Free public talk about social and economic significance of the Great Barrier Reef and the people of MTQ.

Discover the People of the Great Barrier Reef at MTQ

The social and economic significance of the Great Barrier Reef will be explored in a free public talk at the Museum of Tropical Queensland on Tuesday 12 August at 12pm.

Dr Nadine Marshall, a senior social scientist with CSIRO, Ecosystems Sciences, leads the social and economic long term monitoring program for the Great Barrier Reef (named SELTMP), which informs decision-making, planning and management of the reef.

Museum of Tropical Queensland Director Peter McLeod said Dr Marshall’s talk would present an overview of the project and provide a glimpse into the learnings that are being derived.

“The monitoring program is a nationally-significant project offering insights into the human dimension of the Great Barrier Reef for researchers, industry and government,” Mr McLeod said.

“Issues of Reef management are in the news continually, and this shows part of the background to the decision-making process,” he said.

Dr Marshall’s research focuses on the relationship between people and natural resources for the purposes of developing strategies that protect environmental goals with minimal social impact.

Dr Marshall said that at its most basic, the SELTMP provides us with information about the people that are dependent on, and care about, the Great Barrier Reef.  

“Monitoring of conditions and trends can alert us to changes in the social-ecological system, impacts associated with interventions, levels of public support, and the social and economic trade-offs associated with decision-making,” Dr Marshall said.

“The SELTMP also helps us understand the growing threat of human actions on the Reef and the capacity of industries and communities to face challenges and to support ecosystem resilience,” she said.

The lecture is part of the Museum of Tropical Queensland’s Discover More Talk series, held on the second Tuesday of each month.

Entry to the Museum is free for Townsville and Burdekin locals on Tuesday 12 August as one of the monthly free days sponsored by Townsville City Council and Burdekin Shire Council. 

Visit mtq.qm.qld.gov.au for more information.

Through the support of their councils, locals from Charters Towers and Hinchinbrook receive free entry to the museum and locals from Townsville and the Burdekin receive half-price entry.

The Museum of Tropical Queensland, part of the Queensland Museum Network, is open from 9.30am –

5pm daily.

Media Contact:                      Lorelle Schluter        4726 0603 or 0424 408 373

Stephen Wilson       4726 0604 or 0431 334 583

70 – 102 Flinders Street, Townsville, Queensland

www.mtq.qm.qld.gov.au

(07) 4726 0600