Oyster reefs are among the most critically endangered and degraded marine ecosystems worldwide. While oyster reef restoration efforts have focused on a small number of well-studied species, broadening the candidate taxa may increase restoration opportunities across a wider range of sites and environmental conditions. 𝘐𝘴𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘶𝘮, a reef-forming oyster distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, has potential as a restoration target species in Australia, however, limited understanding of its biology and ecology currently constrains its inclusion in restoration projects.
This 12-month study investigated the recruitment of 𝘐. 𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘶𝘮 in a subtropical intermittently closed and open lake or lagoon (ICOLL) in New South Wales. We aimed to (1) characterise seasonal patterns in spawning, (2) quantify settlement and recruitment across multiple sites, substrate types, and surface orientations, and (3) assess the influence of key water-quality variables on recruitment success. Four substrate treatments - plain concrete blocks, complex concrete blocks, oyster shell-enhanced blocks, and locally sourced boulders - were deployed at multiple sites, and water quality was continuously monitored. Generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to identify key predictors of recruitment.
Spawning was strongly seasonal, peaking in late summer. Larval settlement occurred across all substrate types but varied by site, substrate, surface orientation, and environmental conditions. Models revealed a significant interaction between site and substrate treatment, indicating that recruitment responses to materials differed spatially. Recruitment was highest in a connected creek and was positively associated with lower salinity and pH, and moderately with higher dissolved oxygen. Boulders and plain concrete blocks supported the greatest larval density, and vertical surfaces had significantly higher recruitment than horizontal or internal ones.
We present the first field-based evidence for incorporating 𝘐. 𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘶𝘮 into climate-resilient restoration frameworks. The results highlight the importance of species- and site-specific data to guide adaptive management of oyster reef restoration in subtropical estuaries.

Achieving global and national targets for biodiversity, climate action, and the transition to a ‘Nature Positive’ future requires a step-change in how we protect and restore landscapes. Meeting these goals by 2030 will demand a significant scaling-up of restoration activity, supported by new funding mechanisms and more collaborative approaches that deliver tangible benefits for both nature and people.

Greening Australia is responding to this challenge by applying an impact-focused model across three pillars: Environment, Community, and Economy. Central to this approach is the use of environmental markets to unlock new funding streams and rapidly scale restoration efforts, while also creating meaningful opportunities for First Nations partnerships and local economic development.

This presentation will highlight how these strategies have been applied in practice on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, where Greening Australia is working to restore the critically endangered Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata) Grassy Woodland on calcrete—a Threatened Ecological Community under the EPBC Act 1999 with less than 5% of its original extent remaining.

In collaboration with private landholders and building on foundations formed through the WildEyre Conservation Action Planning group, Greening Australia has so far restored approximately 6,200 hectares of this woodland—half of the WildEyre target of 12,000 hectares by 2025. In 2026, the total is projected to reach 9,115 hectares of restoration on Eyre Peninsula alone in just 6 years. This progress has been supported through increased engagement with local contractors – where we helped build capacity and enhance skills, meaningful partnerships with Traditional Owners and First Nations groups through fostering strong relationships, and growth in the local seed collector network. Momentum has been further enabled via investment in specialised revegetation machinery and the purchase of two properties for restoration.

Climate change has already negatively impacted species world-wide. Ectotherms are at particular risk as they rely on external microclimate for physiological function. Reptiles — a diverse class of ectotherms — are increasingly vulnerable to climate change due to their inherent low mobility and habitat speciality.
Australia has the highest reptile diversity in the world coupled with high rates of biodiversity loss. Translocation to future-suitable yet currently cooler locations is increasingly necessary to mitigate climate change effects for many of our reptile species. However, our understanding of how species respond to new climatic conditions lags demand as does our understanding of hydro-thermal trade-offs. Numerous reptile species vary in climate response across latitude and altitude, and translocation requires us to select individuals from one or more population groups, therefore understanding microclimate impacts on populations is vital. Furthermore, behavioural responses are often studied in isolation, and the role of morphology in shaping those responses is frequently overlooked.
The endangered pygmy bluetongue (Tiliqua adelaidensis), a burrow-dwelling lizard endemic to South Australia, presents an ideal model to explore these dynamics. Previously we examined hydro-thermal behaviour in response to microclimate across latitudinally diverse populations. Behaviour was monitored in-situ in wild and translocated population groups to assess variation across environments. Activity and approach distance varied by latitude-of-origin, implying local adaptation and suggesting differing capacities for coping with the new microclimates presented by translocation.
We now explore population-level morphological differences in limb length and body proportions. Morphology may influence key ecological traits such as hydro-thermoregulation, locomotion, and predation evasion, therefore may directly impact survival, reproduction, and ultimately, translocation success. Morphological diversity within a species may inform source population selection, translocation planning, and improve the likelihood of successful long-term outcomes.
By integrating behaviour and morphology, this work highlights the importance of considering intraspecific variation when planning climate-informed translocations.

As we accelerate efforts to mitigate climate change, carbon markets are rapidly expanding, with revenues from carbon taxes and emissions trading reaching a record USD 95 billion in 2023. These markets incentivise carbon sequestration through the generation and trade of carbon credits, often across international borders. While resulting in climate change mitigation benefits, carbon markets - particularly forest-based carbon projects - can also produce unintended social, environmental, and economic consequences, including land displacement, inequitable benefit distribution, and biodiversity loss.

The expansion of cross-border carbon credit trading, especially under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, complicates governance and accountability. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement establishes a framework that allows countries to cooperate in achieving their climate goals by trading emissions reductions, known as internationally transferred mitigation outcomes, to enhance global climate ambition. Over 80% of countries plan to use Article 6 mechanisms to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions, with 24% already piloting bilateral agreements. However, trading mitigation outcomes internationally can decouple emissions reductions from local benefits, particularly when projects are implemented in regions with weaker governance structures. This spatial disconnection risks reinforcing global inequities and undermining the Sustainable Development Goals.

To address these challenges, we collate and analyse publicly available global data on forest-based carbon and biodiversity projects. By mapping the current flows of forest-based carbon projects, we identify key patterns, trends, and governance gaps. This analysis provides crucial insights into how carbon markets are being implemented, who benefits, and what is at risk. Our findings highlight opportunities to redesign environmental markets to be more effective, equitable, and ecologically sustainable. As the implementation of Article 6 accelerates, now is a critical moment to ensure carbon market expansion supports - rather than undermines - climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and social equity.

Ramsar-listed wetlands are globally recognised as ecosystems of international importance, protected under the Ramsar Convention for their vital ecological function. Despite their global significance, many of these wetlands are experiencing a decline in ecological condition, driven by land use change, water extraction, and the escalating impacts of climate change. There is an urgent need for effective, evidence-based restoration to recover the functions and services these ecosystems provide. This study presents the first global assessment of ecological restoration actions undertaken within Ramsar-listed sites. We evaluate the types of interventions implemented, their effectiveness, geographic distribution, the ecological values they targeted (e.g., vegetation, waterbirds), and their alignment with site-specific threats and climate change pressures. Despite widespread restoration efforts, we found limited quantitative evidence on the outcomes of these interventions. Highlighting the need for more robust evaluation frameworks to guide adaptive management and future climate-resilient restoration within these internationally significant ecosystems.

The unprecedented rate of climate change threatens to outpace species' ability to survive. Translocation projects aim to mitigate this pressure by relocating vulnerable species to environments predicted to be suitable for future climates, typically at the cooler edges of their natural ranges. However, for successful establishment, effective acclimatisation to the current environmental conditions of the area is essential. Translocations are required for many reptiles due to their high susceptibility to environmental conditions and limited dispersal abilities. However, significant behavioural acclimatisation strategies are understudied in reptile translocations and lack sufficient long-term monitoring. Here, we investigate intergenerational behavioural responses to temperature and relative humidity in three latitudinally distinct lineages of translocated pygmy bluetongues (Tiliqua adelaidensis), an endangered burrow-dwelling lizard endemic to the Mid-North of South Australia. Over their active season (September-March), field-based approach distance and behavioural footage were taken at a Southerly translocation site across three lineages of lizards translocated three years prior, and their offspring born within the site. Behaviours were matched to the translocation sites' environmental data to assess thermo/ hydroregulation strategies and determine if behaviours showed evidence of acclimatisation. This knowledge is critical for understanding the factors that influence the survival of pygmy bluetongues in new microclimates

Land and sea managers face enormous adaptation challenges, with climate change impacts compounding on decades of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. To safeguard Australia’s biodiversity into the future, land and sea managers must address the effects of current and future climate change in their planning and operations. To address this, the Climate Adaptation Initiative of the National Environmental Science Program has developed Adapt Land&Sea – a central location for accessing resources and guidance for adaptation relevant to the biodiversity sector.
Adapt Land&Sea features adaptation work from across the National Environmental Science Program’s four research hubs as well as a step-by-step guide for developing an adaptation plan supported with practical examples demonstrating how to use climate information in biodiversity conservation decision-making. The recently released Adaptation Catalogue for Conservation (AdaptLog), which provides a repository of adaptation interventions for species and ecological communities, also features.
In keeping with Adapt Land&Sea’s central objective to be accessible, useable and useful, we call on all biodiversity managers to help shape future content and user experience through testing and reviewing products. By providing tailored and accessible climate adaptation guidance for land and sea managers, we hope to contribute to improving management of biodiversity threatened by climate change and climate-related extreme events.