Dr Jean-Paul Hobbs
The University of Western Australia
Research Field: Marine Biology
Australia’s marine species are worth more than $10 billion annually through fisheries, aquaculture and tourism, and provide vast enjoyment to Australians. Our oceans are global biodiversity hotspots, with more than 10,000 endemic marine species including abalone, lobsters, seahorses and anemonefishes. To best conserve endemic species we need to know what traits make them vulnerable, and what human impacts pose the greatest threat.
Jean-Paul’s research addresses these knowledge gaps by determining the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that increase extinction risk in Australia’s endemic marine species. By determining what increases extinction risk, his research will identify which management strategies best conserve endemic species and mitigate the key impacts that threaten their future.