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James Watson

Professor, The University of Queensland

James is a Professor at the University of Queensland and Director of Science and Research Initiative at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Before moving to the Science Initiative, James directed WCS’s climate change program, leading the planning and implementation of climate adaptation and REDD+ projects throughout WCS’s landscape, seascape, and species conservation programs. He currently serves on the leadership committee for the Science for Nature and People (SNAP) Initiative, the International Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Data and Knowledge Task Force, and was chair of the IUCN’s climate change specialist group. James is the Director the Green Fire Science research group (www.greenfirescience.com) whose mission is to do applied research that is linked directly to the practice of conservation.

Brief CV
James is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy and Royal Military College. He completed his doctorate at the Oxford University in 2004, where funded by a Rhodes Scholarship he explored the effects of habitat fragmentation on birds in Madagascar and Australia. Since then, he has worked as a post doctoral fellow at the University of California (San Diego) and the University of Queensland and as a senior campaigner for The Wilderness Society in Australia.

About the Wildlife Conservation Society
Founded in 1895, the WCS has the clear mission to save wildlife and wild places across the globe. Its story began in the early 1900s when it successfully helped the American bison recover on the Western Plains. Today, it protects many of the world’s iconic creatures, including gorillas in the Congo, tigers in India, wolverines in the Yellowstone Rockies, and ocean giants.

Since its founding, WCS has forged the power of its global conservation work and the management of its five parks in New York City to create the world’s most comprehensive conservation organization. It currently manages about 500 conservation projects in more than 60 countries, and educates millions of visitors at five institutions in New York City: the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo.

Most native bird species are losing their homes, even the ones you see every day

Oct 29, 2019 19:28 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Across parts of Australia, vast areas of native vegetation have been cleared and replaced by our cities, farms and infrastructure. When native vegetation is removed, the habitat and resources that it provides for native...

Environment laws have failed to tackle the extinction emergency. Here's the proof

Sep 10, 2019 20:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

Threatened species habitat larger than the size of Tasmania has been destroyed since Australias environment laws were enacted, and 93% of this habitat loss was not referred to the federal government for scrutiny, our new...

Earth’s wilderness is vanishing, and just a handful of nations can save it

Nov 04, 2018 14:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Just 20 countries are home to 94% of the worlds remaining wilderness, excluding the high seas and Antarctica, according to our new global wilderness map, published today in Nature. A century ago, wilderness extended...

New map shows that only 13% of the oceans are still truly wild

Aug 01, 2018 13:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Just 13% of the worlds oceans are now free from intense human activities such as fishing, according to a new map of ocean wilderness areas. Our research, published in the journal Current Biology, shows that only 55...

Economy

The yen plunges to 34-year low despite interest rate hike

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years on March 19, bringing an era of negative interest rates to an end. The key rate was hiked from 0.1% to a band from zero to 0.1% a token effort...

The idea that US interest rates will stay higher for longer is probably wrong

The 0.4% rise in US consumer prices in March didnt look like headline news. It was the same as the February increase, and the year-on-year rise of 3.5% is still sharply down from 5% a year ago. All the same, this modest...

Impact of Iran-Israel conflict on Stocks, Gold and Bitcoin

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. The information provided is for general purposes only. No information, materials, services and other content provided on this page constitute a solicitation, recommendation,...

Japan Posts 7.7% Growth in Machinery Orders

In a striking development that looks set to invigorate Japans economic prospects, a key gauge of capital spending in the country has seen its most significant jump in over a year. According to Cabinet Office data released...

Why Africa can be the beating heart of South Korea’s technology industry

Tshepo Ncube, Head: International Coverage and Bhavtik Vallabhjee, Head: Power, Utilities Infrastructure at Absa CIB reflect on their recent visit to South Korea, examining why investors in the region have their eyes set...

Politics

US Commerce Secretary Asserts Huawei Chip Lag, Affirms Export Control Success

In an interview on CBS News 60 Minutes, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated that the latest Huawei Mate 60 Pro phones chip remains significantly behind U.S. technology despite being the most advanced from China. She...

The Alberta government is interfering in public sector bargaining on an unprecedented scale

In the coming months, over 200,000 public sector workers in Alberta will begin bargaining with their employers for new contracts. The most recent agreements expired in March and, after many years of high inflation and few...

Putin’s Russia: first arrests under new anti-LGBT laws mark new era of repression

Just over three decades after Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993, three people have been arrested and charged under the countrys harsh new anti-LGBT laws and could face ten years in prison for membership of an...

Nvidia RTX 4090D Embroiled in US-China Tech Rivalry; South Korea Navigates Chip Export Dilemma

The U.S. government has tightened export restrictions on high-performance semiconductor chips to China, including the Nvidia RTX 4090D, and is urging South Korea to enforce similar curbs, marking a significant escalation...

Canada needs a national strategy for homeless refugee claimants

One year after the federal government closed Roxham Road, refugee claims in Canada continue to increase: there were 143,785 in 2023 compared to 91,730 in 2022. The surprise announcement in March 2023 to modify Canadas...

Science

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it

Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life. Often termed an ocean world by scientists, observations to date strongly...

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

Technology

Tesla Nears FSD Licensing Deal with Major Automaker, Hits 1.3 Billion Milestone

In Teslas latest quarterly update, CEO Elon Musk disclosed ongoing Full Self-Driving (FSD) licensing negotiations with a major automaker, noting the significant engagement from FSD users who have now surpassed 1.3 billion...

Mercedes Launches 2025 G-Class Electric with Four Motors and Revolutionary Tank Turns

Mercedes-Benz revealed the 2025 G-Class electric model, the G580 with EQ technology, in Beverly Hills. It boasts four motors and an innovative tank turn capability, setting a new benchmark in luxury electric...

U.S. Prosecutors Demand Three Years for Former Binance CEO Zhao Over Laundering

In a stern move reflecting the severity of financial crimes, U.S. prosecutors have recommended a 36-month prison sentence for Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of cryptocurrency giant Binance, for aiding in money laundering...

Asahi Kasei to Build EV Battery Plant in Canada to Supply Key Parts to Honda Motor

Asahi Kasei Corporation, a chemical company based in Japan, announced it will build a new production plant in Canada where it will make parts for electric vehicle batteries. The company will then supply critical materials...

SK Networks Sets Up AI Research Lab in Silicon Valley

SK Networks established its own AI research center in the United States. The lab was inaugurated in Silicon Valley, California, on Tuesday, April 23. The site will become SK Networks AI base outside of South Korea. The...