National research planning accelerates relevance and immediacy of climate-adaptation science

Abstract

Adapting to climate change is contingent on an ability to adjust before opportunity is lost. Given that research funding to understand adaptation is limited, rapid return on investment is critical. For Australian marine environments, climate-change impacts are well documented and adaptation opportunities have been identified across aquaculture, fisheries, conservation and tourism sectors. Here, we have evaluated the recent Australian scientific literature to determine (1) the degree to which climate-change impacts and adaptation have been addressed across sectors, and, specifically, (2) the role of a major research program instituted in 2009 to address priority climate-change questions for these sectors, namely, Australia’s ‘National Climate Change Adaptation Research Plan for Marine Biodiversity and Resources’ (MNARP). Although the number of priority questions addressed by the general scientific literature increased in the 2009–2015 period, there was a 92% increase in the number of priority questions addressed during the peak of MNARP (2013–2014). MNARP research also addressed a greater range of priority questions than did the general scientific literature, which showed consistency in the questions and study systems examined. Overall, structured research planning focussed attention on key climate-change questions, which is a critical consideration for enacting adaptation in the face of rapid climate change.