Wetland Walk and Talk with Jeff Kelleway (Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow)
Wetlands and Climate Change
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Fairy Creek (North Wollongong)
A short guided (COVID-safe) walk along the Fairy Creek boardwalks, discussing the impacts of climate change on coastal wetlands, and the unique role wetlands can play in climate mitigation. Staff, students and public welcome
Coastal wetlands such as mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrass meadows are hotspots of biodiversity and provide us with countless environmental goods and services. They are also ‘canaries in the coal mine’ of climate change impact on natural ecosystems. Coastal wetlands have been responding to rising sea-levels for decades, and are susceptible to changing temperature, rainfall regimes and increasing storm severity.
Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom. Coastal wetlands are also among the most effective of natural carbon sinks, helping to draw CO2 out of the atmosphere, and burying in their muddy soils for hundreds to thousands of years. There is increasing interest from governments, industry, and the public to restore our coastal wetlands to their former glory, and fight global climate change.
On the wetland walk and talk we’ll cover these topics, answer all your wetland related questions and hopefully help you identify a waterbird or two!