2024 Coastal Resiliency Research Symposium
Thursday and Friday - September 19-20
Duke University Marine Lab - Beaufort, NC
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:
Thursday and Friday - September 19-20 | Duke University Marine Lab - Beaufort, NC
Researchers and practitioners strengthening the region’s coastal protected areas
The Park Institute of America invites you to join National Park Service Superintendents, regional conservation leaders, and students, research staff, and faculty from North Carolina’s top universities as we explore two questions:
How can we make coastal protected areas more resilient?
How can we do better research in these same coastal parks?
If you are coastal resilience professional, researcher, or agency official working with park and protected area managers, we invite you to attend this event. Register now to reserve your seat as participation is limited.
Are you a student? Information on student pre-registration can be found here.
Topics
This symposium will make use of many unique collaborative spaces of the host facility, and although discussions will be facilitated in a variety of formats, their themes will center around three core topics.
POLICY
How can we develop forward-looking legislation and regulatory frameworks that anticipate coastal protected area management challenges of 2030 and beyond?
SCIENCE
How can we use emerging technologies to capture and communicate knowledge that supports communities, institutions, and coastal resiliency frameworks?
OUTREACH
How can we increase both stakeholder engagement and community buy-in to build lasting support for coastal stewardship strategies?
Goals
Participants will spotlight new research, policy, and outreach approaches to coastal resiliency being implemented locally that protected area managers in NC should know more about, as well as those approaches already working for the state’s National Seashores that could transfer to other coastal parks.
Local Partnerships
1. Identify and disseminate best practices for increasing stakeholder engagement while encouraging the furtherance of community-based science initiatives.
2. Assist our partners in developing locally sustainable practices for conservation efforts of their unique ecosystems.
NC Coastal Protected Areas
3. Identify the unique challenges of the Outer Banks and “Down East” North Carolina and leverage the confluence of local and national resources to maximize state-level initiatives to protect this vulnerable ecosystem and the communities that live in it.
4. Provide vignettes of lessons learned, best practices, and coverage gaps in protecting this vibrant and ever-changing landscape.
Coastal Parks Nationally
5. Amplify others’ work proven effective in their localities or regions and promote the most widely applicable techniques or trends to all our protected and conserved areas.
6. Expand the body of knowledge to reduce the challenges, both unique and universal, facing all coastal ecosystems.
Featured Discussion
August 16th, 2024
7th house collapse onto Cape Hatteras National Seashore since 2020
Photo: NPS
District Director Lindy Robinson of US Representative Dr. Gregory Murphy’s office will discuss the Representative’s recently introduced legislation on the treatment of at-risk coastal structures, including the events that catalyzed the bill’s broad support and the bill’s impact on coastal protected area managers if enacted.
“To [protect] against damage and loss resulting from the erosion of and undermining of shorelines available under the National Flood Insurance Program”
Read the bill here
Agenda
Local, Regional, and National Practitioners
Unless otherwise indicated, all activities will occur on the Duke University Marine Lab campus.
Wednesday, September 18
5pm – Informal reception dinner and oyster roast (optional attendance)
Thursday, September 19
8:30am - Registration and coffee
9:30am - Welcome address by Nicholas School Stanback Dean Lori Bennear
10am - Coastal Protected Area Resiliency Challenges
New policy options
Piloted engineering solutions
Galvanizing public support
12:30pm - Lunch social
1:30pm - Improving Research in Coastal Protected Areas
Drone and remote sensing (policy and application)
GIS and mapping
Research collaboratives and citizen science
5pm - Cocktail mixer and research facility tour
Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab
Research Vessel Shearwater
6:30pm - Waterside buffet dinner social
FRIday, September 20
9am - Student and faculty research highlights
10am - Role of Nonprofit and Community-based Orgs in Coastal Park Resiliency
Research support
Policy support
12pm - Closeout address
Note - Agenda subject to change based on speaker availability.
David Hallac
Superintendent - Outer Banks Group, National Park Service
Jeff West
Superintendent - Cape Lookout National Seashore, National Park Service
Sarah Spiegler
Coastal Resilience Specialist - North Carolina Sea Grant /
Commissioner - Town of Beaufort
Tancred Miller
Director - North Carolina Division of Coastal Management
Meaghan Johnson
Chief of Resource Management and Science - Outer Banks Group, National Park Service
Chris Baillie, Ph.D.
Resilience / Climate Adaption Coordinator - Eastern NC Sentinel Landscape (ENCSL)
Participating Organizations
University Faculty and Research Teams
Duke University
Duke University Marine Lab
Marine Robotics & Remote Sensing Lab (MaRRS)
Duke Environmental Law & Policy Clinic
North Carolina State University
North Carolina Sea Grant
Center for Marine Sciences and Technology
Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative
Eastern Carolina University
Center for Geographic Information Science
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Coastal Environmental Change Lab
Center for Natural Hazards Resilience
Socio-Ecological Change Research Lab (SECR)
Western Carolina University
Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines
Government agencies
National Park Service
Outer Banks Group / Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Lookout National Seashore
North Carolina Division of Coastal Management
US Geological Survey
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Regional Stakeholders
North Carolina 3rd US Congressional District
Town of Beaufort
Eastern North Carolina Sentinel Landscape
North Carolina Coastal Federation
Partners
National Parks Conservation Association
Southeastern Regional Team
Conservation Science Team
Water Team
Sun Coast Regional Team
Southern Environmental Law Center
Sea & Shoreline LLC
Attendance
Registration
Visit our event portal here to complete your registration.
Fee
The event fee of $75 provides each registrant with:
Reserved seating for all speaker and panel sessions
Full admission to all networking events
Welcome reception / oyster roast (Wed, Sep. 18)
Waterside dinner social (Thu, Sep. 19)
Conference meals
Mornings - coffee and pastry selection
Lunch - salad and sandwiches
On-site vehicle parking
Welcome packet
Program map and materials
Nametag
Speakers & panel guests - A discount code will be sent directly to you.
Accommodations
For those attendees requiring lodging accommodations, we have coordinated a bundle room block at the Inlet Inn in downtown Beaufort. Simply reference the Coastal Symposium when reserving your room. This block expires August 19th so we encourage you to make your reservation early.
The Inlet Inn
601 Front St, Beaufort, NC 28516
inlet-inn.com | (252) 728-3600
Location
Duke University Marine Lab
135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516
Attire
No requirement; business casual recommended. This event will include many outdoor social events and optional research vessel tours so we discourage overly formal attire.
Questions
Please direct any event inquires to Tyler Sammis at the Park Institute of America.
email | (919) 229-9554