Dr. Karen Helen Wiltshire: Ocean Coasts in Climate Change by Ailbhe Doyle

​Day one began with a wonderful welcome from the woman of the century, Mary Robinson. After her gracious introduction to what was to be a thought provoking and inspiring conference, the first speaker Dr. Karen Helen Wiltshire opened the conference with a bang. Dr. Wiltshire has spent her career studying the earth’s oceans and the effects of climate change on their patterns and behaviours. Her presentation centred on Ocean Coasts in Climate Change, a topic, unfortunately, very relevant to Ireland. Karen reminded us that although we don’t focus much on oceans in the climate conversation, 75% of the earth’s surface is beneath water and its abuse and neglect is already hugely effecting the systems of our planet.

​The ocean is the climate regulator and it is one of the only things keeping the earth’s systems and weather patterns somewhat stable due its absorption of 25% of CO2 and get this, 100% of the excess heat that we are anthropogenically producing on earth!
Dr. Wiltshire reminded us that we have, throughout the ages, seen the ocean as only a resource from which we can over extract with little to no consequences…another environment that we have decimated because of our needs, and in the process, created an urban seascape jammed with oil rigs, cargo traffic, navy submarines, fisheries and more.
We must, she stressed, do more than construct climate dykes of mitigation for those privileged enough to live in a country that can afford them and look to expand our place-based solutions to adapt to the ongoing biogeographical shifts in our marine ecosystems. Innovative ideas that can tackle multiple issues at once such as anthropogenic inundation of our seas and marine ecosystem destruction specific to the focus area will have to be the actions taken. Dr. Karen Wiltshire spoke of the inevitable offshore wind farms that will be installed that cause short-term destruction for marine ecosystems but may themselves be a new vessel for marine ecosystems to latch onto. We must look at ways, like this, in which we can reduce our impact on the oceans through the processes that are undeniably going to remain. 

​​The eye-opening presentation concluded with a reminder to connect with, and appreciate, your place on land and sea. After spending much of her time working on vital projects away, Dr. Wiltshire will, fortunately, be returning to Ireland to take up her position as the Climate Chair in Trinity College Dublin, and we are looking forward to her return!