NESP MaC Project 3.19 - Addressing Kakadu’s strategic marine research needs, 2023-2024 (CDU)

Research Project

Researchers: Rachel Groom (Principal investigator) ,  Lawrey, Eric, Dr. (Point of contact) ,  Wolfe, Kennedy (Dr) (Point of contact) ,  eAtlas Data Manager (Point of contact) ,  mailto:b.robson@aims.gov.au (Point of contact)

Brief description This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub study - NESP MaC Project 3.19: Addressing Kakadu’s strategic marine research needs. The Indigenous-owned lands of Kakadu National Park are World Heritage-listed and globally significant. The natural and cultural values of Kakadu are at risk from a range of threats that will intensify over time. To prioritise the management of these threats, there is a pressing need to develop a Kakadu research strategy. The NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub have already committed a project within RP2022 to work with Traditional Owners and Park managers to develop a research strategy for Kakadu National Park. Investment from the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub in RP2023 will value-add to this existing project and enable the inclusion of marine and coastal issues into this research strategy. This project will deliver a research strategy that will provide guidance on both what research needs to be done and how it should be conducted in Kakadu. The Kakadu Indigenous Research Committee (KIRC) has been operating successfully for the past 5 years and the park has been the location for several Indigenous-led research projects that demonstrated best-practice approaches for collaborative research. Planned Outputs • Final technical report with updated list of Bininj/Mungguy research priorities and updated Kakadu research protocols [written] • Draft Kakadu research strategy and a list of priority projects [written]

Notes Credit
Rachel Groom (CDU), Nicholas Macgregor (Parks Australia), Luke Einoder (Parks Australia)

Notes Credit
National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine and Coastal Hub

Notes Credit
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Australian Government

Notes Credit
In addition to NESP (DCCEEW) funding, this project is matched by an equivalent amount of in-kind support and co-investment from project partners and collaborators.

Notes Purpose
Project aims and objectives: • support KIRC to update Bininj/Mungguy research priorities and Kakadu research protocols • develop a draft research strategy for Kakadu National Park that includes short-term and longer-term research priorities and updated research protocols based on desktop review and targeted workshops • facilitate meetings to co-design a set of NESP projects that address Kakadu research priorities and which will collectively form the NESP Kakadu Flagship.

Data time period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-05-15

-13.18139,86 -12.02492,86

-12.603159527744,90