Barbara Robson

Dr. Barbara Robson is a Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville, Australia, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW@Canberra). She leads AIMS' Tropical Marine Water Quality and Impacts team, focusing on biogeochemical modelling of coastal ecosystems to inform environmental policy, particularly for the Great Barrier Reef. Her expertise spans nitrogen fixation, remote sensing of benthic light, and decision support tools.

• Education:
  • PhD in Oceanography (University of New South Wales, 2000)
  • Bachelor of Environmental Science (Hons 1, Murdoch University, 1994)

Her research involves:

• Modelling water quality and nutrient dynamics in coastal systems
• Assessing climate change impacts on marine ecosystems
• Developing tools to resolve model-data discrepancies
• Studying coral recruitment connectivity and photophysiology

Recent publications highlight her work on Trichodesmium dynamics, coral metacommunity frameworks, and synthetic data applications. She serves as an Associate Editor for Limnology and Oceanography Letters and contributes to science panels like the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Program.

Scientific honors include:

• Fellow, International Environmental Modelling and Software Society
• Peter Cullen Trust Fellow
• Early Career Research Excellence Award (Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand)