I was a minor contributor to the State of the World’s Saltmarshes 2025 report led by WWF that was launched this week at the UN Oceans Conference in France. The report aims to launch a ‘saltmarsh breakthrough’ similar to the one sparked for mangroves, drawing attention to the importance of saltmarshes in our climate future. My work with TransCoastal Adaptations and NSERC ResNet in the Bay of Fundy has in part explored the human dimensions of these important landscapes in a place where they’ve been largely converted to agricultural use through dyking and draining.
The UN Oceans Conference is just one of the conferences I’m not attending this week. I had already been torn between the Coastal Zone Canada conference in PEI (where four members of my team are presenting) and the International Association for Society and Natural Resources in Vancouver (which I did register for and plan to attend). However, roots in my sewer line and the inevitable nasty backup mean that I’m here keeping company with members of my insurance company’s remediation team. I’m getting lovely notes from people at both events. I wish I was there, too!
