James, Underwood
Scientist
Natural Resources
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
Australia
Biography
Dr.James, Underwood is a Scientist, addressing the science gaps in the genetics and resilience of coral reefs in northwest Australia and facilitate the effective transfer of this knowledge to management agencies in the region.His research focuses on the genetic and ecological connectivity of coral reef organisms including hard corals and fish. He has worked at AIMS for ten years alongside coral and fish ecologists, and he has 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 (WA DPaW and WA Fisheries) as he look to effectively transferring our connectivity knowledge into tangible and effective management strategies and outcomes. He is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the UWA Oceans Institute, and currently maintain strong collaborative links with UWA, CSIRO, and West Australian Museum.
Research Interest
Ecology
Publications
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Gilmour JP, Underwood JN, Howells EJ, Gates E, Heyward AJ (2016) Biannual spawning and temporal reproductive isolation in Acropora corals. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0150916
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Underwood JN, Wilson SK, Ludgerus L, Evans RD (2013) Integrating connectivity science and spatial conservation management of coral reefs in north-west Australia. Journal for Nature Conservation 21:163-172
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Underwood JN, Travers MJ, Gilmour JP (2012) Subtle genetic structure reveals restricted connectivity among populations of a coral reef fish inhabiting remote atolls. Ecology and Evolution 2:666-679.
