacts. I was given the opportunity to comment on estuaries. Read More

Emphasis in higher education funding overlooks the fundamental nexus between teaching and research. Academics are driven by their training and inclination to pursue research questions. This is where they receive personal rewards. Lost opportunities to continue to serve as a researcher and teacher will imperil our nation’s ability to be innovative and reduce our capacity to enrich our society with critical thinkers who inspire future generations. Read More

It is a delight to see a new book that so comprehensively covers the field of beach morphodynamics. Derek Jackson and Andy Short have edited 29 chapters on this topic: Sandy Beach Morphodynamics, Elsevier, Amstersdam,2020. Read More

Cliffs form a magnificent front door for Sydney. A previous blog discussed those cut into Hawkesbury Sandstone to the south of the entrance to Sydney Harbour. Here we describe those carved into an older set of Triassic age rocks, the Narrabeen Group. Read More