WORKSHOPS
RCUK 2025 will feature three workshops, hosted at Bangor University, Wales (Friday 5th December, 14-17:00h).
Attendance at workshops will be limited and can be booked with the registration, once the registration is open. This year we are happy to welcome James Guest, Michael Sweet and Gareth Williams as our workshop instructors. For more information on each workshop please see below.
REEF RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION, James Guest & Coralassist Lab at Newcastle University
What the workshop is about:
Reef restoration and rehabilitation aims to accelerate recovery of reefs that have been degraded by human activities. Restoration and rehabilitation have been practiced for several decades on reefs, but mostly at small scales to tackle localised disturbances such as ship groundings and destructive fishing. However, in the last few years ecological restoration projects have become more widespread on reefs and the science of reef restoration ecology has received considerable attention. There are now ambitions to dramatically upscale restoration to tackle global scale disturbances such as mass coral bleaching. Nonetheless, both the practice and science are still in their infancy and there are relatively few well documented examples of successful reef restoration initiatives. It is likely that restoration and rehabilitation will become increasingly popular as management tools in the Anthropocene, therefore it is critical for coral reef scientists, particularly early career researchers, to have a clear grasp of what reef restoration is (and is not). The aim of this half day workshop is to introduce reef restoration and rehabilitation, to discuss the current state of the science and practice and to provoke discussion on what key developments need to take place for reef restoration and rehabilitation to have a meaningful impact in the Anthropocene.
What you will learn:
Key concepts: We will cover the basic concepts that underpin coral restoration and rehabilitation. This will include defining the key terms used in the field of reef restoration ecology. For example, we will distinguish between restoration ecology and ecological restoration (and explain why this distinction is important), we will discuss the differences between restoration and rehabilitation and between proactive and reactive management. We will also provide an overview of the main techniques currently being used for reef restoration and rehabilitation outlining their strengths and weaknesses. We will provide some case studies of both successes and failures from the field. Finally, we will discuss both the costs and potential benefits of coral reef restoration and rehabilitation to give workshop participants a clearer understanding what is required to meaningfully upscale restorative interventions.
Set up: The workshops will be delivered as a series of short talks, lectures and practical exercises followed by discussion within breakout groups.
Target audience:
This workshop is aimed at early career researchers eager to learn about concepts and techniques in coral reef restoration and rehabilitation. We hope that at the end, participants will have a clearer appreciation of the challenges involved in successfully restoring coral reef ecosystems.
What you will need:
There are no pre-requirements apart from being willing to learn and contribute. Feel free to bring a notebook and pen, but these will be provided.
Your instructor(s):
Dr James Guest has been conducting research on coral reefs for over 25 years. He is currently the principal investigator of the Coralassist Lab at Newcastle University (https://www.coralassistlab.org/). Other instructors are to be confirmed but will involve members of the Coralassist Lab and experts on coral reef restoration and rehabilitation.
Reef restoration and rehabilitation aims to accelerate recovery of reefs that have been degraded by human activities. Restoration and rehabilitation have been practiced for several decades on reefs, but mostly at small scales to tackle localised disturbances such as ship groundings and destructive fishing. However, in the last few years ecological restoration projects have become more widespread on reefs and the science of reef restoration ecology has received considerable attention. There are now ambitions to dramatically upscale restoration to tackle global scale disturbances such as mass coral bleaching. Nonetheless, both the practice and science are still in their infancy and there are relatively few well documented examples of successful reef restoration initiatives. It is likely that restoration and rehabilitation will become increasingly popular as management tools in the Anthropocene, therefore it is critical for coral reef scientists, particularly early career researchers, to have a clear grasp of what reef restoration is (and is not). The aim of this half day workshop is to introduce reef restoration and rehabilitation, to discuss the current state of the science and practice and to provoke discussion on what key developments need to take place for reef restoration and rehabilitation to have a meaningful impact in the Anthropocene.
What you will learn:
Key concepts: We will cover the basic concepts that underpin coral restoration and rehabilitation. This will include defining the key terms used in the field of reef restoration ecology. For example, we will distinguish between restoration ecology and ecological restoration (and explain why this distinction is important), we will discuss the differences between restoration and rehabilitation and between proactive and reactive management. We will also provide an overview of the main techniques currently being used for reef restoration and rehabilitation outlining their strengths and weaknesses. We will provide some case studies of both successes and failures from the field. Finally, we will discuss both the costs and potential benefits of coral reef restoration and rehabilitation to give workshop participants a clearer understanding what is required to meaningfully upscale restorative interventions.
Set up: The workshops will be delivered as a series of short talks, lectures and practical exercises followed by discussion within breakout groups.
Target audience:
This workshop is aimed at early career researchers eager to learn about concepts and techniques in coral reef restoration and rehabilitation. We hope that at the end, participants will have a clearer appreciation of the challenges involved in successfully restoring coral reef ecosystems.
What you will need:
There are no pre-requirements apart from being willing to learn and contribute. Feel free to bring a notebook and pen, but these will be provided.
Your instructor(s):
Dr James Guest has been conducting research on coral reefs for over 25 years. He is currently the principal investigator of the Coralassist Lab at Newcastle University (https://www.coralassistlab.org/). Other instructors are to be confirmed but will involve members of the Coralassist Lab and experts on coral reef restoration and rehabilitation.
BUILDING A MODEL FOR INTEGRATED REEF CONSERVATION, Michael Sweet
What the workshop is about:
Coral reefs are critical biodiversity hotspots, providing ecosystem services, such as fisheries, coastal protection, and tourism, collectively valued at over US$2.7 trillion annually. However, these precious ecosystems are declining dramatically due to human activities, with a staggering ~50% of coral cover lost since the 1970s. Restoration, or regeneration, is therefore urgently needed and more than US$0.25 billion has been invested into these practices. However many such ventures are often established without the necessary sustained operational or financial strategies in place to meet longer-term measurable ecological or social restoration goals. Further, there is often debate over which is the 'best' or 'optimal' reef restoration approach to undertake.
In this workshop we hope to discuss and showcase various takes and strategies of coral restoration and regeneration. To this end, we hope to attract participants who have actively undertaken such activities and can share from their lived experiences.
We will also highlight various frameworks or tools that will enable governments, reef practitioners and/or managers to look towards the future, especially when the goal posts are ever changing and importantly how one can generate a self sustaining financed operation. Here we are keen to bring in innovators, business owners and those active in the political sphere.
Finally, join us in designing a new institute. One that aims to leverage knowledge gained from research, innovation, and cross sector collaboration. We are passionate to get this right from the onset and are actively seeking partners across local communities, indigenous groups, academic institutions, technology leaders and governments. If this sounds like something you could get your teeth into, please join us and/or reach out and start the discussion with the leadership team to be involved.
What you will learn:
Participants will learn the pros and cons of various coral reef restoration tools and techniques, feeding their own experiences, thoughts and feelings into the mix.
We will also have open discussions on the future of reef restoration, specifically, what are we missing? Why do many think it is a waste of time? and how we can collectively reach targets or goals to ensure success at every level?
Finally, we will attempt to plan the 'perfect' Institute for Conservation. Based in Bali, Indonesia we are currently designing a 5200 m2 living, learning and research environment that connects rainforests to reefs, combing hands on conservation, climate solutions, and community empowerment.
Come join us and be part of something truly special where you can have your say on how we act and build in this space - with the aim of doing nothing short of changing the way reef restoration is undertaken, not just in Indonesia but across the whole wide world.
Target audience:
We would love to reach people who have been active in this field, in any way, shape or form. We would particularly like to encourage folks who have worked in community based projects in the tropics. But we are also keen if you just want to listen, learn and especially if you want to be involved in our dream.
What you will need:
Just bring yourself and maybe a notebook or computer. We will aim to build a white paper on the outputs from the discussion or at the very least be a little closer to the design of our Institute for Conservation.
Your instructor(s):
Professor Michael Sweet, has over two decades of experience working on, in and around coral reefs throughout many different countries. He has published over 150 scientific papers, and written two books on the subject. His specialism is around innovative tools and techniques that practitioners can use to achieve various goals in this space (and beyond) - from the application of probiotics, the use of eDNA for monitoring purposes, the utilisation of sexual selection in corals and more recently controlled flowering and seed development in seagrass. He teaches at the University of Derby and runs internationally recognised courses in places such as the Maldives and Indonesia on coral conservation.
Sweet will be joined by members of his team and wider network to deliver this workshop.
Coral reefs are critical biodiversity hotspots, providing ecosystem services, such as fisheries, coastal protection, and tourism, collectively valued at over US$2.7 trillion annually. However, these precious ecosystems are declining dramatically due to human activities, with a staggering ~50% of coral cover lost since the 1970s. Restoration, or regeneration, is therefore urgently needed and more than US$0.25 billion has been invested into these practices. However many such ventures are often established without the necessary sustained operational or financial strategies in place to meet longer-term measurable ecological or social restoration goals. Further, there is often debate over which is the 'best' or 'optimal' reef restoration approach to undertake.
In this workshop we hope to discuss and showcase various takes and strategies of coral restoration and regeneration. To this end, we hope to attract participants who have actively undertaken such activities and can share from their lived experiences.
We will also highlight various frameworks or tools that will enable governments, reef practitioners and/or managers to look towards the future, especially when the goal posts are ever changing and importantly how one can generate a self sustaining financed operation. Here we are keen to bring in innovators, business owners and those active in the political sphere.
Finally, join us in designing a new institute. One that aims to leverage knowledge gained from research, innovation, and cross sector collaboration. We are passionate to get this right from the onset and are actively seeking partners across local communities, indigenous groups, academic institutions, technology leaders and governments. If this sounds like something you could get your teeth into, please join us and/or reach out and start the discussion with the leadership team to be involved.
What you will learn:
Participants will learn the pros and cons of various coral reef restoration tools and techniques, feeding their own experiences, thoughts and feelings into the mix.
We will also have open discussions on the future of reef restoration, specifically, what are we missing? Why do many think it is a waste of time? and how we can collectively reach targets or goals to ensure success at every level?
Finally, we will attempt to plan the 'perfect' Institute for Conservation. Based in Bali, Indonesia we are currently designing a 5200 m2 living, learning and research environment that connects rainforests to reefs, combing hands on conservation, climate solutions, and community empowerment.
Come join us and be part of something truly special where you can have your say on how we act and build in this space - with the aim of doing nothing short of changing the way reef restoration is undertaken, not just in Indonesia but across the whole wide world.
Target audience:
We would love to reach people who have been active in this field, in any way, shape or form. We would particularly like to encourage folks who have worked in community based projects in the tropics. But we are also keen if you just want to listen, learn and especially if you want to be involved in our dream.
What you will need:
Just bring yourself and maybe a notebook or computer. We will aim to build a white paper on the outputs from the discussion or at the very least be a little closer to the design of our Institute for Conservation.
Your instructor(s):
Professor Michael Sweet, has over two decades of experience working on, in and around coral reefs throughout many different countries. He has published over 150 scientific papers, and written two books on the subject. His specialism is around innovative tools and techniques that practitioners can use to achieve various goals in this space (and beyond) - from the application of probiotics, the use of eDNA for monitoring purposes, the utilisation of sexual selection in corals and more recently controlled flowering and seed development in seagrass. He teaches at the University of Derby and runs internationally recognised courses in places such as the Maldives and Indonesia on coral conservation.
Sweet will be joined by members of his team and wider network to deliver this workshop.
Getting the best out of the peer review process when publishing your work, GARETH WILLIAMS
What the workshop is about:
This workshop will discuss some key steps to getting your work successfully published in scientific peer review. The review process can be daunting and stressful for researchers of all career stages, but in my experience, it can be especially tough for PhD students and Early Career Researchers when embarking on it for the first few times. The review process is supposed to be helpful and constructive, but it can also present challenging hurdles that need to be overcome. Some of these can be pre-empted and your work designed with these potential hurdles in mind to improve the chances of you getting the best out of the peer review process.
What you will learn:
We will discuss (via short lecture format) the key steps involved in scientific peer review and some of the topics I consider key ingredients to building a successful scientific publication. These include: 1) the challenge of narrative – how do you tell a science story? 2) Demonstrate, don’t argue – anticipating reviewer concerns in advance. 3) Research significance – how can you place local case studies into a broader context to increase the appeal/significance of your work? During the second half of the workshop, participants will work in groups to apply what you have learnt in the lectures to a real-world case study. You will brainstorm ideas of how to increase the appeal/significance of an example local case study piece of work and present a short summary of these ideas to the other groups.
Target audience:
PhD candidates, Early Career Researchers. Ideally participants should have some initially experience/awareness of the peer-review process (so that the basics of the process are understood).
What you will need:
Something to take notes and write down ideas (pen and paper, laptop or tablet – there will be plugs available for charging).
Your instructor(s):
Professor Gareth Williams is a marine biologist at Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences (SOS) in North Wales, UK. His work focuses on the effects of local and global human impacts and biophysical gradients on tropical coral reefs across multiple trophic levels (microbes to sharks) and scales (individual reefs to entire ocean basins). Much of his work incorporates remote coral reefs free from direct local human impacts, providing key replication at the unimpacted end of an intact-to-degraded ecosystem spectrum. Gareth will be joined by Dr Ronan Roche (Lecturer in Marine Biology) and two PhD candidates from SOS who have both been through the peer review process.
This workshop will discuss some key steps to getting your work successfully published in scientific peer review. The review process can be daunting and stressful for researchers of all career stages, but in my experience, it can be especially tough for PhD students and Early Career Researchers when embarking on it for the first few times. The review process is supposed to be helpful and constructive, but it can also present challenging hurdles that need to be overcome. Some of these can be pre-empted and your work designed with these potential hurdles in mind to improve the chances of you getting the best out of the peer review process.
What you will learn:
We will discuss (via short lecture format) the key steps involved in scientific peer review and some of the topics I consider key ingredients to building a successful scientific publication. These include: 1) the challenge of narrative – how do you tell a science story? 2) Demonstrate, don’t argue – anticipating reviewer concerns in advance. 3) Research significance – how can you place local case studies into a broader context to increase the appeal/significance of your work? During the second half of the workshop, participants will work in groups to apply what you have learnt in the lectures to a real-world case study. You will brainstorm ideas of how to increase the appeal/significance of an example local case study piece of work and present a short summary of these ideas to the other groups.
Target audience:
PhD candidates, Early Career Researchers. Ideally participants should have some initially experience/awareness of the peer-review process (so that the basics of the process are understood).
What you will need:
Something to take notes and write down ideas (pen and paper, laptop or tablet – there will be plugs available for charging).
Your instructor(s):
Professor Gareth Williams is a marine biologist at Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences (SOS) in North Wales, UK. His work focuses on the effects of local and global human impacts and biophysical gradients on tropical coral reefs across multiple trophic levels (microbes to sharks) and scales (individual reefs to entire ocean basins). Much of his work incorporates remote coral reefs free from direct local human impacts, providing key replication at the unimpacted end of an intact-to-degraded ecosystem spectrum. Gareth will be joined by Dr Ronan Roche (Lecturer in Marine Biology) and two PhD candidates from SOS who have both been through the peer review process.
