Stop #2 on Beaker Street Festival's Tassie Science Road Trip

Is marine development compatible with environmental protection? — Professor Catriona MacLeod

Coastal development and harnessing of marine resources represent significant opportunities for regional communities in Tasmania, but how can we limit the environmental impacts? A thorough understanding of how to measure the effects of human activities on our marine and coastal environments allows us to predict long-term impacts and mitigate risks. Some of these activities, such as fish farming, have generated significant attention and controversy, and it can be difficult to disentangle fact from hype. In this talk, I will attempt to do just that, while answering many common questions along the way.

About the Speaker
Catriona is originally from the Highlands of Scotland but fell in love with Tasmania when she got a 2 year contract to work here in 1997. She has moved from industry to research, from the central highlands to Hobart (about as cosmopolitan as she wants to get) and has been working for many years on how to improve marine environmental management and inform truly sustainable development. She has a passion for helping people understand the science around these issues. Originally a benthic ecologist, working on sediments and the animals that live in them, she has worked in Tassie with CSIRO on introduced marine pests, in the Derwent on heavy metal contamination and on developing risk appropriate monitoring and management for salmon farming. She is currently Head of the Ecology and Biodiversity Centre within IMAS, and sits on a range of local, national and international management advisory committees and boards where she provides input on optimal environmental monitoring and management for a broad range of activities in marine and coastal areas.

More about Beaker Street Festival's Tassie Science Road Trip
Explore Tasmania alongside some of Tassie’s most interesting and accomplished scientists. Take a deep dive into four iconic locations, where you’ll hear from some of the state's most prominent scientists on issues relevant to the local area. At each location, you'll be invited to a scientific talk, followed by plenty of opportunities to chat with the scientists one-on-one over drinks or a meal. Join us at every stop of the Trip, or choose your own adventure. View the whole Road Trip, and learn more about Beaker Street Festival, the annual celebration of science and art in lutruwita/Tasmania, at www.beakerstreet.com.au.

Please Note
This ticket is for the scientific talk only. If you'd like to attend dinner with the scientist, please contact the hotel on (03) 6471 4200.

A Seat at the Table
Beaker Street Festival's pay-it-forward initiative, A Seat at the Table, helps make our science and art offerings accessible to those who can't afford to purchase a ticket. Ticket buyers have the option to donate towards the cost of a stranger's ticket. You won't know who you've helped, but your donation will go directly to allowing someone else to access this great event.

Need a seat at the table? Email: seatplease@beakerstreet.com.au with your name, email address, post code, your age (if you don't mind - it helps us gather data), which event you're interested in, and whether you would like one or two tickets. Your information will never be shared or made public. If we can offer you a seat, we'll notify you by email within a week of the event.