Community engagement in habitat restoration for threatened species

The Tasman region is surrounded by a wide diversity of marine habitats, ranging from the sheltered shores and seagrass beds through to the wild rocky coast of Cape Pillar. At the southern tip of Australia, these habitats support an array of marine species, many found nowhere else on earth.

Join Dr Beth Strain and Dr Jemina Stuart-Smith for an informative presentation. Beth and Jemima will showcase community engagement across two projects: volunteer-led water-quality monitoring to support the Tasmanian Live-bearing Seastar (P. vivipara) recovery, and seagrass restoration using beach-cast fragments.

Combining hands-on participation with social research, these projects demonstrate how co-produced knowledge, including Indigenous perspectives, can strengthen stewardship, inform management, and deliver scalable, community-driven conservation outcomes.

Beth specialises in seagrass ecology, artificial coastal structures and threatened species, including live-bearing and north Bruny seastars.

Jemina’s focus is on threatened marine species recovery and ecosystem restoration. She co-leads the red handfish conservation effort and co-leads the Handfish Conservation Project.

Light refreshments provided with time for Q&A.

$5 per adult. Children free.

Hosted by UTAS and A Natural Escape.