When I was at the University of Queensland, we had a very active group of researchers, science communicators, graduate and undergraduate students investigating seagrasses, mangroves, corals, macroalgae, phytoplankton, benthic microalgae, bacteria and viruses. We called ourselves the Marine Botany group, also known as 'Marbot'. While the Marine Botany group has dispersed and the logo and website have faded, the people who had this shared experience have been thriving in a diversity of pursuits.

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The Arafura and Timor Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) program is a multi-national agreement between Australia, Indonesia, and Timor Leste (East Timor). It was formed as part of the United Nations Global Environment Facility (GEF).

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As part of the National Estuaries Network meeting, we had a field trip to the Peel-Harvey Estuary on 26 May 2011. This site is a globally significant ecological region for the following reasons: 1) Some of the most massive Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) ever recorded, occurred in the estuary, 2) A major intervention occurred in which a barrier island breach was constructed (the Dawesville cut), and 3) The occurrence of most of the globally significant HAB species.

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Before my workshop and field trip with Project Catalyst, I had not heard of the following terms "dunder, mill mud, billets, ratoons, plant cane, shielded sprayers, cane grubs, controlled traffic, EM mapping, auger delivery, wavy discs, skip row planting, cane stool, bed renovation, cane cockies" and could not even have made an educated guess as to their meaning.

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There are several reasons that I have cause for optimism regarding the future of sugarcane impacts on the Great Barrier Reef: 1) the tinnies in the farm sheds, 2) the young cane growers, 3) the widespread adoption of high tech equipment for precision agriculture, 4) the innovative, can-do attitude of a group of cane growers, 5) a grower's statement that pesticides are "dirty, stinky, expensive, toxic crap", and 6) the engagement of Coca-Cola in Project Catalyst.

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Rum and coke with peanuts … We went to a sugarcane farm in North Eton operated by two cousins, Lee and Phil Blackburn. They are working with Project Catalyst, which is a Cola-Cola, World Wildlife Fund and Reef Catchments project in which sugarcane producers are experimenting with different ways to grow sugar using less nutrients and pesticides.

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Uncovering a lost lagoon … The Sandringham lagoon case study was described by Tim Marsden from the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI). Standing in front of the lagoon, Tim showed before and after photos and described the process of clearing the weeds that completely choked the lagoon.

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The Healthy Waterway Partnership started out as the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay Wastewater Management Study (BR&MBWMS), with six local councils in Southeast Queensland leading the effort in the early 1990s. The original Healthy Waterways office was located as part of the water management office of Brisbane City Council, led by Harry Holland. Shane Pearce was his 2IC (Second in Charge) regarding 'The Study'.

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While on a field trip to Stradbroke Island as described in a previous blog, Dr. Brian McIntosh and I had a discussion about different types of environmental problems. I used the classification scheme of 'simple', 'complicated' and 'complex' problems (ala Glouberman and Zimmerman, 2002). Simple problems are like following a recipe in which a predictable set of results will reliably occur if the directions are faithfully followed.

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The International RiverFoundation has a unique role in catalyzing groups of people around the world to achieve river restoration, protection and sustainable management. One way this catalytic role is achieved is through the celebration of exemplary case studies of positive outcomes, publicly acknowledged via the annual awarding of The International Riverprize and the Australian National Riverprize.

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