Overview
Background
Courtney is a Research Fellow with CoralWatch at The University of Queensland, specialising in citizen science, biodiversity conservation, and human–environment interactions.
She supports a global citizen science program that tracks coral bleaching and reef health, working with schools, tourism operators, and community groups worldwide. She focuses on ensuring the program delivers high-quality environmental data while strengthening scientific literacy and fostering meaningful connections between people and the natural world.
Courtney also has extensive experience in tropical conservation, including research in sustainable palm oil production and biodiversity protection. This work has highlighted gaps between policy intent and on-ground outcomes, demonstrating the need for clearer metrics, stronger accountability, and improved implementation strategies.
Availability
- Dr Courtney Morgans is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy
Research interests
-
Evidence based conservation
Courtney’s research examines how conservation strategies perform in real-world contexts, particularly where multiple stakeholders, competing objectives, and limited resources shape outcomes. She uses interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and identify ways to optimise their impact.
Works
Search Professor Courtney Morgans’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Multi-scale observations during the 2024 mass coral bleaching event on Heron Reef, Australia
Rowell, Devin A., Hammerman, Nicholas M., Golding, Kirsten M., Kenyon, Tania Marie, Meziere, Zoe, Morgans, Courtney, Brown, Kristen Taylor, Diederiks, Faye F., Carrasco Rivera, David E., Eigeland, Karen, Paewai-Huggins, Roima, Markey, Kathryn, Beger, Maria, Chong, Fiona, Donno, Gabriella, Dutton, Alice, Victoria Hsiao, Wanchien, Kininmonth, Stuart, Lawson, Caitlin A., Middleton, Heather, Eyal, Gal and Roelfsema, Chris (2025). Multi-scale observations during the 2024 mass coral bleaching event on Heron Reef, Australia. Marine Biology, 173 (1) 17. doi: 10.1007/s00227-025-04759-5
2025
Other Outputs
CoralWatch “What can I do?” Climate action challenge: platform impact and user experience evaluation
Schultz, Tracy, Kleine, Diana, Johnson, Karen and Morgans, Courtney (2025). CoralWatch “What can I do?” Climate action challenge: platform impact and user experience evaluation. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/231698a
2025
Journal Article
Wild meat consumption in changing rural landscapes of Indonesian Borneo
Spencer, Katie L., Ingram, Daniel J., Anirudh, Namrata B., Ardiantiono,, Cheyne, Susan M., Dorward, Leejiah J., Kadir, Abdul, Lo, Michaela G. Y., Morgans, Courtney L., Supriatna, Jatna, Winarni, Nurul L., St. John, Freya A. V. and Struebig, Matthew J. (2025). Wild meat consumption in changing rural landscapes of Indonesian Borneo. People and Nature pan3.70112. doi: 10.1002/pan3.70112
2025
Journal Article
From silos to solutions: navigating transdisciplinary conservation research for early career researchers
Twomey, Alice J., Hyman, Jayden, Indraswari, Karlina, Kotz, Maximilian, Morgans, Courtney L. and Bairos-Novak, Kevin R. (2025). From silos to solutions: navigating transdisciplinary conservation research for early career researchers. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, 23 (1), 26-31. doi: 10.1016/j.pecon.2024.12.002
2024
Journal Article
Nickel mining reduced forest cover in Indonesia but had mixed outcomes for well-being
Lo, Michaela G.Y., Morgans, Courtney L., Santika, Truly, Mumbunan, Sonny, Winarni, Nurul, Supriatna, Jatna, Voigt, Maria, Davies, Zoe G. and Struebig, Matthew J. (2024). Nickel mining reduced forest cover in Indonesia but had mixed outcomes for well-being. One Earth, 7 (11), 2019-2033. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.10.010
2024
Journal Article
Improving well‐being and reducing deforestation in Indonesia's protected areas
Morgans, Courtney Leslie, Jago, Sophie, Andayani, Noviar, Linkie, Matthew, Lo, Michaela G. Y., Mumbunan, Sonny, St. John, Freya A. V., Supriatna, Jatna, Voigt, Maria, Winarni, Nurul L., Santika, Truly and Struebig, Matthew J. (2024). Improving well‐being and reducing deforestation in Indonesia's protected areas. Conservation Letters, 17 (3) e13010, 1-11. doi: 10.1111/conl.13010
2023
Journal Article
Replanting unproductive palm oil with smallholder plantations can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Sumatra, Indonesia
Fosch, Ariadna, Ferraz de Arruda, Guilherme, Aleta, Alberto, Descals, Adrià, Gaveau, David, Morgans, Courtney, Santika, Truly, Struebig, Matthew J., Meijaard, Erik and Moreno, Yamir (2023). Replanting unproductive palm oil with smallholder plantations can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Sumatra, Indonesia. Communications Earth and Environment, 4 (1) 378, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-01037-4
2023
Journal Article
Beyond protected areas for koala conservation
Williams, Brooke A., Morgans, Courtney and Rhodes, Jonathan R. (2023). Beyond protected areas for koala conservation. Science, 379 (6638), 1197-1197. doi: 10.1126/science.adh4128
2023
Journal Article
Implications of large-scale infrastructure development for biodiversity in Indonesian Borneo
Spencer, Katie L., Deere, Nicolas J., Aini, Muhammad, Avriandy, Ryan, Campbell-Smith, Gail, Cheyne, Susan M., Gaveau, David L.A., Humle, Tatyana, Hutabarat, Joseph, Loken, Brent, Macdonald, David W., Marshall, Andrew J., Morgans, Courtney, Rayadin, Yaya, Sanchez, Karmele L., Spehar, Stephanie, Suanto,, Sugardjito, Jito, Wittmer, Heiko U., Supriatna, Jatna and Struebig, Matthew J. (2023). Implications of large-scale infrastructure development for biodiversity in Indonesian Borneo. Science of the Total Environment, 866 161075, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161075
2022
Journal Article
Effectiveness of 20 years of conservation investments in protecting orangutans
Santika, Truly, Sherman, Julie, Voigt, Maria, Ancrenaz, Marc, Wich, Serge A., Wilson, Kerrie A., Possingham, Hugh, Massingham, Emily, Seaman, Dave J.I., Ashbury, Alison M., Azvi, Taufiq S., Banes, Graham L., Barrow, Elizabeth J., Burslem, David F.R.P., Delgado, Robert A., Erman, Andi, Fredriksson, Gabriella, Goossens, Benoit, Houghton, Max, Indrawan, Tito P., Jaya, Ricko L., Kanamori, Tomoko, Knott, Cheryl D., Leiman, Ashley, Liswanto, Darmawan, Mach, Martin, Marshall, Andrew J., Martin, Julien G.A., Midora, Lelyana ... Meijaard, Erik (2022). Effectiveness of 20 years of conservation investments in protecting orangutans. Current Biology, 32 (8), 1754-1763. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.051
2021
Journal Article
Impact of palm oil sustainability certification on village well-being and poverty in Indonesia
Santika, Truly, Wilson, Kerrie A., Law, Elizabeth A., St John, Freya A. V., Carlson, Kimberly M., Gibbs, Holly, Morgans, Courtney L., Ancrenaz, Marc, Meijaard, Erik and Struebig, Matthew J. (2021). Impact of palm oil sustainability certification on village well-being and poverty in Indonesia. Nature Sustainability, 4 (2), 109-119. doi: 10.1038/s41893-020-00630-1
2020
Journal Article
Key considerations and challenges in the application of social-network research for environmental decision making
Guerrero, A. M., Barnes, M., Bodin, O., Chades, I., Davis, K. J., Iftekhar, M. S., Morgans, C. and Wilson, K. A. (2020). Key considerations and challenges in the application of social-network research for environmental decision making. Conservation Biology, 34 (3) cobi.13461, 1-10. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13461
2020
Journal Article
Using knowledge mapping to rethink the gap between science and action
Vimal, Ruppert and Morgans, Courtney (2020). Using knowledge mapping to rethink the gap between science and action. Conservation Biology, 34 (6) cobi.13563, 1433-1443. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13563
2019
Journal Article
Cost-benefit based prioritisation of orangutan conservation actions in Indonesian Borneo
Morgans, Courtney L., Santika, Truly, Meijaard, Erik, Ancrenaz, Marc and Wilson, Kerrie A. (2019). Cost-benefit based prioritisation of orangutan conservation actions in Indonesian Borneo. Biological Conservation, 238 108236, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108236
2019
Other Outputs
Conservation strategy evaluation
Morgans, Courtney (2019). Conservation strategy evaluation. PhD Thesis, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.724
2018
Journal Article
Evaluating the effectiveness of palm oil certification in delivering multiple sustainability objectives
Morgans, Courtney L., Meijaard, Erik, Santika, Truly, Law, Elizabeth, Budiharta, Sugeng, Ancrenaz, Marc and Wilson, Kerrie A. (2018). Evaluating the effectiveness of palm oil certification in delivering multiple sustainability objectives. Environmental Research Letters, 13 (6) 064032, 064032. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aac6f4
2018
Journal Article
A methodological guide to using and reporting on interviews in conservation science research
Young, Juliette C., Rose, David C., Mumby, Hannah S., Benitez-Capistros, Francisco, Derrick, Christina J., Finch, Tom, Garcia, Carolina, Home, Chandrima, Marwaha, Esha, Morgans, Courtney, Parkinson, Stephen, Shah, Jay, Wilson, Kerrie A. and Mukherjee, Nibedita (2018). A methodological guide to using and reporting on interviews in conservation science research. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9 (1), 10-19. doi: 10.1111/2041-210X.12828
2017
Journal Article
Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
Morgans, Courtney L., Guerrero, Angela M., Ancrenaz, Marc, Meijaard, Erik and Wilson, Kerrie A. (2017). Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan. Global Ecology and Conservation, 11, 236-246. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.07.004
2014
Journal Article
How populations differentiate despite gene flow: sexual and natural selection drive phenotypic divergence within a land fish, the Pacific leaping blenny
Morgans, Courtney L., Cooke, Georgina M. and Ord, Terry J. (2014). How populations differentiate despite gene flow: sexual and natural selection drive phenotypic divergence within a land fish, the Pacific leaping blenny. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 14 (1) 97, 1-20. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-97
2013
Journal Article
Natural selection in novel environments: predation selects for background matching in the body colour of a land fish
Morgans, Courtney L. and Ord, Terry J. (2013). Natural selection in novel environments: predation selects for background matching in the body colour of a land fish. Animal Behaviour, 86 (6), 1241-1249. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.027
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Courtney Morgans is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Courtney Morgans's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: