Effective climate adaptation requires more than access to climate information. Fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders increasingly seek practical, locally relevant knowledge to inform decision-making, while also seeking opportunities to share experiences, ask questions and learn from trusted peers. Knowledge exchange therefore plays a critical role in translating climate science into practical adaptation.
Sea Change Australia is a national initiative that brings together fishers, aquaculture producers, industry, managers and researchers to facilitate knowledge exchange and co-develop climate-resilient options for Australia's fisheries and aquaculture sectors. As part of the project, two complementary online knowledge exchange platforms have been developed to strengthen communication across the sector. Fishing for Climate Answers is a Q&A platform that enables seafood stakeholders to submit climate-related questions, which are answered by a network of more than 75 experts spanning climate science, fisheries, aquaculture, economics, social science, industry, and policy. Rather than assuming what information users need, the platform is driven by stakeholder questions, creating dialogue that builds trust while revealing emerging information needs and knowledge gaps.
Complementing this approach, the Share your Knowledge platform collects and shares real adaptation stories from fisheries and aquaculture in Australia and internationally. These stories showcase practical adaptation underway, creating opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, highlighting local champions, and demonstrating that adaptation is both possible and achievable. Together, the two platforms recognise that valuable adaptation knowledge exists within both scientific research and the lived experience of seafood producers and managers.
Implementation to date suggests that combining expert dialogue with practitioner storytelling provides a more engaging and decision-relevant approach to climate communication than one-way information delivery alone. These complementary platforms strengthen trust, support social-learning, and foster climate adaptation by connecting evidence with experience. The Sea Change Australia model offers a practical framework for scaling climate communication while remaining grounded in local sector knowledge and adaptation practice.