The annual New Zealand Coastal Society Conference is our industry opportunity to share knowledge across a range of coastal management topics and meet with peers from around New Zealand.
This year the 34th annual conference in Ōtepoti Dunedin will attract delegates from the 400-strong New Zealand Coastal Society national membership including engineers, scientists, local and central government experts, consultants, planners, educators and researchers. The conference is also open to non-members with an interest in coastal and marine activities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and from overseas.
This year’s conference is built around the whakataukī He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka — a choppy sea can be navigated by the canoe. The whakataukī speaks to navigating uncertainty and change through collective effort, supporting each other and common purpose. In this spirit, the 2026 NZCS Conference will focus on strengthening resilience through interdisciplinary collaboration: for our coastal environments and communities, and among ourselves as coastal and environmental specialists.
Some of the team at a previous conference
As an island nation, Aotearoa New Zealand has always been shaped by the sea. From the first Māori navigators to contemporary coastal communities, generations have learned to live with, adapt to, and draw knowledge from dynamic coastal environments. This enduring relationship places Aotearoa New Zealand in a unique position to lead discussions on working with nature, partnering with communities, and advancing coastal resilience in a changing climate.
The conference also holds space to acknowledge connections that extend across the wider Pacific — from the Pacific Islands and Australia to the eastern Pacific margins of the Americas — broadening perspectives and fostering international collaboration.
Date: 9 - 12 November 2026
Location: Ōtepoti Dunedin
Keep an eye out for our team on site and presenting:
Dr Brett Beamsley, General Manager Research & Innovation; Dr Alex Port, Data Senior Scientist; Ellorine Carle, GIS Scientists; Dr Mariana Cussioli, Ocean Scientist; Jackson Beagley, Ocean Scientist; Matt Glazewski, Marine Account Manager
Our presentations:
Tuesday:
2pm Mariana Cussiloi: Linking offshore wave climate to shoreline change: a multi-method assessment using statistical and machine learning approaches
3.45pm Ellorine Carle: When the Ocean Finds a Path: Improving Coastal Inundation Mapping for Storm Tide Hazards
Wednesday:
2pm Alex Port : Machine learning approaches for operational infragravity wave forecasts