12
BAMOS
Sep 2018
Article
Preparing for the future: confronting
climate change on the coast
Simon Torok
Scientell
Email: [email protected]
How will climate change affect coastal and
marine environments, and how can research
help us meet these challenges?
These questions are answered in a new report published by the
Victorian Coastal Council. Scientell summarised the findings
from a workshop examining the likely impacts of climate change
on Victoria’s coastal and marine environments. The findings are
the culmination of a thorough review by a panel of scientific
experts that supports the Victorian Coastal Council, now the
Marine and Coastal Council, a statutory body advising the
Minister for Energy Environment and Climate Change on coastal
and marine issues, supported by the Victorian Department of
Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Victoria’s coastal regions will face changes in rainfall, wind
and wave patterns, rising sea level, more extreme storms, and
warmer and more acidic oceans. Climate change is likely to
have considerable impacts on marine life, habitats, ecosystems,
landforms and coastal culture as well as on infrastructure. All
have flow-on effects for our society and the economy.
Image: Simon Torok
Likely changes to Victoria’s coast caused by climate change. Image: Victorian Climate Council