The Great Barrier Reef is a natural system of profound social, cultural, economic and ecological importance for both the Australian and International communities. The relationships between people and the Reef are complex and diverse, sometimes resulting in competing and contested values.

As communities grow and human interests multiply, maintaining and cultivating the values of the Reef becomes more challenging. This is particularly the case as the planet warms.

The Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef is delighted to invite you to the 2023 symposium: Reef values: ecologies, communities and connections.

This symposium will bring together a community of researchers, practitioners and policymakers to explore the diverse values, ecologies, and communities of the Reef. It provides a platform for participants to share knowledge, research findings, and cutting-edge methodologies and engage in critical and creative thinking about the social dimensions of Reef conservation, management, and sustainable development.

Register for the symposium today. Registrations close 24 August 2023.

About the Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef

The Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef is a collaboration between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Office of the Great Barrier Reef (Department of Environment and Science, Queensland), James Cook University, The Cairns Institute, Queensland University of Technology, and the University of Queensland.

The group brings together social science practitioners and academics working in the Great Barrier Reef Region.

The purpose of the group is to collaborate, share knowledge and provide a platform for improving understanding of social science for the Reef, both research and applied.