Australia's Biodiversity
Inaugural Ken Sutton Memorial Lecture
Prof James Watson

2 Oct 2018, Steele Theatre, The University of Queensland

Since European occupation of Australia, human activities have caused the dramatic decline and sometimes extinction of many of the continent’s unique species. In his lecture, James will describe the causes of the decline and extinction and explain how Australia’s biodiversity crisis is very different to the crisis being felt elsewhere.

James is a Professor at the University of Queensland where he leads the Green Fire Science research group, whose mission is to do applied research that is linked directly to the practice of conservation. James has published more than 200 peer reviewed papers, currently serves on the United Nation’s International Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Data and Knowledge Task Force, is a Research Fellow for the United Nation’s Environment Program-WCMC, a senior technical expert for United Nations Development Program’s Global Program on Nature for Development and was a founding chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Climate Change Specialist Group. He is passionate about Australian conservation, especially when it comes to saving its most imperilled species.