Dr. Brad Congdon

Dr. Congdon is Reader in Ecology at JCU (Cairns). As a research academic and field ecologist, he has had more than 30 years experience of applying ecological and evolutionary theory to the management and conservation of animal and plant species. He has a special interest in seabird conservation and has worked extensively with seabirds both in Australia and overseas. His current research is focused on understanding how changing ocean conditions impact seabird breeding success throughout the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea ecosystems. His research group was the first to demonstrate that seabirds are sensitive indicators of multiple climate-change impacts on top predators in these areas and have established that rising sea-surface temperatures are a major conservation issue for seabirds of the Great Barrier Reef.