Category Archives: conferences

New publication looks at helping coastal communities prepare for greater resilience in the face of climate change

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The following publication is available as a free download from Oregon Sea Grant.

It may also be purchased from Oregon Sea Grant.

Coastal Resilience: Assisting Communities in the Face of Climate Change

Community resilience is the ability of a community to respond to or recover from systemic disturbances, including climate-related effects on the environment, economy, and society. In coastal areas, where communities are particularly vulnerable (as Hurricanes Katrina and Ivan demonstrated), this topic has sparked considerable interest among academics and agencies, though examples of communities working toward resilience in any systematic way appear to be few. Nevertheless, preparing coastal communities for greater resilience in the context of a changing climate is a critical activity for many U.S. coastal professionals.

To address a need for greater interchange between researchers and community practitioners, Oregon Sea Grant facilitated a teleconference among 13 diverse national experts. This dynamic discussion, which includes first-hand accounts of participant experiences as well as discussions about how to define, approach, and “achieve” resilience, is transcribed here.

This exchange of information, experience, and ideas will be of interest to other researchers and practitioners and may, over time, contribute to coastal community resilience.

Heceta Head Conference to focus on working waterfronts

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Register now for “Oregon’s Oceans: Working Waterfronts,” the 6th annual Heceta Head Conference Oct. 28-29 at the Florence Events Center.

The conference is devoted to bringing new understanding of the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast through recent scientific advances and policy developments that  benefit coastal communities. This year’s program,  “Working Waterfronts,” examines the complexity of waterfronts in their multiple uses, diverse industries and environmental habitats.

For the first time this year, Oregon Sea Grant is partnering with the conference; Jamie Doyle, Sea Grant Extension agent in Coquille/Coos Bay, is developing the program of events, which begins on Thursday with a “discovery tour” of the Florence waterfront with the Port of Siuslaw and the Siuslaw Estuary Partnership.

Participants will view stormwater remonstration sites, port-led waterfront activities and projects, wetland restoration, natural resources as cultural resources, and salmon and trout enhancement projects – and the first 36 people to register will get a Siuslaw River boat trip.

The conference continues on Friday with a full day of presentations and panels on topics ranging from estuary conservation to “smart growth” for coastal communities and waterfronts.

Read more and register at http://www.hecetaheadconference.org