Jim Underwood

My scientific career began in the population genetics of coral reefs with a PhD in the School of Animal Biology in UWA. Since then, my focus has remained on genetic and ecological connectivity of coral reef organisms including hard corals and fish. I have worked at AIMS for ten years alongside coral and fish ecologists, and I have always been passionate about linking genetics, which deals with the fundamental building blocks of evolution, with the fundamental ecology of coral reef resilience, persistence and ecosystem health. This passion has also led to productive collaboration with management agencies (DBCA and Parks Australia) as I look to effectively transfer our connectivity knowledge into tangible and effective management strategies and outcomes. I am also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the UWA Oceans Institute, and currently maintain strong collaborative links with UWA, CSIRO, Curtain and West Australian Museum. Recently, I am inspired by a new direction of work which seeks to empower traditional ways of looking after seacountry through genuine science partnerships with Indigenous Rangers and Traditional Owners of northwest Australia.