Lessons learned
Marine Conservation

Key Messages from the Coastal Futures and Ocean Recovery Conference

Ten key messages from the UK Coastal Futures and Ocean Recovery Conference 2021.

Go to the profile of Daniele Clifford
Daniele Clifford
Marine Futures Intern, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, The Crown Estate, Ørsted and Natural England
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This month, I had the pleasure of (virtually) attending three inspiring days of talks for the Coastal Futures and Ocean Recovery Conference. While there were many great talks, the ten key messages I took from the conference (in no particular order) are:

  1. Better management is needed.
  2. We need a strategic approach.
  3. Do something!
  4. Collaboration is key - not just between NGOs and government, but as true interdisciplinary collaboration at the earliest stage of projects (during their development).
  5. Projects need to be locally led.
  6. We have failed to truly value our natural environment.
  7. We need to restore the marine environment, not just conserve a degraded state.
  8. Nature recovery needs protection - trawling and dredging within UK MPAs should not be allowed.
  9. Two quotes - "Action is the antidote to despair." - Joan Baes and "The biggest impediment to achieving is believing we can't!" - Callum Roberts.
  10. It's an exciting time to be a marine conservationist!
Go to the profile of Daniele Clifford

Daniele Clifford

Marine Futures Intern, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, The Crown Estate, Ørsted and Natural England

I'm currently working with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, The Crown Estate, Ørsted and Natural England as a Marine Futures Intern. I returned to the UK in 2020 after working in Alderney for a year as the Ramsar Officer for Alderney Wildlife Trust, responsible for leading the Ramsar Programme for the island's marine Ramsar site; home to two gannet colonies, breeding puffins, guillemots, gulls and grey seals etc. I was involved in everything from project management, ecological surveys, research (my favourite projects researched the impact of anthropogenic materials (mainly plastic fishing line) on gannets), events and, engaging and advising the government. Prior to this I worked as a Research Assistant in Seville and gained a qualification in European Community Development. I graduated with a BSc in Environmental Science in 2017.
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Go to the profile of Thirza Loffeld
Thirza Loffeld
3 months ago

Thank you for sharing these key messages Daniele, much appreciated! 

Go to the profile of Josue D Arteaga-Torres
Josue D Arteaga-Torres
3 months ago

That sounds like an amazing conference! Is there any place where we can see recordings of this conference?

Go to the profile of Daniele Clifford
Daniele Clifford
2 months ago

Hello, I don't think the recordings are available to the public. However, slides from previous years can be viewed at http://coastal-futures.net/archive.