Registration is open!

The TransCoastal Adaptations Centre for Nature-Based Solutions at Saint Mary’s University is organizing the 2026 Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience Conference in association with the Atlantic Regional Chapter of the Coastal Zone Canada Nature Based Coastal Solutions Community of Practice.

This five-day workshop (including 2 field trip days) provides a space for reflection, collaboration, and growth. It focuses on the principles and techniques for nature-based adaptation. Our goal is to increase local knowledge exchange on nature-based adaptation and to empower more groups to undertake such activities. Through open dialogue, we aim to advance the implementation of nature-based and restoration projects across Canada and North America. The multi-day conference will welcome 120 researchers, policymakers, scientists, engineers, designers, students, community groups, and other experts from across the region.

Together, we are working towards the application, implementation, and delivery of nature-based adaptations to climate change, and sharing the latest research in coastal and estuarine science!

The Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience conference will be held from June 22-24, 2026 at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bookending the event are 2 optional field trips (June 21, June 25), to view nature-based coastal adaptation strategies in action in Nova Scotia.

Conference Schedule

To download the conference program in PDF format, click the button below. Program is still subject to change.

June 21: Optional Field Trip

June 22: The Human Dimensions of Nature-Based Solutions

This day explores how people, communities, and governance systems shape the success of nature‑based coastal adaptation. Sessions will focus on social‑ecological relationships, Indigenous and western knowledge systems, community‑driven adaptation, and the policies needed to support resilient coastal futures. Through dialogue and case studies, participants will examine how human values, cultural perspectives, and collaborative decision‑making influence the design and long‑term sustainability of nature‑based solutions.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Anne Salomon
Applied Marine Ecologist

Anne Salomon is a distinguished professor of applied marine ecology and social-ecological system science at Simon Fraser University. Her research program aims to reveal the coupled social and ecological relationships that underpin our oceans’ resilience, productivity, and biodiversity to inform ecologically sustainable and socially just ocean policies. By bringing Indigenous and western knowledge systems into conversation, her lab aims to provide greater time-depth to our understanding of coastal ecosystems and democratize ocean science and governance. Salomon and her students link science to policy by co-designing, co-producing, and co-delivering research with Indigenous knowledge holders, resource users, and governments, with knowledge mobilization as a fundamental goal of her research program. Salomon was elected to the Royal Society of Canada College in 2019, named a Pew Fellow in marine conservation in 2013, and awarded the International Prize for Professional Excellence in Ecology in 2013.

July 23: Modelling & Designing Nature-Based Solutions

This day highlights the tools, models, and engineering approaches that guide the design of effective nature‑based coastal interventions. Presentations will cover hydro‑morphodynamic modelling, climate‑driven coastal change, eco‑geomorphology, and the integration of AI, remote sensing, and numerical simulations. Participants will explore how modelling supports the planning, testing, and optimization of wetlands, seagrass systems, living shorelines, and other nature‑based strategies.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nicoletta Leonardi
Coastal Engineer

Professor Nicoletta Leonardi is Professor of Coastal Dynamics at the University of Liverpool, where she has been based since 2016. A civil engineer by training, she specialises in coastal processes, eco-geomorphology, and hydro-morphodynamic modelling. Her research focuses on climate-driven coastal change, coastal resilience, and the development of nature-based solutions for sustainable coastal management, with particular emphasis on the restoration and implementation of coastal wetlands and seagrass systems. She currently holds an EPSRC Fellowship leading a major project that integrates artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and numerical modelling to support the design of environmentally sustainable nature-based coastal interventions.

She has led and contributed to a wide range of interdisciplinary research projects in collaboration with partners across the UK, Europe, China, and the United States.

June 24: Plants, Water, and Soil

This day focuses on the biophysical foundations of nature‑based solutions, examining how vegetation, hydrology, and sediment dynamics interact to build resilient coastal landscapes. Sessions will explore plant–water–soil relationships, salt marsh and wetland processes, sediment transport, and the ecological mechanisms that enable coastal ecosystems to buffer waves, storms, and sea‑level rise. Participants will gain insight into how these natural processes can be leveraged to strengthen restoration and adaptation projects.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Iris Möller
Coastal Geomorphologist and Geographer

Dr. Iris Möller holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Cambridge. After a short spell of working at HR Wallingford Ltd, she acted as Deputy Director of the University of Cambridge’s Coastal Research Unit with a College Lectureship in Physical Geography at Fitzwilliam College and completed a University Lectureship in Physical Geography (Coastal Processes) at the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge. In October 2019, she moved to Trinity College as Chair Professor of Geography and Head of Discipline (2020 to 2025). She is internationally recognised for providing the first empirical evidence for the buffering function of salt marshes in the mid-1990s and running a true-to-scale large flume experiment to evidence this function in simulated extreme storm surge conditions in the mid 2010s. Since then, she has been advocating the incorporation of coastal ecosystems as nature-based solutions in sustainable coastal flood and erosion risk management approaches. Her most recent research has focused on bringing together an understanding the bio-physical functioning of coastal ecosystems and landforms with that of the human interaction with such spaces to achieve a more integrated land- and seascape scale approach towards sustainable use of coastal environments.

July 25: Optional Field Trips

Call for Sponsors is Now Open!

We are currently seeking sponsors to support the conference. By supporting our event, your organization will:

• Support the development of innovative, nature-based restoration approaches to coastal climate adaptation.

• Gain recognition on promotional materials, including the conference website, program guide, and onsite signage.

• Reduce financial barriers for groups such as students, NGOs, local organizations, and Indigenous community members.

• Connect with a diverse group of professionals committed to building coastal resilience.

Opportunities to sponsor the conference are outlined below. Contact us if you’d like to tailor packages to meet the needs of your organization.

To inquire about sponsorship, please contact us at transcoastaladaptations@smu.ca.

Staying at Saint Mary’s University

One of Canada’s top primarily undergraduate universities, Saint Mary’s University is known for international collaborations, entrepreneurship and research. We offer programs in Arts, Science, Business and Graduate studies to more than 6,400 students from over 115 countries. Nestled in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast, Saint Mary’s University is marked by iconic buildings, green spaces and fresh ocean air.

Accommodations at saint mary’s university

We are pleased to offer on-campus accommodations for attendees. Saint Mary’s University is centrally located and easily accessible by transit, with hotels, restaurants, waterfront trails, and museums close by.

• $79.95 for a single room

• $157.95 for a double rooms (two single beds)

Call 902-420-5055 or email conference.services@smu.ca to book. Mention that you are with the Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience Conference. If you are travelling internationally and cannot call the number locally, send us an email (transcoastaladaptations@smu.ca) and we'll book it for you.

Accommodations at Dalhousie University

You can book your stay at Dalhousie University, which is a 20 minute walk from Saint Mary’s University. Being a larger university, they offer a broader range of residence options (including both traditional-style and suite-style residence rooms). Click here to book online: Stay at Dalhousie.

Parking

Parking is very limited on Saint Mary’s University Campus. We highly recommend attendees take alternative methods wherever possible. SMU parking lots are by permit only, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. Parking without a permit is permitted outside those hours (overnight parking is not permitted). There is one paid parking lot on campus, located on Inglis Street. Parking may be paid at pay stations or using the Hot Spot App. Two-hour street parking is available in the neighbourhood streets surrounding campus. More details: Parking | Saint Mary's University

Welcome to Halifax, Nova Scotia

The 2026 Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience Conference will take place at Saint Mary’s University in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia, a vibrant coastal city known for its maritime history, thriving research community, and spectacular oceanfront views.

Halifax offers the perfect setting for a conference focused on coastal resilience. Within minutes of campus, you’ll find ocean views, historic districts, and kilometres of shoreline shaped by the very climate challenges we will be discussing. The city is rich with culture, food, and music.

Halifax is a fantastic home for our sessions, field trips, or networking opportunities. We look forward to welcoming you in June 2026!

Sponsors

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS