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Lecture

Marine Discovery Series (MDS)

Date
Thursday, 3 December 2026
Time
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (NSW Time)
Location
National Marine Science Centre
Diver swimming above coral reef

Categories

Hosted by:
National Marine Science Centre
Event cost:
Free

This talk is about research showing multi-decadal coral resilience and vulnerability of the Solitary Islands Marine Park, and the evaluation and management of emerging threats.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Hamish Malcolm, NSW DPIRD

Subtropical coral assemblages of Solitary Islands Marine Park (SIMP) are unique and resilient, with multi-decadal monitoring (2002-2023) showing persistence in % cover and assemblage structure, despite cumulative severe disturbances over many years. Yet there is also considerable vulnerability among corals, especially as disturbances intensify and new threats emerge. This includes an outbreak of Crown-of-Thorns-Seastar (COTS) at North Solitary Island in 2024. This talk is about the multi-decadal coral resilience and vulnerability, and the evaluation and management of the COTS outbreak.

No booking is required, refreshments will be provided.
For more information, please call 6659 8100.

The Marine Discovery Series lectures are held every three months (first Thursday of the month) at the Solitary Islands Aquarium starting at 6pm. See map below. 

This initiative is run by Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre.

NSW Government logo

Guest speaker

Dr Hamish Malcolm

Hamish is a research scientist in the Marine Ecosystem Unit, Fisheries Research, and is based in Coffs Harbour. Hamish is primarily undertaking research with application in spatial planning and protected area management.

This includes integrating habitat and biotic patterns, especially fishes, as surrogates for biodiversity. Some of Hamish's research includes long-term (decadal) datasets to evaluate temporal patterns and the effects of protected area management. He has also been involved in research on threatened species, including white shark and black rockcod. Hamish was originally a geologist, converting over to marine biology at James Cook University. As a marine scientist, he has previously worked for GBRMPA, Qld Fisheries, QLD Marine Parks, CSIRO Marine, and NSW Marine Parks (NSW NPWS).

Come and visit

Location
2 Bay Dr, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Open every Saturday and Sunday and every day during the NSW school holidays from 10am to 4pm, a visit to the Aquarium will be a memorable and enriching experience for all ages.

The Aquarium is located at the National Marine Science Centre (NMSC), 2 Bay Drive, next to the Pacific Bay Resort complex just north of the Big Banana.

Turn onto Bay Drive off the Pacific Highway and the Aquarium is located 200m on the right.

All areas of the aquarium are fully wheelchair accessible.