Associate Professor Carissa Klein
Associate Professor

Carissa Klein

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56074

Background

Carissa Klein is an ARC Future Fellow at The University of Queensland and Deputy Director of The Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. She is a conservation scientist and leads a research group called The Ocean Conservation Team, a group of students and post-doctoral researchers focused on developing science to support marine and coastal conservation. Her team's research is motivated by real-world conservation management and policy problems and is done in partnership with numerous non-government organisations (e.g. Wildlife Conservation Society), government departments (e.g., Sabah Parks in Borneo), and foundations (e.g., Minderoo) around the world. Her research group specialise in integrating social, economic, and ecological information to develop solutions that improve outcomes for nature and people. Their generally falls into three themes: land-sea conservation planning, marine spatial planning (ocean zoning), and sustainable seafood.

Carissa has degrees in Chemistry (BA, 2000), Environmental Science (BA, 2000), Environmental Science and Management (MS, 2006) and Conservation Science (PhD, 2010). Her postgraduate studies were at The University of California, Santa Barbara and The University of Queensland. She has received numerous competitive awards, including two that acknowledge her achievements in setting up successful and lasting international collaborations: The Asia Pacific Economic Corporation Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE) and the American Australia Association Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship.

Availability

Associate Professor Carissa Klein is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Ecology Environmental Sciences

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework) of Science, The University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Sustainable Seafood

    Global per capita seafood consumption has over doubled since the 1960s. Fisheries and aquaculture provide more than 3.1 billion people with ~20% of their animal protein. Although aquaculture is a rapidly increasing seafood source, fisheries remain important not only as a direct source of seafood, but indirectly, providing fishmeal required for many types of aquaculture. This reliance on fishing has caused widespread declines in fisheries, which comes with severe ecological and socioeconomic consequences. Our research focuses on improving the sustainability of the seafood we eat, focusing on seafood trade and consumption.

  • Marine Protected Areas and Ocean Zoning

    Protected areas are the cornerstone of most marine and terrestrial biodiversity conservation strategies worldwide. The principal focus of our protected area work is on developing techniques for designing protected areas that incorporate ecological and evolutionary processes, habitat condition, and socioeconomic knowledge. Given that most protected area design programs involve some form of zoning, like in the Great Barrier Reef, we also develop methods for zoning the ocean for multiple uses (e.g., fishing, energy use, recreation, mining, aquaculture) and multiple types of protected areas (e.g., IUCN I-VI). This work has been pursued in partnership with government and non-government institutions involved in marine zoning exercises in Australia, UK, Papua New Guinea, USA, and Malaysia. For example, we supported the Malaysian government in zoning their first multi-zone marine park (1.02 million hectares). Our zoning work has been supported by many external organisations, including the Australian Government, World Wildlife Fund Malaysia, and The Wildlife Conservation Society

  • Land Sea Conservation Planning

    We produce quantitative models that predict how various land-uses – including oil palm, agriculture, urban development, and forestry – impact seagrass, mangrove, and coral reef ecosystems and marine species. These models were developed to inform conservation and management decisions. Using decision science, we develop methods for determining the most cost- effective strategies for conserving coastal ecosystems, answering questions like: Should we protect or restore the land or sea to conserve sea grass? Where is the best place for developing agriculture or forestry to minimise negative impacts on coral reefs?

Search Professor Carissa Klein’s works on UQ eSpace

113 works between 2007 and 2025
All (113) Journal Article (98) Book Chapter (3) Conference Publication (3) Other Outputs (9)

21 - 40 of 113 works

2022

Journal Article

A trait‐based framework for assessing the vulnerability of marine species to human impacts

Butt, Nathalie, Halpern, Benjamin S., O'Hara, Casey C., Allcock, A. Louise, Polidoro, Beth, Sherman, Samantha, Byrne, Maria, Birkeland, Charles, Dwyer, Ross G., Frazier, Melanie, Woodworth, Bradley K., Arango, Claudia P., Kingsford, Michael J., Udyawer, Vinay, Hutchings, Pat, Scanes, Elliot, McClaren, Emily Jane, Maxwell, Sara M., Diaz‐Pulido, Guillermo, Dugan, Emma, Simmons, Blake Alexander, Wenger, Amelia S., Linardich, Christi and Klein, Carissa J. (2022). A trait‐based framework for assessing the vulnerability of marine species to human impacts. Ecosphere, 13 (2) e3919. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.3919

A trait‐based framework for assessing the vulnerability of marine species to human impacts

2021

Journal Article

The potential for applying “Nonviolent Communication” in conservation science

Williams, Brooke A., Simmons, B. Alexander, Ward, Michelle, Beher, Jutta, Dean, Angela J., Nou, Tida, Kenyon, Tania M., Davey, Madeline, Melton, Courtney B., Stewart‐Sinclair, Phoebe J., Hammond, Niall L., Massingham, Emily and Klein, Carissa J. (2021). The potential for applying “Nonviolent Communication” in conservation science. Conservation Science and Practice, 3 (11) e540. doi: 10.1111/csp2.540

The potential for applying “Nonviolent Communication” in conservation science

2021

Journal Article

Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate‐smart networks of marine protected areas

Arafeh‐Dalmau, Nur, Brito‐Morales, Isaac, Schoeman, David S., Possingham, Hugh P., Klein, Carissa J. and Richardson, Anthony J. (2021). Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate‐smart networks of marine protected areas. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12 (10) 2041-210X.13675, 1-15. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.13675

Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate‐smart networks of marine protected areas

2021

Journal Article

Software for prioritizing conservation actions based on probabilistic information

Watts, Matthew, Klein, Carissa J., Tulloch, Vivitskaia J. D., Carvalho, Silvia B. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2021). Software for prioritizing conservation actions based on probabilistic information. Conservation Biology, 35 (4), 1299-1308. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13681

Software for prioritizing conservation actions based on probabilistic information

2021

Other Outputs

Global fishing and seafood trade burdens places with ineffective fisheries management

Klein, Carissa, Kuempel, Caitlin, Watson, Reg, Coll, Marta, Teneva, Lida and Mora, Camilo (2021). Global fishing and seafood trade burdens places with ineffective fisheries management. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-611352/v1

Global fishing and seafood trade burdens places with ineffective fisheries management

2021

Journal Article

Spatial cost‐benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally

Stewart‐Sinclair, Phoebe, Klein, Carissa, Bateman, Ian J. and Lovelock, Catherine E. (2021). Spatial cost‐benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally. Conservation Biology, 35 (6) cobi.13742, 1850-1860. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13742

Spatial cost‐benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally

2021

Other Outputs

Climate-smart, 3-D protected areas in the high seas

Morales, Isaac Brito, Schoeman, David, Klein, Carissa, Dunn, Daniel, Everett, Jason, Molinos, Jorge García, Burrows, Michael T., Dominguez, Rosa Mar, Possingham, Hugh and Richardson, Anthony (2021). Climate-smart, 3-D protected areas in the high seas. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-421078/v1

Climate-smart, 3-D protected areas in the high seas

2021

Other Outputs

The global rarity of intact coastal regions

Williams, Brooke A, Watson, James E M, Beyer, Hawthorne L, Klein, Carissa J, Montgomery, Jamie, Runting, Rebecca K, Roberson, Leslie A, Halpern, Benjamin S, Grantham, Hedley S, Kuempel, Caitlin D., Frazier, Melanie, Venter, Oscar and Wenger, Amelia (2021). The global rarity of intact coastal regions. doi: 10.1101/2021.05.10.443490

The global rarity of intact coastal regions

2020

Other Outputs

What are you really eating? How threatened ‘seafood’ species slip through the law and onto your plate

Roberson, Leslie and Klein, Carissa (2020, 10 07). What are you really eating? How threatened ‘seafood’ species slip through the law and onto your plate The Conversation

What are you really eating? How threatened ‘seafood’ species slip through the law and onto your plate

2020

Journal Article

Best‐practice forestry management delivers diminishing returns for coral reefs with increased land‐clearing

Wenger, Amelia S., Harris, Daniel, Weber, Samuel, Vaghi, Ferguson, Nand, Yashika, Naisilisili, Waisea, Hughes, Alec, Delevaux, Jade, Klein, Carissa J., Watson, James, Mumby, Peter J. and Jupiter, Stacy D. (2020). Best‐practice forestry management delivers diminishing returns for coral reefs with increased land‐clearing. Journal of Applied Ecology, 57 (12) 1365-2664.13743, 2381-2392. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13743

Best‐practice forestry management delivers diminishing returns for coral reefs with increased land‐clearing

2020

Journal Article

Over 90 endangered fish and invertebrates are caught in industrial fisheries

Roberson, Leslie A., Watson, Reg A. and Klein, Carissa J. (2020). Over 90 endangered fish and invertebrates are caught in industrial fisheries. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 4764, 1-8. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18505-6

Over 90 endangered fish and invertebrates are caught in industrial fisheries

2020

Other Outputs

Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate-smart networks of protected areas

Arafeh-Dalmau, Nur, Brito-Morales, Isaac, Schoeman, David S., Possingham, Hugh P., Klein, Carissa J. and Richardson, Anthony J. (2020). Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate-smart networks of protected areas. doi: 10.1101/2020.06.08.139519

Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate-smart networks of protected areas

2020

Journal Article

Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming

Brito-Morales, Isaac, Schoeman, David S., Molinos, Jorge García, Burrows, Michael T., Klein, Carissa J., Arafeh-Dalmau, Nur, Kaschner, Kristin, Garilao, Cristina, Kesner-Reyes, Kathleen and Richardson, Anthony J. (2020). Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming. Nature Climate Change, 10 (6), 576-581. doi: 10.1038/s41558-020-0773-5

Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming

2020

Conference Publication

To achieve big wins for terrestrial conservation, prioritize protection of ecoregions closest to meeting targets

Chauvenet, Alienor L.M., Watson, James E.M., Adams, Vanessa M., Di Marco, Moreno, Venter, Oscar, Davis, Katrina J., Mappin, Bonnie, Klein, Carissa J., Kuempel, Caitlin D. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2020). To achieve big wins for terrestrial conservation, prioritize protection of ecoregions closest to meeting targets. Cambridge, MA, United States: Cell Press. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.04.013

To achieve big wins for terrestrial conservation, prioritize protection of ecoregions closest to meeting targets

2020

Journal Article

Area requirements to safeguard earth's marine species

Jones, Kendall R., Klein, Carissa J., Grantham, Hedley S., Possingham, Hugh P., Halpern, Benjamin S., Burgess, Neil D., Butchart, Stuart H.M., Robinson, John G., Kingston, Naomi, Bhola, Nina and Watson, James E.M. (2020). Area requirements to safeguard earth's marine species. One Earth, 2 (2), 188-196. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.01.010

Area requirements to safeguard earth's marine species

2019

Other Outputs

Area requirements to safeguard Earth’s marine species

Jones, Kendall R., Klein, Carissa, Grantham, Hedley S., Possingham, Hugh P., Halpern, Benjamin S., Burgess, Neil D., Butchart, Stuart H.M., Robinson, John G., Kingston, Naomi and Watson, James E.M. (2019). Area requirements to safeguard Earth’s marine species. doi: 10.1101/808790

Area requirements to safeguard Earth’s marine species

2019

Journal Article

A guide to modelling priorities for managing land-based impacts on coastal ecosystems

Brown, Christopher J., Jupiter, Stacy D., Albert, Simon, Anthony, Kenneth R. N., Hamilton, Richard J., Fredston-Hermann, Alexa, Halpern, Benjamin S., Lin, Hsien-Yung, Maina, Joseph, Mangubhai, Sangeeta, Mumby, Peter J., Possingham, Hugh P., Saunders, Megan I., Tulloch, Vivitskaia J. D., Wenger, Amelia and Klein, Carissa J. (2019). A guide to modelling priorities for managing land-based impacts on coastal ecosystems. Journal of Applied Ecology, 56 (5), 1106-1116. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13331

A guide to modelling priorities for managing land-based impacts on coastal ecosystems

2018

Journal Article

Incorporating feasibility and collaboration into large-scale planning for regional recovery of coral reef fisheries

Jones, Kendall R., Maina, Joseph M., Kark, Salit, McClanahan, Timothy R., Klein, Carissa J. and Beger, Maria (2018). Incorporating feasibility and collaboration into large-scale planning for regional recovery of coral reef fisheries. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 604, 211-222. doi: 10.3354/meps12743

Incorporating feasibility and collaboration into large-scale planning for regional recovery of coral reef fisheries

2018

Journal Article

The location and protection status of earth's diminishing marine wilderness

Jones, Kendall R., Klein, Carissa J., Halpern, Benjamin S., Venter, Oscar, Grantham, Hedley, Kuempel, Caitlin D., Shumway, Nicole, Friedlander, Alan M., Possingham, Hugh P. and Watson, James E. M. (2018). The location and protection status of earth's diminishing marine wilderness. Current Biology, 28 (15), 2506-2512.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.010

The location and protection status of earth's diminishing marine wilderness

2018

Journal Article

Climate velocity can inform conservation in a warming world

Brito-Morales, Isaac, García Molinos, Jorge, Schoeman, David S., Burrows, Michael T., Poloczanska, Elvira S., Brown, Christopher J., Ferrier, Simon, Harwood, Tom D., Klein, Carissa J., McDonald-Madden, Eve, Moore, Pippa J., Pandolfi, John M., Watson, James E. M., Wenger, Amelia S. and Richardson, Anthony J. (2018). Climate velocity can inform conservation in a warming world. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 33 (6), 441-457. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.03.009

Climate velocity can inform conservation in a warming world

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    Community Climate Action for the Great Barrier Reef - What Can I Do?
    GBRF Accelerator Grants
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2025
    Leveraging individual operator skill to reduce threatened species bycatch in prawn trawl fisheries
    Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2027
    What's the catch? Social and environmental sustainability of seafood
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2023
    Mapping social values and activities of recreational motor vessel users in Moreton Bay
    The Moreton Bay Foundation Members Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2022
    Integrated land-sea conservation planning for human and ecosystem health
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    Assessing the vulnerability of marine species to a broad range of human activities
    The University of Queensland in America, Inc
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Deriving ecologically relevant load targets to meet desired ecosystem condition for the Great Barrier Reef: a case study for seagrass meadows in the Burdekin region (NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub)
    Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Planning for the impacts of land-uses on coral reef fisheries
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2021
    NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub
    National Environmental Science Program
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Papua New Guinea Marine Planning - Training and Planning II
    Commonwealth Department of the Environment
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2016
    Great Barrier Reef Resilience
    World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2019
    Reconciling the triple bottom line of social equity, economic return, and environmental benefits in conservation decision making
    UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Training PNG Department of the Environment and Conservation Staff in Marxan (with a marine focus) and supporting the use of Marxan for conservation planning throughout PNG waters.
    Commonwealth Department of the Environment
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Planning for the impacts of land-uses on coral reef fisheries and livelihoods under different climate scenarios
    The Nature Conservancy
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2019
    Reconciling the triple bottom line of social equity, economic return, and environmental benefits in conservation decision making
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Great Barrier Reef resilience investment plan
    World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
    Open grant
  • 2012
    Conserving biodiversity and fishery livelihoods in the Coral Triangle using marine protected areas
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2012
    2011 UQ Trans-Pacific Fellowship - Conservation planning in the Coral Triangle
    UQ Trans-Pacific Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Prioritising socially and economically viable land- and sea-based investments to protect coral reefs
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011
    Prioritising socially and economically viable land- and sea-based investments to protect our coral reefs
    UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2010
    Optimising Ecosystem Management Project
    New Zealand Department of Conservation
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Carissa Klein is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • Social and environmental sustainability of seafood

    This project aims to improve the social and environmental sustainability of wild caught seafood globally. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of seafood trade and sustainability using interdisciplinary approaches that account for social sustainability concepts and the displacement of fishing impacts. Expected outcomes include innovative approaches that can improve the traceability and sustainability of seafood and new international collaborations. This should provide significant benefits to the ocean, by proposing innovative ways for protecting the ocean through improving the sustainability of trade policies, and to the billions of people that depend on a healthy ocean for their health and livelihood.

    The student would investigate the social, economic, and environmental implications of disparate trade and international fishing scenarios, using Australia as an example. The ideal student will have quantitative modelling skills (or the ability and interest to learn these skills) and interests in environmental policy, environmental economics, biodiversity conservation, or ecosystem services. The project is funded by an ARC Future Fellowship with opportunities to attend international science and policy meetings.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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communications@uq.edu.au