
Overview
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
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.
Works
Search Professor Richard Fuller’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Urban green space use during a time of stress: a case study during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Brisbane, Australia
Berdejo‐Espinola, Violeta, Suárez‐Castro, Andrés F., Amano, Tatsuya, Fielding, Kelly S., Oh, Rachel Rui Ying and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Urban green space use during a time of stress: a case study during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Brisbane, Australia. People and Nature, 3 (3), 597-609. doi: 10.1002/pan3.10218
2021
Journal Article
Equity in green and blue spaces availability in Singapore
Nghiem, Le T. P., Zhang, Yuchen, Oh, Rachel Rui Ying, Chang, Chia-chen, Tan, Claudia L. Y., Shannahan, Danielle F., Lin, Brenda B., Gaston, Kevin J., Fuller, Richard A. and Carrasco, L. Roman (2021). Equity in green and blue spaces availability in Singapore. Landscape and Urban Planning, 210 104083, 104083. doi: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104083
2021
Other Outputs
Language barriers in global bird conservation
Negret, Pablo Jose, Atkinson, Scott C., Woodworth, Bradley K., Tor, Marina Corella, Allan, James R., Fuller, Richard A. and Amano, Tatsuya (2021). Language barriers in global bird conservation. doi: 10.1101/2021.05.24.445290
2021
Journal Article
Remote observations in China’s Ramsar sites: wetland dynamics, anthropogenic threats, and implications for sustainable development goals
Mao, D., Wang, Z., Wang, Y., Choi, C.-Y., Jia, M., Jackson, M. V. and Fuller, R. A. (2021). Remote observations in China’s Ramsar sites: wetland dynamics, anthropogenic threats, and implications for sustainable development goals. Journal of Remote Sensing, 2021 9849343, 1-13. doi: 10.34133/2021/9849343
2021
Other Outputs
Detecting seabird responses to invasive species eradication
Bird, Jeremy P., Fuller, Richard A., Terauds, Aleks, McInnes, Julie C., Pascoe, Penelope P., Travers, Toby D., Alderman, Rachael and Shaw, Justine D. (2021). Detecting seabird responses to invasive species eradication. doi: 10.1101/2021.04.07.438876
2021
Other Outputs
Uncertainty in population estimates: a meta-analysis for petrels
Bird, Jeremy P., Woodworth, Bradley K., Fuller, Richard A. and Shaw, Justine D. S. (2021). Uncertainty in population estimates: a meta-analysis for petrels. doi: 10.1101/2021.04.07.438872
2021
Other Outputs
Differing ecological responses of seabirds to invasive species eradication
Bird, Jeremy P., Fuller, Richard A. and Shaw, Justine D. S. (2021). Differing ecological responses of seabirds to invasive species eradication. doi: 10.1101/2021.04.07.438878
2021
Journal Article
Exploring the ability of urban householders to correctly identify nocturnal mammals
Steven, Rochelle, Van Helden, Bronte E., Tulloch, Ayesha I., Barnes, Megan, Close, Paul G. and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Exploring the ability of urban householders to correctly identify nocturnal mammals. Urban Ecosystems, 24 (6), 1359-1369. doi: 10.1007/s11252-021-01118-2
2021
Journal Article
Butterflies are weakly protected in a mega-populated country, Bangladesh
Chowdhury, Shawan, Alam, Shofiul, Chowdhury, Sayam U., Rokonuzzaman, Md., Shahriar, Shihab A., Shome, Ashikur R. and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Butterflies are weakly protected in a mega-populated country, Bangladesh. Global Ecology and Conservation, 26 e01484, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01484
2021
Journal Article
Deforestation and bird habitat loss in Colombia
Negret, Pablo Jose, Maron, Martine, Fuller, Richard A., Possingham, Hugh P., Watson, James E.M. and Simmonds, Jeremy S. (2021). Deforestation and bird habitat loss in Colombia. Biological Conservation, 257 109044, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109044
2021
Journal Article
Global distribution and conservation of avian diet specialization
Morelli, Federico, Benedetti, Yanina, Hanson, Jeffrey O. and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Global distribution and conservation of avian diet specialization. Conservation Letters, 14 (4) e12795. doi: 10.1111/conl.12795
2021
Journal Article
Conserving migratory species while safeguarding ecosystem services
Xiao, Hui, Chadès, Iadine, Hill, Narelle, Murray, Nicholas, Fuller, Richard A. and McDonald-Madden, Eve (2021). Conserving migratory species while safeguarding ecosystem services. Ecological Modelling, 442 109442, 109442. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109442
2021
Other Outputs
Limiting the loss of terrestrial ecosystems to safeguard nature for biodiversity and humanity
Simmonds, Jeremy S., Suarez-Castro, Andres Felipe, Reside, April E., Watson, James E.M., Allan, James R., Borrelli, Pasquale, Dudley, Nigel, Edwards, Stephen, Fuller, Richard A., Game, Edward T., Linke, Simon, Maxwell, Sean L., Panagos, Panos, Puydarrieux, Philippe, Quétier, Fabien, Runting, Rebecca K., Santini, Talitha, Sonter, Laura J. and Maron, Martine (2021). Limiting the loss of terrestrial ecosystems to safeguard nature for biodiversity and humanity. doi: 10.1101/2021.02.07.428694
2021
Journal Article
Widespread use of artificial habitats by shorebirds in Australia
Jackson, Micha V., Woodworth, Bradley K., Bush, Robert, Clemens, Robert S., Fuller, Richard A., Garnett, Stephen T., Lilleyman, Amanda, Maron, Martine, Purnell, Chris, Rogers, Danny I. and Amano, Tatsuya (2021). Widespread use of artificial habitats by shorebirds in Australia. Emu - Austral Ornithology, 121 (3), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/01584197.2021.1873704
2021
Journal Article
Factors influencing nature interactions vary between cities and types of nature interactions
Oh, Rui Ying Rachel, Fielding, Kelly S., Nghiem, Thi Phuong Le, Chang, Chia‐Chen, Shanahan, Danielle F., Gaston, Kevin J., Carrasco, Roman L. and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Factors influencing nature interactions vary between cities and types of nature interactions. People and Nature, 3 (2) pan3.10181, 405-417. doi: 10.1002/pan3.10181
2021
Journal Article
Dual threat of tidal flat loss and invasive Spartina alterniflora endanger important shorebird habitat in coastal mainland China
Jackson, Micha V., Fuller, Richard A., Gan, Xiaojing, Li, Jing, Mao, Dehua, Melville, David S., Murray, Nicholas J., Wang, Zongming and Choi, Chi-Yeung (2021). Dual threat of tidal flat loss and invasive Spartina alterniflora endanger important shorebird habitat in coastal mainland China. Journal of Environmental Management, 278 (Part 2) 111549, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111549
2021
Journal Article
Urban green spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh, harbour nearly half the country’s butterfly diversity
Chowdhury, Shawan, Shahriar, Shihab A., Böhm, Monika, Jain, Anuj, Aich, Upama, Zalucki, Myron P., Hesselberg, Thomas, Morelli, Federico, Benedetti, Yanina, Persson, Anna S., Roy, Deponkor K., Rahman, Saima, Ahmed, Sultan and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Urban green spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh, harbour nearly half the country’s butterfly diversity. Journal of Urban Ecology, 7 (1) juab008, 1-11. doi: 10.1093/jue/juab008
2021
Other Outputs
A Pandemic Treaty and Wildlife Trade
Gallo-Cajiao, Eduardo, Lieberman, Susan, Dolšak, Nives, Prakash, Aseem, Labonté, Ronald, Biggs, Duan, Morrison, Tiffany, Viens, A.M., Fuller, Richard A, Aguiar, Raphael, Fidelman, Pedro, Watson, James E.M., Aenishaenslin, Cécile and Wiktorowicz, Mary (2021). A Pandemic Treaty and Wildlife Trade. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3966292
2021
Journal Article
Conservation birding: a quantitative conceptual framework for prioritizing citizen science observations
Callaghan, Corey T., Watson, James E. M., Lyons, Mitchell B., Cornwell, William K. and Fuller, Richard A. (2021). Conservation birding: a quantitative conceptual framework for prioritizing citizen science observations. Biological Conservation, 253 108912, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108912
2021
Journal Article
The right mix: Residential urban green-blue space combinations are correlated with physical exercise in a tropical city-state
Tan, Claudia L.Y., Chang, Chia-Chen, Nghiem, Le T.P., Zhang, Yuchen, Oh, Rachel R.Y., Shanahan, Danielle F., Lin, Brenda B., Gaston, Kevin J., Fuller, Richard A. and Carrasco, L. Roman (2021). The right mix: Residential urban green-blue space combinations are correlated with physical exercise in a tropical city-state. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 57 126947, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126947
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Richard Fuller is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving migratory species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
Doctor Philosophy
Where no eyes can see: Tracking Australian shorebird migration using radar
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
Bird migration along the East Asian Australasian Flyway and vulnerability due to habitat loss in China
Principal Advisor
-
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
-
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
Learning from success: Recovery of the Black-faced Spoonbill, an endangered migratory waterbird in East Asia
Principal Advisor
-
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
Reducing Barriers to Drone-Based Bird Surveys
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing a Drone Based Shorebird Survey Method
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
Cultural variation in connection to urban nature
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Renee Zahnow
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mining, Biodiversity, and Area-Based Conservation: Risks and Opportunities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Laura Sonter
-
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
Why are waterbirds declining globally?
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
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
The Distribution and Invasiveness of the Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) along Gradients
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Salit Kark
-
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
Enhancing International Collaboration for Migratory Bird Conservation
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
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
The effects of rapid evolution on ecological dynamics and stability in variable environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Simon Hart
-
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving Urban Parrots in Indonesian Urban Setting
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr April Reside
-
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
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Mining, Biodiversity, and Area-Based Conservation: Risks and Opportunities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Laura Sonter
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Urban nature health effects moderated by stressful contexts
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Renee Zahnow
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
From Observations to Indicators: The Status and Conservation of Taiwan's Birds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron, Associate Professor Tatsuya Amano
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
The interplay among nature experiences, nature connection and wellbeing
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kelly Fielding
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Insect migration and conservation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Myron Zalucki
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
The conservation ecology of burrowing petrels on Macquarie Island
Principal Advisor
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Global environmental governance for conserving migratory birds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Salit Kark
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving shorebirds in human-dominated landscapes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving Antarctic biodiversity in the Anthropocene
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Green is the new gold: Examining the human-nature relationship
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Courtney von Hippel
-
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving Australia's predator-threatened mammals
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Diana Fisher
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Threats to migratory birds, and actions for their conservation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving migratory and nomadic species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying threats and conservation priorities across an international migration pathway
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Stuart Phinn, Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2011
Master Philosophy
Urban growth, biodiversity, and the extinction of experience
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Conservation Biogeography of the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor James Watson
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Nest Ecology of an Endangered Woodland Avifauna
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Plastic pollution and conservation of imperilled seabird species
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing Bird Migrations
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Simone Blomberg, Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Growing up healthy in the city: Pathways to child health and development benefits from nature
Associate Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Predicting the diversity and functional composition of woody plant communities under climate change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Dwyer
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Seed dispersal and seedling establishment during early-stage tropical forest recovery within old-fields
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Dwyer
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
The Dynamics and Resilience of Coral Reefs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Mumby
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Conserving migratory species under human impacts and climate change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
How do herbivorous mammals adjust their trade-off between food and safety?
Associate Advisor
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Conservation in naturally fragmented landscapes: the Mexican cloud forest and Vanuatu archipelago
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Spatial conservation prioritisation under global threats
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Improving measurements of protected area effectiveness
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
Media
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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