Professor James Watson
Professor

James Watson

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 61645

Background

James is an applied conservation scientist and bioegeographer working at the interface between ecology, policy and management to improve outcomes for biodiversity. He has a particular interest in understanding how humanity influences landscape and the climate, and what this means for biodiversity and ecosystem service outcomes, and the implications of this for environmental policy setting and management.

As a Professor of Conservation Science at The University of Queensland, he leads two research groups. The Green Fire Science research group (www.greenfirescience.com) mission is to do applied research that is linked directly to the practice of large-scale conservation and the Research and Recovery of Endangered Species (https://raresgroup.com.au) mission is to focus on Australia's rarest, least studied species to try and work out their needs and work with those on-ground practioners to try and save them.

James has been passionate conservation for decades. As a Rhodes Scholar, James undertook his PhD research studying in Madagascar, trying to come up with conservation plans to save endemic bird species inhabiting the country’s remaining littoral forest. Since then he has published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and reports on conservation related matters, ranging from assessing the impacts of climate change on species to mapping the effectiveness of protected areas on biodiversity conservation outcomes globally. He has served on the International Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Data and Knowledge Task Force, and is a Research Fellow for the United Nation’s Environment Program, a Senior Technical expert for the United Nations Development Program’s Global Programme on Nature for Development, and was the founding chair of the International Union for Nature Conservation Climate Change Specialist Group. James sits on the scientific committees of BirdLife Australia and SUBAC. James was global president of the Society for Conservation Biology in 2015-17.

I am also an affiliated researcher at the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science.

Availability

Professor James Watson is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Ecology Environmental Sciences

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford

Research interests

  • Conservation policy and practice

Search Professor James Watson’s works on UQ eSpace

500 works between 2001 and 2025
All (500) Journal Article (415) Book Chapter (20) Conference Publication (6) Book (2) Other Outputs (57)

361 - 380 of 500 works

2016

Journal Article

A global assessment of current and future biodiversity vulnerability to habitat loss-climate change interactions

Segan, Daniel B., Murray, Kris A. and Watson, James E. M. (2016). A global assessment of current and future biodiversity vulnerability to habitat loss-climate change interactions. Global Ecology and Conservation, 5, 12-21. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.11.002

A global assessment of current and future biodiversity vulnerability to habitat loss-climate change interactions

2016

Other Outputs

Conservation action plan for the Albertine Rift

Plumptre, A. J., Ayebare, S., Segan, D., Watson, J. E. M. and Kujirakwinja, D. (2016). Conservation action plan for the Albertine Rift.

Conservation action plan for the Albertine Rift

2016

Book Chapter

Setting Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment goals and objectives

Young, Bruce E., Martin, Tara, Watson, James E. M., Foden, Wendy B., Williams, Stephen and Scheffers, Brett (2016). Setting Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment goals and objectives. IUCN SSC Guidelines for Assessing Species’ Vulnerability to Climate Change. Version 1.0. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 59. (pp. 13-16) Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Setting Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment goals and objectives

2015

Journal Article

What are we actually protecting in the ocean?

Klein, Carissa, Watson, James, Halpern, Ben and McGowan, Jennifer (2015). What are we actually protecting in the ocean?. Ocean Views

What are we actually protecting in the ocean?

2015

Journal Article

As habitat vanishes, migratory birds are in free fall

Runge, Claire, Watson, James and Fuller, Richard (2015). As habitat vanishes, migratory birds are in free fall. LiveScience

As habitat vanishes, migratory birds are in free fall

2015

Journal Article

Protected areas and global conservation of migratory birds

Runge, Claire A., Watson, James E.M., Butchart, Stuart H.M., Hanson, Jeffrey O., Possingham, Hugh P. and Fuller, Richard A. (2015). Protected areas and global conservation of migratory birds. Science, 350 (6265), 1255-1258. doi: 10.1126/science.aac9180

Protected areas and global conservation of migratory birds

2015

Journal Article

Shortfalls in the global protected area network at representing marine biodiversity

Klein, Carissa J., Brown, Christopher J., Halpern, Benjamin S., Segan, Daniel B., McGowan, Jennifer, Beger, Maria and Watson, James E.M. (2015). Shortfalls in the global protected area network at representing marine biodiversity. Scientific Reports, 5 (1) 17539, 17539. doi: 10.1038/srep17539

Shortfalls in the global protected area network at representing marine biodiversity

2015

Journal Article

Designing climate-resilient marine protected area networks by combining remotely sensed coral reef habitat with coastal multi-use maps

Maina, Joseph M., Jones, Kendall R., Hicks, Christina C., McClanahan, Tim R., Watson, James E. M., Tuda, Arthur O. and Andrefouet, Serge (2015). Designing climate-resilient marine protected area networks by combining remotely sensed coral reef habitat with coastal multi-use maps. Remote Sensing, 7 (12), 16571-16587. doi: 10.3390/rs71215849

Designing climate-resilient marine protected area networks by combining remotely sensed coral reef habitat with coastal multi-use maps

2015

Journal Article

A wilderness approach under the World Heritage Convention

Kormos, Cyril F., Bertzky, Bastian, Jaeger, Tilman, Shi, Yichuan, Badman, Tim, Hilty, Jodi A., Mackey, Brendan G., Mittermeier, Russell A., Locke, Harvey, Osipova, Elena and Watson, James E.M. (2015). A wilderness approach under the World Heritage Convention. Conservation Letters, 9 (3), 228-235. doi: 10.1111/conl.12205

A wilderness approach under the World Heritage Convention

2015

Journal Article

The role of World Heritage sites in a changing climate

Welling, Leigh, Rockman, Marcy, Watson, James, Mackey, Brendan and Potts, Andrew (2015). The role of World Heritage sites in a changing climate. World Heritage Review, 77, 4-13.

The role of World Heritage sites in a changing climate

2015

Journal Article

Integrating human responses to climate change into conservation vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning

Maxwell, Sean L., Venter, Oscar, Jones, Kendall R. and Watson, James E. M. (2015). Integrating human responses to climate change into conservation vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1355 (1), 98-116. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12952

Integrating human responses to climate change into conservation vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning

2015

Journal Article

Effective conservation requires clear objectives and prioritizing actions, not places or species

Brown, Christopher J., Bode, Michael, Venter, Oscar, Barnes, Megan D., McGowan, Jennifer, Runge, Claire A., Watson, James E. M. and Possingham, Hugh P. (2015). Effective conservation requires clear objectives and prioritizing actions, not places or species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112 (32), E4342-E4342. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1509189112

Effective conservation requires clear objectives and prioritizing actions, not places or species

2015

Journal Article

Conservation: stop misuse of biodiversity offsets

Maron, Martine, Gordon, Ascelin, Mackey, Brendan G., Possingham, Hugh P. and Watson, James E. M. (2015). Conservation: stop misuse of biodiversity offsets. Nature, 523 (7561), 401-403. doi: 10.1038/523401a

Conservation: stop misuse of biodiversity offsets

2015

Journal Article

Offsetting biodiversity: greening or greenwashing?

Maron, Martine and Watson, James (2015). Offsetting biodiversity: greening or greenwashing?. National Geographic

Offsetting biodiversity: greening or greenwashing?

2015

Journal Article

Considering the impact of climate change on human communities significantly alters the outcome of species and site-based vulnerability assessments

Segan, Daniel B., Hole, David G., Donatti, Camila I., Zganjar, Chris, Martin, Shaun, Butchart, Stuart H. M. and Watson, James E. M. (2015). Considering the impact of climate change on human communities significantly alters the outcome of species and site-based vulnerability assessments. Diversity and Distributions, 21 (9), 1101-1111. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12355

Considering the impact of climate change on human communities significantly alters the outcome of species and site-based vulnerability assessments

2015

Journal Article

Integrating social–ecological vulnerability assessments with climate forecasts to improve local climate adaptation planning for coral reef fisheries in Papua New Guinea

Maina, Joseph, Kithiia, Justus, Cinner, Josh, Neale, Ezra, Noble, Sylvia, Charles, Daniel and Watson, James E. M. (2015). Integrating social–ecological vulnerability assessments with climate forecasts to improve local climate adaptation planning for coral reef fisheries in Papua New Guinea. Regional Environmental Change, 16 (3), 881-891. doi: 10.1007/s10113-015-0807-0

Integrating social–ecological vulnerability assessments with climate forecasts to improve local climate adaptation planning for coral reef fisheries in Papua New Guinea

2015

Journal Article

Efficient expansion of global protected areas requires simultaneous planning for species and ecosystems

Polak, Tal, Watson, James E. M., Fuller, Richard A., Joseph, Liana, Martin, Tara G., Possingham, Hugh P., Venter, Oscar and Carwardine, Josie (2015). Efficient expansion of global protected areas requires simultaneous planning for species and ecosystems. Royal Society Open Science, 2 (4) 150107, 150107.1-150107.11. doi: 10.1098/rsos.150107

Efficient expansion of global protected areas requires simultaneous planning for species and ecosystems

2015

Journal Article

Land clearing in Queensland triples after policy ping pong

Maron, Martine, Lawrence, Bill, Pressey, Bob, Catterall, Carla P. , Watson, James and Rhodes, Jonathan (2015, 03 18). Land clearing in Queensland triples after policy ping pong

Land clearing in Queensland triples after policy ping pong

2015

Journal Article

Being smart about SMART environmental targets

Maxwell, S.L, Milner-Gulland, E.J, Jones, J.P.G, Knight, A.T, Bunnefeld, N, Nuno, A, Bal, P, Earle, S, Watson J.E.M. and Rhodes J.R (2015). Being smart about SMART environmental targets. Science, 347 (6226), 1075-1076. doi: 10.1126/science.aaa1451

Being smart about SMART environmental targets

2015

Journal Article

Why do we map threats? Linking threat mapping with actions to make better conservation decisions

Tulloch, Vivitskaia, Tulloch, Ayesha, Visconti, Piero, Halpern, Benjamin S., Watson, James E. M., Evans, Megan C., Auerbach, Nancy A., Barnes, Megan, Beger, Maria, Chadès, Iadine, Giakoumi, Sylvaine, McDonald-Madden, Eve, Murray, Nicholas J., Ringma, Jeremy and Possingham, Hugh P. (2015). Why do we map threats? Linking threat mapping with actions to make better conservation decisions. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13 (2), 91-99. doi: 10.1890/140022

Why do we map threats? Linking threat mapping with actions to make better conservation decisions

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Queensland regional planning assessments
    Queensland Conservation Council
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2025
    Mapping environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks to Australia's mining sector - a tool for responsible investment
    Commonwealth Government Geoscience Australia
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    A critical pathway for Australia's Conservation Future (Ian Potter Foundation grant administered by the University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023
    Wilderness Inventory Data Review
    Minister for Climate, Environment and Water (South Australia)
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2023
    Mapping threatened species recovery across Federal electorates
    World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Threatened Species: pilot project
    Australian Capital Territory - Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate - Conservation Research Branch
    Open grant
  • 2021
    Apply Key Biodiversity Criteria to Bush Heritage Priority Landscapes to determine intactness and land condition
    Bush Heritage Australia
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Linking assessment of global goals for ecosystems and species by coupling WCS and CSIRO capabilities in landscape integrity mapping and biodiversity modelling
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    A conservation metric for business to measure biodiversity
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Assessing the biotic response to intact forest metrics
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Vibrant Oceans: Applied Coral Reef Conservation
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    KBA mapping for Australia
    Birdlife Australia
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    The ecology and conservation biogeography of the buff-breasted button-quail
    Birds Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    ACF Key Biodiversity Areas Mapping Project
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Ecosystem risk assessment (ARC Linkage Project administered by The University of New South Wales)
    University of New South Wales
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Global priorities for terrestrial biodiversity
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2024
    Land clearing assessment on species
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Identifying Nature's Strongholds
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Conservation Priority Setting
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Africa Climate Change and Biodiversity - ABCG II
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Identifying the most important terrestrial wilderness areas on the planet
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Australia wide analysis for threatened species
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Intact Forests - Framework Metric
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    SNAPP Compensatory Conservation Working Group
    The Nature Conservancy
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2021
    Macarthur Intact Forests
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Rapid response to significant unanticipated threat - testing novel feral cat control strategies to support conservation of the endangered alwal/golden-shouldered parrot [...]
    Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Night Parrot Research, Pullen Pullen Reserve, Qld
    Bush Heritage Australia
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Africa Spatial Planning - ABCG II
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Optimising community-based climate change adaptation in the Pacific Islands
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2021
    GIS support to WCS Indonesia Program's Sulawesi project
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Intact forests values assessment
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Provide MARXAN analysis of WCS Papua New Guinea program
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2022
    The capacity of forests to protect regional climate under global warming
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Assessing biodiversity priorities and carbon values across the Great Eastern Ranges
    Australian Conservation Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Africa Biodiversity Consultative Group II
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2021
    Support for Research Assistants
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    The Luc Hoffman Institute Fellow - Pathways for Drivers of Positive Change
    WWF International
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Planning for the impacts of land-uses on coral reef fisheries
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Analysis of the public protected area framework in NSW and future opportunities
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2020
    Assimilating development objectives in conservation planning
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    ECO-SMarT
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Integrating human response to climate change into conservation planning: developing an integrated decision framework
    Research Donation Generic
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    MacArthur Foundation - Lower Mekong
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    `MacArthur Foundation - Portfolio Approach
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    MacArthur Foundation - Tanzania - Green Economies
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2021
    NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub
    National Environmental Science Program
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Africa Biodiversity Consultative Group
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Conservation strategy fund - Uganda
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    MacArthur Foundation - Birdlife subgrant - Support WCS's East Africa climate assessment work for Rwanda and Tanzania
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2018
    MacArthur Foundation - West Indian Ocean spatial planning assessment
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Eastern DRC spatial planning
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Climate adaptation on coral reefs
    Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
    Open grant

Availability

Professor James Watson is:
Available for supervision

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

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Managing grazing in the grasslands of Queenslands Channel Country: a critical refuge for the Critically Endangered Plains Wanderer

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Autecology of an endangered Australian passerine: CarpentarianGrasswren (Amytornis dorotheae)

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron

  • Master Philosophy

    Engaging elected representatives and constituencies for biodiversity conservation success

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Classifying and understanding the effectiveness of ecological corridors and their role in wider landscape and seascape integrity

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Carissa Klein

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Biogeography and conservation assessment of the endangered Northern Masked Owl

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Ecology and conservation of the Buff-breasted Button-quail (Turnix olivii)

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Martine Maron

  • Master Philosophy

    Engaging elected representatives and constituencies for biodiversity conservation success

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Conservation Biogeography of the Red Goshawk

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Megafauna losses and predatory interactions in tropical forests

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Luskin

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor James Watson directly for media enquiries about:

  • biodiversity
  • climate change
  • extinction
  • landclearing
  • landuse planning
  • logging
  • saving species
  • species loss

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au