Professor Richard Fuller
Professor

Richard Fuller

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 69912
Mobile: 
0458353102

Background

The actions of people just like you and me have caused a massive biodiversity crisis, pushing many species to the brink of extinction and beyond. Doing something about this is one of the most important and urgent problems globally. I am interested in understanding how people have affected the natural world around them, and how some of their destructive effects can best be reversed. On the flip side, I am also keen to understand whether people can benefit positively from experiences of biodiversity.

To answer these questions I work on pure and applied topics in biodiversity and conservation. Much of my work is interdisciplinary, focusing on the interactions between people and nature, how these can be enhanced, and how these relationships can be shaped to converge on coherent solutions to the biodiversity crisis. Current research topics include the ecology and conservation of migratory species, understanding what drives some people to show stronger environmental concern than others, and strategies for designing efficient conservation plans. I enjoy working closely with all my wonderful colleagues in the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science.

Availability

Professor Richard Fuller is:
Not available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Ecology Environmental Sciences Zoology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours), University of Bristol
  • Masters (Coursework) of Science, Imperial College London
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Durham University

Research impacts

My expertise is regularly called upon to provide advice outside academia. I study the topic of sustainable environmental management, a subject of keen interest not only to the public at large, but also to organisations and agencies charged with managing the environment and regulating human impacts upon it. Reflecting this expertise, I have been repeatedly invited by the Australian Government to form part of the official Australian delegation in bilateral talks on migratory species conservation with the Chinese, Japanese and Korean governments in 2014, 2016, and 2018. I frequently advise the Australian Government as well as regional agencies such as Queensland Department of Environment and Science, and Brisbane City Council. This advice includes expert witness testimony on the biodiversity impacts of proposed coastal developments and for advice about migratory species conservation domestically and internationally. Recently I provided direct 1:1 advice to the Federal Environment Minister on a coastal development proposal in central Queensland. I also seek to communicate broadly with the public and am invited monthly to speak at local and regional meetings and writing for special interest magazines and newsletters.

In direct response to the analysis in Studds et al. (2017; Nature Communications), the Australian Government listed the Eastern Curlew and the Curlew Sandpiper as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act, and the following year another six migratory shorebirds were also listed as nationally threatened. Given the large number of species involved, this decision was a step change in migratory bird conservation in Australia, significantly adding to the protections for these declining species and subsequently influencing hundreds of coastal development decisions around the nation. Frequently citing our work, and enlisting me as a technical advisor, the Australian Government created and ratified a formal International Single Species Action Plan to rescue the Critically Endangered Eastern Curlew (Fig. 1). The plan has been approved and implemented in 22 countries, catalysing research and action around the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Search Professor Richard Fuller’s works on UQ eSpace

329 works between 1997 and 2025
All (329) Journal Article (278) Book Chapter (16) Conference Publication (5) Book (8) Other Outputs (22)

201 - 220 of 329 works

2016

Other Outputs

Annual Report: Migratory Shorebird Monitoring – Understanding Ecological Impact (CA130019). Report produced for the Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program Advisory Panel as part of GPC’s Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program

Choi, Jimmy Chi-Yeung, Moffitt, Dylan, Fuller, Richard, Skilleter, Gregory A., Rogers, Danny, Coleman, Jonathan and Klaassen, Marcel (2016). Annual Report: Migratory Shorebird Monitoring – Understanding Ecological Impact (CA130019). Report produced for the Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program Advisory Panel as part of GPC’s Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program. Brisbane, Australia: UniQuest.

Annual Report: Migratory Shorebird Monitoring – Understanding Ecological Impact (CA130019). Report produced for the Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program Advisory Panel as part of GPC’s Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Program

2016

Journal Article

Reconciling recreational use and conservation values in a coastal protected area

Stigner, Madeleine, Beyer, Hawthorne L., Klein, Carissa J. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Reconciling recreational use and conservation values in a coastal protected area. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53 (4), 1206-1214. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12662

Reconciling recreational use and conservation values in a coastal protected area

2016

Journal Article

Progress in improving the protection of species and habitats in Australia

Barr, Lissa M., Watson, James E. M., Possingham, Hugh P., Iwamura, Takuya and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Progress in improving the protection of species and habitats in Australia. Biological Conservation, 200, 184-191. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.03.038

Progress in improving the protection of species and habitats in Australia

2016

Journal Article

Challenges in assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change to inform conservation actions

Butt, N., Possingham, H. P., De Los Rios, C., Maggini, R., Fuller, R. A., Maxwell, S. L. and Watson, J. E. M. (2016). Challenges in assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change to inform conservation actions. Biological Conservation, 199, 10-15. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.04.020

Challenges in assessing the vulnerability of species to climate change to inform conservation actions

2016

Journal Article

Health benefits from nature experiences depend on dose

Shanahan, Danielle F., Bush, Robert, Gaston, Kevin J., Lin, Brenda B., Dean, Julie, Barber, Elizabeth and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Health benefits from nature experiences depend on dose. Scientific Reports, 6 (28551) 28551, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/srep28551

Health benefits from nature experiences depend on dose

2016

Journal Article

Balancing ecosystem and threatened species representation in protected areas and implications for nations achieving global conservation goals

Polak, Tal, Watson, James E.M., Bennett, Joseph R., Possingham, Hugh P., Fuller, Richard A. and Carwardine, Josie (2016). Balancing ecosystem and threatened species representation in protected areas and implications for nations achieving global conservation goals. Conservation Letters, 9 (6), 438-445. doi: 10.1111/conl.12268

Balancing ecosystem and threatened species representation in protected areas and implications for nations achieving global conservation goals

2016

Journal Article

Averting the extinction of experience

Shanahan, Danielle and Fuller, Richard (2016). Averting the extinction of experience. Wildlife Australia, 53 (2), 36-38.

Averting the extinction of experience

2016

Journal Article

Phenology of southward migration of shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and inferences about stop-over strategies

Choi, Chi-Yeung, Rogers, Ken G., Gan, Xiaojing, Clemens, Robert S., Bai, Qing-Quan, Lilleyman, Amanda, Lindsey, Ann, Milton, David A., Straw, Phil, Yu, Yat-tung, Battley, Phil F., Fuller, Richard A. and Rogers, Danny I. (2016). Phenology of southward migration of shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and inferences about stop-over strategies. Emu, 116 (2), 178-189. doi: 10.1071/MU16003

Phenology of southward migration of shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and inferences about stop-over strategies

2016

Journal Article

Understanding the importance of small patches of habitat for conservation

Tulloch, Ayesha, Barnes, Megan, Ringma, Jeremy, Fuller, Richard and Watson, James (2016). Understanding the importance of small patches of habitat for conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53 (2), 418-429. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12547

Understanding the importance of small patches of habitat for conservation

2016

Journal Article

Animal migration: Dispersion explains declines

Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Animal migration: Dispersion explains declines. Nature, 531 (7595), 451-452. doi: 10.1038/531451a

Animal migration: Dispersion explains declines

2016

Journal Article

Continental-scale decreases in shorebird populations in Australia

Clemens, Robert S., Rogers, Danny I., Hansen, Birgita D., Gosbell, Ken, Minton, Clive D. T., Straw, Phil, Bamford, Mike, Woehler, Eric J., Milton, David A., Weston, Michael A., Venables, Bill, Weller, Dan, Hassell, Chris, Rutherford, Bill, Onton, Kimberly, Herrod, Ashley, Studds, Colin E., Choi, Chi-Yeung, Dhanjal-Adams, Kiran L., Murray, Nicholas J., Skilleter, Gregory A. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Continental-scale decreases in shorebird populations in Australia. Emu, 116 (2), 119-135. doi: 10.1071/MU15056

Continental-scale decreases in shorebird populations in Australia

2016

Journal Article

Incorporating dynamic distributions into spatial prioritization

Runge, Claire A., Tulloch, Ayesha I. T., Possingham, Hugh P., Tulloch, Vivitskaia J. D. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Incorporating dynamic distributions into spatial prioritization. Diversity and Distributions, 22 (3), 332-343. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12395

Incorporating dynamic distributions into spatial prioritization

2016

Journal Article

Uncertainty in identifying local extinctions: the distribution of missing data and its effects on biodiversity measures

Boakes, Elizabeth H., Fuller, Richard, McGowan, Philip J. K. and Mace, Georgina M. (2016). Uncertainty in identifying local extinctions: the distribution of missing data and its effects on biodiversity measures. Biology Letters, 12 (3) 0824, 20150824. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0824

Uncertainty in identifying local extinctions: the distribution of missing data and its effects on biodiversity measures

2016

Journal Article

The Benefits of Natural Environments for Physical Activity

Shanahan, Danielle F., Franco, Lara, Lin, Brenda B., Gaston, Kevin J. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). The Benefits of Natural Environments for Physical Activity. Sports Medicine, 46 (7), 1-7. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0502-4

The Benefits of Natural Environments for Physical Activity

2016

Journal Article

Global mismatch between greenhouse gas emissions and the burden of climate change

Althor, Glenn, Watson, James E. M. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Global mismatch between greenhouse gas emissions and the burden of climate change. Scientific Reports, 6 (Art No.: 20281) 20281, 20281. doi: 10.1038/srep20281

Global mismatch between greenhouse gas emissions and the burden of climate change

2016

Journal Article

Australia, the US and Europe are climate ‘free-riders’: it’s time to step up

Althor, Glenn, Watson, James and Fuller, Richard (2016, 02 05). Australia, the US and Europe are climate ‘free-riders’: it’s time to step up

Australia, the US and Europe are climate ‘free-riders’: it’s time to step up

2016

Journal Article

Unique Australian wildlife risks vanishing as ecosystems suffer death by a thousand cuts

Tulloch, Ayesha, Watson, James, Ringma, Jeremy, Barnes, Megan and Fuller, Richard (2016, 01 07). Unique Australian wildlife risks vanishing as ecosystems suffer death by a thousand cuts

Unique Australian wildlife risks vanishing as ecosystems suffer death by a thousand cuts

2016

Journal Article

Distribution, extent and protection of intertidal habitats in Australia

Dhanjal-Adams, Kiran L., Hanson, Jeffrey O., Murray, Nick, Phinn, Stuart R., Wingate, Vladimir R., Mustin, Karen, Lee, Jasmine R., Allan, James R., Cappadonna, Jessica L., Studds, Colin E., Clemens, Robert S., Roelfsema, Chris M. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Distribution, extent and protection of intertidal habitats in Australia. Emu: Austral Ornithology, 116 (2), 208-214. doi: 10.1071/MU15046

Distribution, extent and protection of intertidal habitats in Australia

2016

Journal Article

Cities are hotspots for threatened species

Ives, Christopher D., Lentini, Pia E., Threlfall, Caragh G., Ikin, Karen, Shanahan, Danielle F., Garrard, Georgia E., Bekessy, Sarah A., Fuller, Richard A., Mumaw, Laura, Rayner, Laura, Rowe, Ross, Valentine, Leonie E. and Kendal, Dave (2016). Cities are hotspots for threatened species. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 25 (1), 117-126. doi: 10.1111/geb.12404

Cities are hotspots for threatened species

2016

Journal Article

Optimizing disturbance management for wildlife protection: The enforcement allocation problem

Dhanjal-Adams, Kiran L., Mustin, Karen, Possingham, Hugh P. and Fuller, Richard A. (2016). Optimizing disturbance management for wildlife protection: The enforcement allocation problem. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53 (4), 1215-1224. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12606

Optimizing disturbance management for wildlife protection: The enforcement allocation problem

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    Improving biodiversity outcomes in West African cocoa
    Lindt Cocoa Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2026
    Research and tools to support recovery and management of migratory shorebirds in Australia (NESP2 MaC Hub - Reef and Rainforest Research Centre funded project)
    Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2023
    Using citizen science to benefit nature conservation and human health
    Universities Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2023
    Pasay 360 Sustainability Framework
    SM Smart City Infrastructure and Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2023
    Social perspectives on human-wildlife interactions in coastal settings
    Sunshine Coast Regional Council
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Australia's Coastal Shorebirds: Trends and Prospects
    University of Tasmania
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Surveying shorebirds in Moreton Bay using an unmanned aerial vehicle
    The Moreton Bay Foundation Members Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Acoustics for large scale biodiversity assessment (ARC Discovery Project administered by James Cook University)
    James Cook University
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Better Parks, Healthier for All? (UKRI-NHMRC Built Environment and Prevention Grant administered by UNSW)
    University of New South Wales
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    The ecology and conservation biogeography of the buff-breasted button-quail
    Birds Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2020
    Population status and trends of seabirds of the Great Barrier Reef
    Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2024
    Acoustic observatory: A network to monitor biodiversity across Australia (ARC LIEF project administered by Queensland University of Technology)
    Queensland University of Technology
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Designing green spaces for biodiversity and human well-being (ARC Linkage Project administered by RMIT University)
    Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Recovering the Critically Endangered Far Eastern Curlew: What is the migration route?
    Birds Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Managing urban trees for people and wildlife (ARC Linkage Project administered by the University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Conserving Australia's Antarctic biodiversity in a changing climate
    Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Recovering Australia's migratory shorebirds
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Mud, glorious mud! Mapping the world's intertidal ecosystems
    Google Inc
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2021
    NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub
    National Environmental Science Program
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2018
    Conserving Antarctica's biodiversity under multiple stressors
    Australian Antarctic Division
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2018
    Migratory Shorebird Monitoring - Understanding Ecological Impact
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2019
    Optimising the ecological performance of cities
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Optimal protection for the world's ecosystems
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards - DVC(R) Funding
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Understanding the impacts of flooding on Australia's coastal ecosystems
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Understanding the impacts of flooding on Australia's coastal ecosystems
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Averting the extinction of experience
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    Optimal habitat protection and restoration for climate adaptation
    Climate Change Adaptation Research Grants Program
    Open grant
  • 2011
    Coastal bird vulnerability and resilience assessment project
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2012
    The influence of the recent La Nina climate event on nomadic terrestrial birds in Australia's interior
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Understanding and reversing the rapid declines in Australia's shorebirds
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2015
    NERP Environmental Decisions Hub
    CDSEWPC - National Environmental Research Program
    Open grant
  • 2009
    The impacts of urban density on Brisbane's biodiversity
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Richard Fuller is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Revealing bird migration patterns in Eastern Australia by integrating weather radar and citizen science data

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The role of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release in conservation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Ella Kuskoff

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Distributional Shifts and Conservation of Avian Migrants

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Urban greenspaces and biodiversity

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Angela Dean

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Conserving migratory species

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Learning from success: Recovery of the Black-faced Spoonbill, an endangered migratory waterbird in East Asia

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Where no eyes can see: Tracking Australian shorebird migration using radar

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Revealing bird migration patterns in Eastern Australia by integrating weather radar and citizen science data

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mining, Biodiversity, and Area-Based Conservation: Risks and Opportunities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Laura Sonter

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Developing a Drone Based Shorebird Survey Method

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Bird migration along the East Asian Australasian Flyway and vulnerability due to habitat loss in China

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The role of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release in conservation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Ella Kuskoff

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cultural variation in connection to urban nature

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Renee Zahnow

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cultural variation in connection to urban nature

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Renee Zahnow

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Reducing Barriers to Drone-Based Bird Surveys

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Master Philosophy

    Cultural variation in connection to nature

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Renee Zahnow

  • Doctor Philosophy

    No place like home: Urban nuisance wildlife management and the impacts of relocation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr John Hall

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mining, Biodiversity, and Area-Based Conservation: Risks and Opportunities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Laura Sonter

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Leveraging large camera-trapping datasets to untangle multiple threats to terrestrial and understory bird communities in tropical forests

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Luskin

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Assessing the effectiveness of acoustic indices for monitoring changes in forest ecosystems

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Berndt Janse Van Rensburg

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Tapping into non-English-language science in tackling global challenges

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Language barriers in the environmental sciences in Japan: causes, consequences, and solutions

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Conserving Urban Parrots in Indonesian Urban Setting

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr April Reside

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The effects of rapid evolution on ecological dynamics and stability in variable environments

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Simon Hart

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Enhancing International Collaboration for Migratory Bird Conservation

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Improving biodiversity outcomes in West African cocoa

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Luskin, Dr Wilma J. Blaser Hart, Dr Simon Hart

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding language barriers to the use of scientific knowledge in conservation decision making

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding language barriers to the use of scientific knowledge in conservation decision making

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mining and area-based biodiversity conservation: risks and opportunities

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Laura Sonter

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Distribution and Invasiveness of the Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) along Gradients

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Salit Kark

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Why are waterbirds declining globally?

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Richard Fuller directly for media enquiries about:

  • biodiversity
  • birds
  • citizen science
  • conservation
  • eastern curlew
  • migratory shorebirds
  • national parks
  • protected areas
  • shorebirds
  • urban green space

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