Researcher Spotlight - Associate Professor Styan

Associate Professor Craig Styan

University of South Australia

Project: Ocean Beach Ecology and Threats - a Stakeholder Perspective

Timely and appropriate research, this project explores how people understand and feel about protecting beaches and their wildlife.

Ocean beaches are important areas that support a wide variety of life, including shorebirds and cockles, and face both natural changes and many human-related threats.

Threats affecting beaches include vehicles driving on sand, fishing for cockles, invasive animals and plants, pollution, beach erosion, and climate-related rising sea levels.

The project will gain an understanding of the benefits ocean beaches deliver to people and nature, and how different groups may experience conflict when using shared spaces from current human activities and future threats, including climate change.

“It is important to understand why people use the beaches and how their activities affect the environment,” says Craig.

As the project develops, his team will talk with user groups and people in the field, teaching them to use new technology, such as PPGIS, a map-based survey tool to capture key data.

By understanding how people see the value of beaches and can reduce conflicts between using them and protecting nature, local managers can decide where to focus monitoring, plan education efforts, and consider options like closing areas or beaches at certain times.