Protecting the fragile environment of Moreton Bay is important.
The Moreton Bay Foundation (TMBF) is scoping and feasibility study for a consolidated Knowledge Hub to support research, planning and management decisions in Moreton Bay and provide an interactive educational resource for the public.
Wisest decision-making is based on the best available knowledge. Substantial human endeavour and experience has been concentrated on Moreton Bay through time, but the wealth of knowledge is frequently difficult (or expensive) to access, scattered over many different repositories, and exists in many different forms.
For example, peer-reviewed papers may be found in hard or digital copies in university libraries, but there are many published historical accounts, memoirs and oral histories of use and activity in state and local libraries. Historical fishing catch records and stock assessments might be found in Department of Fisheries archives, but historical management plans may be on bookshelves at regional Councils or State Departments. And there is a wealth of contemporaneous, spatially explicit data collected and held by citizen scientist groups that can be supplemented with social media photographs of local species and places. Additionally, there are many national and State repositories of data that include relevant data (e.g. Bureau of Meteorology, Atlas of Living Australia).
A Moreton Bay Knowledge Hub would provide a central, easily accessed gateway and/or repository for decision-makers and the public. In addition, it would provide a home for contributions for members of the public and community organisations to contribute new data. This central repository has been identified as a priority by many TMBF member and collegial organisations and would provide confidence that the substantial effort of volunteers and experts alike are contributing to a holistic snapshot of the Bay that is responsive to changing circumstances and evolves with each new contribution.
Such a Knowledge Hub could; track the condition of key indicators of Moreton Bay drawn from multiple sources; help identify major knowledge gaps and data deficiencies; inform critical projects such as habitat mapping and provide an invaluable resource for socio-ecological decision making about future Moreton Bay management.
The first step for developing the Knowledge Hub is a scoping and feasibility study. The aim is to develop a strategy for the ongoing development and maintenance to ensure the Knowledge Hub grows and maintains its relevance to decision-makers and the public.
TMBF’s membership includes four major SEQ Universities; this opens opportunities to develop (for example) joint think tanks, symposia, or public lectures related to the marine ecology of Moreton Bay; to coordinate and co-deliver student research projects or joint PhD scholarships; or facilitate citizen-contributed knowledge of South East Queensland’s historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural activities and uses.
Timing
The scoping is expected to be completed by June 2024.