CRI Main Seminar: Prof. Hugh Possingham

Speaker: Prof. Hugh Possingham, the University of Queensland

Title: 15 reasons to monitor for biodiversity conservation (based on our recent paper in PRSB - Helmstedt et al. 2025.)

Scientists are always telling managers, governments and eNGOs that we need more biodiversity monitoring data, but why?  There have been numerous criticisms of expensive or meaningless monitoring.  Maybe our efforts need to go more into action than learning given the biodiversity crisis.  This talk will attempt to line up conservation science monitoring and research within a theory of change that leads to outcomes.  Value of information theory will be explained.

Hugh Possingham's research interests are in conservation research, operations research and ecology. More specifically his lab works on problems to secure the world's biological diversity: efficient nature reserve design, habitat reconstruction, optimal monitoring, optimal management of populations for conservation, cost-effective conservation actions for threatened species, pest control and population harvesting, survey methods for detecting bird decline, bird conservation ecology, environmental accounting and metapopulation dynamics. He has always been actively involved in conservation policy and advocacy - to learn how listen to "The 2023 Univ Canberra Krebs lecture on Science, Maths and Environmental Policy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix2_UamShUw"

Hugh is 40% UQ in the 'Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science' at the University of Queensland; 10% 'Accounting for Nature' and 10% co-chair of the 'National Biodiversity Council'.