Words for Work: The Coast-R Living Glossary

Multi coloured type indicating considerations in making a definition of flood resilience

Refrains: enough is enough Less discussion, more decision-making. Less talk, more action. Less theory, more practice. These were strong refrains in the presentations, workshops, and informal conversations across the Coast-R Annual Forum in Glasgow in September 2025. We have enough data, we hold enough knowledge and it’s time—and beyond timely—to start doing more! And so … Read more

Supporting coastal and community resilience through our Small Grants Fund

The bridge across Loch Alsh connecting the mainland and Isle of Skye

We’re delighted to announce that we have launched the first round of the Coast-R Network Small Grants Fund, with awards of between £5,000 and £25,000 to support UK coastal resilience. Round 1 of the Small Grants Fund (SGF) will support small scale, place-based projects involving early career researchers in two-way (or multi-way) research and knowledge … Read more

Greening the grey through eco-engineering

Prof Larissa Naylor delivering a lecture at Flood and Coast

Our Coast-R Network colleague, Professor Larissa Naylor has taken a key role in developing new CIRIA guidance – Greening coastal infrastructure through eco-engineering (C820). This is the first practitioner-led publication of its kind, focused on enhancing the biodiversity and multifunctionality of engineered coastal assets through eco-engineering approaches. Larissa is Professor of Geomorphology and Environmental Geography … Read more

Looking back on the first year of the Coast-R Network

Floods Minister, Emma Hardy MP meets Prof Briony McDonagh at the Flood and Coast conference

Prof Briony McDonagh, Coast-R Network lead, reflects on the successes of the Network’s first year, and looks forward to the next programme milestones. 1st July marked the beginning of Year 2 of the Coast-R Network programme, which will be led by colleagues at the University of Glasgow. In the last couple of weeks, we have … Read more

Coast-R Network team member receives Rising Star Award

Dr Kate Smith of our Coast-R Network team was the proud recipient of the Rising Star category of the Women in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (WiFCERM) Awards 2025 at last night’s annual Flood & Coast conference dinner. The Rising Star Award is given to an individual in the earlier stages of their career in flood and coastal … Read more

Coast-R Network addresses national inquiry into flood resilience 

Committee members and invited speakers sit around a large table

Professor Briony McDonagh and Professor Larissa Naylor of the Coast-R Network were invited to speak at the opening session of the Flood Resilience in England Inquiry on Wednesday 22 January. The Inquiry was called by the UK Government’s Environmental Audit Committee, focusing on how flood resilience can be strengthened in response to increasing risks from … Read more

Key takeaways: National Flood Resilience in England inquiry

A winter beach scene in Cornall

A blog from Coast-R Network lead, Prof Briony McDonagh on her 10 key takeaways from the written evidence submitted to the UK Government’s recent Flood Resilience in England inquiry. Back in mid-January, Coast-R colleague Prof. Larissa Naylor (University of Glasgow) and I appeared before the Environmental Audit Committee to offer expert testimony on UK flood … Read more

Subtle and Simple Surprises: reflections on co-creating a ‘Living Glossary’

Workshop participants writing on flipchart paper

At the Coast-R Network Launch Event, delegates were invited to participate in a ‘Living Glossary’ Workshop. In this blog from Prof Stephanie Jones and her workshop co-hosts, she discusses the process that led to some surprising outcomes. The fluidity of words can be surprising. As a participant in the Coast-R Living Glossary workshop commented, “ocean … Read more

Coast-R: New resilient coastal communities and seas network announced

A new £2m national network has been launched to generate knowledge, action and resilience for UK coastal communities and seas. The COAST-R Network is part funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and DEFRA under their Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas programme and is part of a £14.8m investment in place-based research projects aiming to … Read more