Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson is a Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia's Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences. His work focuses on marine ecology and zoology, with particular expertise in pelagic ocean ecosystems and seabird ecology. He has participated in over twenty research expeditions across diverse environments from Western Australia to the Arctic and sub-Antarctic regions.

Dr. Thompson completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia, where he investigated human impacts on global pelagic wildlife assemblages and what remote places can teach us about intact ecosystems. His research contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental protection and sustainability.

Thompson's research interests span marine conservation, pelagic ecology, shark biology, seamount ecosystems, and fisheries management. His work frequently examines the relationship between human activities and marine biodiversity, with a focus on understanding intact ecosystems to inform conservation strategies. He has developed extensive field skills including deploying underwater camera systems, seabird surveys, shark tagging, and visual censuses of marine organisms.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on seamount ecology as critical habitats, fish body-size responses to human impacts, and conservation priorities for pelagic wildlife. His research has appeared in high-impact journals including Nature, PLoS Biology, and Conservation Letters, demonstrating significant contributions to marine science.

• Marine Protected Areas
• Seamount Ecology
• Shark Conservation
• Kelp Forest Ecosystems
• Indian Ocean Biodiversity
• Territorial Marine Management
• Fisheries Management Strategies
• Open Ocean Ecology

Dr. Thompson's work has received considerable attention, with publications picked up by numerous news outlets (7-17 per major paper) and referenced in policy documents. His research has accumulated 170 citations with an h-index of 7 according to Scopus metrics. He maintains active international collaborations across multiple countries and institutions.

His laboratory and field work involves advanced marine survey techniques, and he leads expeditions to study marine ecosystems in remote locations. Current research focuses on understanding how marine predators utilize seamounts as ecological hotspots and developing evidence-based conservation strategies for vulnerable marine species across the Indian Ocean and beyond.