James Watson

Professor James Watson is a leading conservation scientist and biogeographer at The University of Queensland, affiliated with the Centre for Marine Science and Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. As a Professor of Conservation Science, he specializes in biodiversity policy, climate change impacts, and species recovery strategies.

• PhD from University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar)
• Co-leader of Green Fire Science and RARES research groups
• Over 400 peer-reviewed publications

His research focuses on ecosystem integrity, protected area effectiveness, and conservation economics, with recent work addressing mining impacts on biodiversity, climate change adaptation, and the global 30x30 initiative. He advocates for evidence-based strategies to save Australia’s rarest species.

2025-2024 research trends show expertise in tropical forest regeneration, climate-species interactions, and policy implementation gaps. Collaborative projects span scientific modeling, GIS analysis, and international conservation frameworks.

• International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Task Force member
• Research Fellow, United Nations Environment Program
• Senior Technical Expert, UNDP’s Nature for Development Program
• Founding Chair, IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group

Supervision includes 12 current PhD candidates working on topics such as night parrot conservation, ecological corridors, and urban biodiversity. Completed students have addressed threatened species recovery and climate adaptation planning. He leads lab teams at Green Fire Science (www.greenfirescience.com) and RARES (https://raresgroup.com.au), focusing on applied conservation solutions.