Professor Anthony Richardson
Professor

Anthony Richardson

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 3833 5958

Background

Professor Anthony J. Richardson uses mathematical, statistical, computational and spatial planning tools to investigate human impacts on our oceans - and to find solutions. Particular foci include:

  • Marine spatial planning - Where best to locate marine protected areas to minimise impacts on people, maximise ecosystem benefits, ensure they are climate-smart and connected, and enable multiple-use zoning of the ocean.
  • Developing models of marine ecosystems - How do lower trophic levels (plankton) regulate fisheries productivity and carbon sequestration, and how will these be impacted by climate change.
  • Long-term change in lower trophic levels (plankton) in the ocean. This includes both field work around Australia and global analyses.

Anthony did an undergradulate degree in Mathematics and Biology at the University of Queensland, followed by an Honours degree there. He was awarded a PhD degree from the University of Cape Town in 1998, modelling the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Since 2005, Anthony has held a joint position between UQ (School of the Environment) and CSIRO Environment. He has previously held positions at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), and the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation of Ocean Science (UK).

Anthony runs a dynamic lab at the nexus between conservation science and mathematics. His focus is on using mathematical tools to better conserve biodiversity, predict impacts of climate change, and understand the functioning of marine ecosystems. If you have a background in marine ecology and are interested in applying mathematics/statistics/computational science and want to apply your skills to real-world problems, get in touch.

Availability

Professor Anthony Richardson is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences Aquaculture and fisheries stock assessment Biological Sciences Climate change impacts and adaptation Conservation and biodiversity Ecological applications Ecology Environmental Sciences Fisheries sciences Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) Natural resource management

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cape Town

Research interests

  • Marine spatial planning: Biodiversity and conservation

    Using computational tools to better conserve biodiversity. I am particularly interested in designing marine protected areas that are climate-smart, connected, allow multiple use, and benefit people.

  • Ecosystem modelling, fisheries and climate change

    Developing marine ecosystem models that focus on the role of lower trophic levels (plankton) in productive fisheries and carbon sequestration, now and in the future under climate change.

  • Impacts of climate change on marine systems

    Using advanced statistical techniques to analyse large ecological datasets to understand the impacts of climate change and other human stresses such as ocean acidification, fishing, habitat destruction and pollution on marine systems.

Research impacts

His research is recognised internationally for significant contributions in the fields of climate change ecology, plankton ecology and marine conservation. Anthony is the author of >250 peer-reviewed papers. He enjoys teaching biostatistics and modelling. For more informaiton on my research, see my Google Scholar page https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=RLeJq98AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

I was the first to show that the timing of marine events in the ocean - such as blooms - are becoming earlier because of climate change. I have also co-led the global working group that has provided the most comprehensive synthesis of the impacts of climate change on marine systems. My work on climate impacts has been heavily cited in the IPCC 4th, 5th, and 6th Assessment Reports. Much of my work now is in marine conservation planning - how to more effectively design marine protected areas in the ocean to make them climate-smart, connected, and to benefit people. This work is through the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science.

Search Professor Anthony Richardson’s works on UQ eSpace

269 works between 1996 and 2025
All (269) Journal Article (243) Book Chapter (17) Conference Publication (4) Other Outputs (5)

1 - 20 of 269 works

2025

Journal Article

Drifting fish aggregation devices as a tool to study oceanic marine protected areas

Blanluet, Arthur, Game, Edward T., Pollock, Kydd, Wolff, Nicholas H., Everett, Jason D., Neubert, Sandra, Dunn, Daniel C. and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Drifting fish aggregation devices as a tool to study oceanic marine protected areas. Fisheries Research, 289 107474, 107474-289. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107474

Drifting fish aggregation devices as a tool to study oceanic marine protected areas

2025

Journal Article

Near-global spawning strategies of large pelagic fish

Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Neubert, Sandra, Scales, Kylie L., Dunn, Daniel C., Everett, Jason D., Flower, Jason, Suthers, Iain M., Granados-Dieseldorff, Pablo, Dabalà, Alvise, Esturas, Kris Jypson T., Mercer, James and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Near-global spawning strategies of large pelagic fish. Nature Communications, 16 (1) 8146. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63106-w

Near-global spawning strategies of large pelagic fish

2025

Journal Article

Important shark and ray areas can inform conservation planning in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

Rohner, Christoph A., Richardson, Anthony J., García-Rodríguez, Emiliano, Charles, Ryan, Batlle-Morera, Amanda, Bortoluzzi, Jenny R., Mouton, Théophile L., Notarbartolo di Sciara, Giuseppe, Armstrong, Asia O., Everett, Jason D., Bakiu, Rigers, Barash, Adi, Bariche, Michel, Başusta, Nuri, Bousquet, Caroline, Ćetković, Ilija, Giovos, Ioannis, Guallart, Javier, Milazzo, Marco, Morey, Gabriel, Naasan Aga-Spyridopoulou, Roxani, Niedermueller, Simone, Serena, Fabrizio, Shakman, Esmail, Soldo, Alen and Jabado, Rima W. (2025). Important shark and ray areas can inform conservation planning in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. iScience, 28 (8) 113192, 113192. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113192

Important shark and ray areas can inform conservation planning in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

2025

Journal Article

The need for sustained and enhanced international research efforts on zooplankton production

Batten, Sonia D, Chiba, Sanae, Pitois, Sophie, Richardson, Anthony J, Sastri, Akash and Swadling, Kerrie M (2025). The need for sustained and enhanced international research efforts on zooplankton production. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 82 (7), 7. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf108

The need for sustained and enhanced international research efforts on zooplankton production

2025

Journal Article

The immeasurable value of plankton to humanity

Grigoratou, Maria, Menden-Deuer, Susanne, McQuatters-Gollop, Abigail, Arhonditsis, George, Artigas, Luis Felipe, Ayata, Sakina-Dorothée, Bedikoğlu, Dalida, Beisner, Beatrix E, Chen, Bingzhang, Davies, Claire, Diarra, Lillian, Elegbeleye, Owoyemi W, Everett, Jason D, Garcia, Tatiane M, Gentleman, Wendy C, Gonçalves, Rodrigo Javier, Guy-Haim, Tamar, Halfter, Svenja, Hinners, Jana, Horaeb, Richard R, Huggett, Jenny A, Johnson, Catherine L, Kavanaugh, Maria T, Lara-Lopez, Ana, Lindemann, Christian, López-Abbate, Celeste, Messié, Monique, Möller, Klas Ove, Montes, Enrique ... Richardson, Anthony (2025). The immeasurable value of plankton to humanity. BioScience, 75 (9) biaf049, 706-721. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biaf049

The immeasurable value of plankton to humanity

2025

Journal Article

Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

Sequeira, Ana M.M., Rodríguez, Jorge P., Marley, Sarah A., Calich, Hannah J., van der Mheen, Mirjam, VanCompernolle, Michelle, Arrowsmith, Lucy M., Peel, Lauren R., Queiroz, Nuno, Vedor, Marisa, da Costa, Ivo, Mucientes, Gonzalo, Couto, Ana, Humphries, Nicolas E., Abalo-Morla, Sara, Abascal, Francisco J., Abercrombie, Debra L., Abrantes, Katya, Abreu-Grobois, F. Alberto, Afonso, André S., Afonso, Pedro, Ahonen, Heidi, Åkesson, Susanne, Alfaro-Shigueto, Joanna, Andrews, Russel D., Angelier, Frédéric, Antonopoulou, Marina, Arata, Javier A., Araujo, Gonzalo ... Eguíluz, Víctor M. (2025). Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets. Science, 388 (6751), 1086-1097. doi: 10.1126/science.adl0239

Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

2025

Journal Article

BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series

Dornelas, Maria, Antão, Laura H., Bates, Amanda E., Brambilla, Viviana, Chase, Jonathan M., Chow, Cher F. Y., Fontrodona‐Eslava, Ada, Magurran, Anne E., Martins, Inês S., Moyes, Faye, Sagouis, Alban, Adu‐Acheampong, Samuel, Acquah‐Lamptey, Daniel, Adam, Dušan, Ajani, Penelope A., Albaina, Aitor, Almaraz, Pablo, An, Jeongseop, Anderson, Roger Sigismund, Anderson, Madelaine Jean Robertson, Antunes, Alexsander Z., Arismendi, Ivan, Armbrecht, Linda, Aros‐Mardones, Pedro, Ashtamoorthy, Sreejith Kalpuzha, Ayyappan, Narayanan, Badihi, Gal, Bailey, Joseph J., Baird, Andrew H. ... Zvuloni, Assaf (2025). BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 34 (5) e70003, 5. doi: 10.1111/geb.70003

BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series

2025

Journal Article

Current approaches and future opportunities for climate-smart protected areas

Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Dunn, Daniel C., Metaxas, Anna, Schoeman, David S., Everett, Jason D., Pidd, Alice, Hanson, Jeffrey O., Bentley, Lily K., Kim, Sun Wook, Neubert, Sandra, Scales, Kylie L., Dabalà, Alvise, Brito-Morales, Isaac and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Current approaches and future opportunities for climate-smart protected areas. Nature Reviews Biodiversity, 1 (5), 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s44358-025-00041-0

Current approaches and future opportunities for climate-smart protected areas

2025

Journal Article

Advances in systematic conservation planning to meet global biodiversity goals

Giakoumi, Sylvaine, Richardson, Anthony J., Doxa, Aggeliki, Moro, Stefano, Andrello, Marco, Hanson, Jeffrey O., Hermoso, Virgilio, Mazor, Tessa, McGowan, Jennifer, Kujala, Heini, Law, Elizabeth, Álvarez-Romero, Jorge G., Magris, Rafael A., Gissi, Elena, Arafeh-Dalmau, Nur, Metaxas, Anna, Virtanen, Elina A., Ban, Natalie C., Runya, Robert M., Dunn, Daniel C., Fraschetti, Simonetta, Galparsoro, Ibon, Smith, Robert J., Bastardie, Francois, Stelzenmüller, Vanessa, Possingham, Hugh P. and Katsanevakis, Stelios (2025). Advances in systematic conservation planning to meet global biodiversity goals. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 40 (4), 395-410. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.12.002

Advances in systematic conservation planning to meet global biodiversity goals

2025

Journal Article

Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature

Pigot, Alex L., Dee, Laura E., Richardson, Anthony J., Cooper, Declan L. M., Eisenhauer, Nico, Gregory, Richard D., Lewis, Simon L., Macgregor, Callum J., Massimino, Dario, Maynard, Daniel S., Phillips, Helen R. P., Rillo, Marina, Loreau, Michel and Haegeman, Bart (2025). Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature. Science, 387 (6740), 1272-1276. doi: 10.1126/science.adq3278

Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature

2025

Journal Article

A deep dive into climate connectivity

Richardson, Anthony J. and Buenafe, Kristine Camille V. (2025). A deep dive into climate connectivity. Nature Climate Change, 15 (3) 12349, 248-249. doi: 10.1038/s41558-025-02253-w

A deep dive into climate connectivity

2025

Journal Article

Developing a southern ocean marine ecosystem model ensemble to assess climate risks and uncertainties

Murphy, Kieran, Fierro‐Arcos, Denisse, Rohr, Tyler, Green, David, Novaglio, Camilla, Baker, Katherine, Ortega‐Cisneros, Kelly, Eddy, Tyler D., Harrison, Cheryl S., Hill, Simeon L., Eskuche‐Keith, Patrick, Cataldo‐Mendez, Camila, Petrik, Colleen M., Pinkerton, Matthew, Spence, Paul, Stollberg, Ilaria, Subramaniam, Roshni C., Trebilco, Rowan, Tulloch, Vivitskaia, Palacios‐Abrantes, Juliano, Bestley, Sophie, Bianchi, Daniele, Boyd, Philip, Buchanan, Pearse J., Bryndum‐Buchholz, Andrea, Coll, Marta, Corney, Stuart, Datta, Samik, Everett, Jason D. ... Blanchard, Julia (2025). Developing a southern ocean marine ecosystem model ensemble to assess climate risks and uncertainties. Earth's Future, 13 (3) e2024EF004849. doi: 10.1029/2024ef004849

Developing a southern ocean marine ecosystem model ensemble to assess climate risks and uncertainties

2025

Journal Article

Global and Regional Marine Ecosystem Models Reveal Key Uncertainties in Climate Change Projections

Eddy, Tyler D., Heneghan, Ryan F., Bryndum-Buchholz, Andrea, Fulton, Elizabeth A., Harrison, Cheryl S., Tittensor, Derek P., Lotze, Heike K., Ortega-Cisneros, Kelly, Novaglio, Camilla, Bianchi, Daniele, Buechner, Matthias, Bulman, Catherine, Cheung, William W. L., Christensen, Villy, Coll, Marta, Everett, Jason D., Fierro-Arcos, Denisse, Galbraith, Eric D., Gascuel, Didier, Guiet, Jerome, Mackinson, Steve, Maury, Olivier, Niiranen, Susa, Oliveros-Ramos, Ricardo, Palacios-Abrantes, Juliano, Piroddi, Chiara, du Pontavice, Hubert, Reum, Jonathan, Richardson, Anthony J. ... Blanchard, Julia L. (2025). Global and Regional Marine Ecosystem Models Reveal Key Uncertainties in Climate Change Projections. Earths Future, 13 (3) e2024EF005537. doi: 10.1029/2024EF005537

Global and Regional Marine Ecosystem Models Reveal Key Uncertainties in Climate Change Projections

2025

Other Outputs

Larval Export transition matrices and model output data

Neubert, Sandra and Richardson, Anthony (2025). Larval Export transition matrices and model output data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/64c7de6

Larval Export transition matrices and model output data

2024

Journal Article

Effects of climate warming on energetics and habitat of the world's largest marine ectotherm

Reynolds, Samantha D., Franklin, Craig E., Norman, Bradley M., Richardson, Anthony J., Everett, Jason D., Schoeman, David S., White, Craig R., Lawson, Christopher L., Pierce, Simon J., Rohner, Christoph A., Bach, Steffen S., Comezzi, Francesco G., Diamant, Stella, Jaidah, Mohammed Y., Robinson, David P. and Dwyer, Ross G. (2024). Effects of climate warming on energetics and habitat of the world's largest marine ectotherm. Science of the Total Environment, 951 175832, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175832

Effects of climate warming on energetics and habitat of the world's largest marine ectotherm

2024

Journal Article

Spatial and life history variation in a trait-based species vulnerability and impact model

Fleury, Aharon G., O’Hara, Casey C., Butt, Nathalie, Restrepo, Jaime, Halpern, Benjamin S., Klein, Carissa J., Kuempel, Caitlin D., Gaynor, Kaitlyn M., Bentley, Lily K., Richardson, Anthony J. and Dunn, Daniel C. (2024). Spatial and life history variation in a trait-based species vulnerability and impact model. PLoS One, 19 (6) e0305950, 1-16. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305950

Spatial and life history variation in a trait-based species vulnerability and impact model

2024

Journal Article

The global distribution of grazing dynamics estimated from inverse modeling

Rohr, Tyler, Richardson, Anthony, Lenton, Andrew, Chamberlain, Matthew A. and Shadwick, Elizabeth H. (2024). The global distribution of grazing dynamics estimated from inverse modeling. Geophysical Research Letters, 51 (8) e2023GL107732, 1-12. doi: 10.1029/2023gl107732

The global distribution of grazing dynamics estimated from inverse modeling

2024

Journal Article

Cost–benefit analysis of ecosystem modeling to support fisheries management

Holden, Matthew H., Plagányi, Eva E., Fulton, Elizabeth A., Campbell, Alexander B., Janes, Rachel, Lovett, Robyn A., Wickens, Montana, Adams, Matthew P., Botelho, Larissa Lubiana, Dichmont, Catherine M., Erm, Philip, Helmstedt, Kate J., Heneghan, Ryan F., Mendiolar, Manuela, Richardson, Anthony J., Rogers, Jacob G. D., Saunders, Kate and Timms, Liam (2024). Cost–benefit analysis of ecosystem modeling to support fisheries management. Journal of Fish Biology, 104 (6), 1667-1674. doi: 10.1111/jfb.15741

Cost–benefit analysis of ecosystem modeling to support fisheries management

2024

Journal Article

Author Correction: A global, historical database of tuna, billfish, and saury larval distributions

Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Everett, Jason D., Dunn, Daniel C., Mercer, James, Suthers, Iain M., Schilling, Hayden T., Hinchliffe, Charles, Dabalà, Alvise and Richardson, Anthony J. (2024). Author Correction: A global, historical database of tuna, billfish, and saury larval distributions. Scientific Data, 11 (1) 29, 29. doi: 10.1038/s41597-023-02860-2

Author Correction: A global, historical database of tuna, billfish, and saury larval distributions

2024

Journal Article

Generating affordable protection of high seas biodiversity through cross-sectoral spatial planning

Fourchault, Léa, Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid, Dunn, Daniel C., Everett, Jason D., Hanson, Jeffrey O., Buenafe, Kristine C. V., Neubert, Sandra, Dabalà, Alvise, Yapa, Kanthi K.A.S., Cannicci, Stefano and Richardson, Anthony J. (2024). Generating affordable protection of high seas biodiversity through cross-sectoral spatial planning. One Earth, 7 (2), 253-264. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.12.006

Generating affordable protection of high seas biodiversity through cross-sectoral spatial planning

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2026
    Zooplankton: the missing link in modelling the ocean carbon cycle
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2026
    Efficient, scalable, climate-smart marine conservation planning support
    The University of Queensland in America, Inc
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2024
    Spatial management reserve solutions for a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Kong Hakons VII Hav (WSMPA Phase 2)
    Norwegian Polar Institute
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    Identification of the range of priority areas for a future Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Kong Hakons VII Hav (WSMPA Phase 2)
    Norwegian Polar Institute
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    Dispersal Modelling supporting WSMPA Phase 2
    Norwegian Polar Institute
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    The effect of blue water marine protected areas on pelagic ecosystems
    The Nature Conservancy Limited
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Future fisheries under climate change: the missing role of zooplankton
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    4.2.6 Recommendations to maintain functioning of the Great Barrier Reef (NESP - Tropical Water Quality Hub project administered by Reef and Rainforest Research Centre)
    Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Connectivity and movements of large pelagic species of ecotourism value
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Linking phytoplankton to fisheries using zooplankton size spectra (ARC Discovery Project administered by University of New South Wales)
    University of New South Wales
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2014
    Project Manta WA - biology and ecology of manta rays in Australian waters
    Research Donation Generic
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Climate-driven windblown dust and flood runoff can increase marine diseases by fungal pathogens (ARC Discovery Project led by University of Tasmania)
    University of Tasmania
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Climate-driven windblown dust and flood runoff can increase marine diseases by fungal pathogens (ARC Discovery Project led by UTAS)
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2018
    ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED)
    ARC Centres of Excellence
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    An integrated examination of the drivers of movements of large filter feeding organisms of high ecotourism value: a case study
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2011
    A laser optical plankton counter for laboratory and in-situ size distributions of zooplankton, to assess the basis and outcomes of changing ecosystems (ARC LIEF administered by UNSW)
    ARC LIEF Collaborating/Partner Organisation Contributions
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2013
    The resilience of marine ecosystems and fisheries to climate change: exploring adaptation strategies
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Resilience of Moreton Bay to climate change: Links between nutrient inputs and plankton dynamics
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2012
    Biodiversity impacts and adaptation (Part of the CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Cluster - Regional adaptation to climate change - administered by Griffith University)
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2011
    Integrating climate and ecosystem models to predict climate change impacts on Australian marine systems
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Anthony Richardson is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Anthony Richardson directly for media enquiries about:

  • Jellyfish
  • Manta rays
  • Marine life and climate change
  • Mathematics and climate change
  • Mathematics and marine science
  • Plankton

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