Dr Joshua Cinner grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. He completed a Master’s degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island in 2000, and received a PhD from James Cook University in 2006. His research focuses on using social science to improve coral reef management. The interest in this field began in 1996 while working as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in the Montego Bay Marine Park in Jamaica, where he witnessed first hand how conventional conservation strategies were failing because they did not understand or reflect the social, economic, and cultural needs of resource users.

He has since worked with various coastal peoples in the Pacific Islands, South East Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean to better understand how socioeconomic factors influence the ways in which people use, perceive, and govern coral reefs.

Joshua's work draws together a wide range of social science disciplines (including human geography, common property, anthropology, and conservation policy) and He often works closely with ecologists on interdisciplinary research topics. Increasingly, his research is moving beyond the case study approach toward a ‘big picture’ comparative exploration of human-environment interactions.

Interests

Research

• small-scale fisheries, social-ecological systems, co-management, vulnerability

Research Disciplines

• Environmental management (4104)
• Ecology (3103)
• Human geography (4406)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Marine systems and management (1805)

Awards

• 2017 - Elinor Ostrom Award

Fellowships

• 2015 - Pew Fellowship
• 2017 to 2020 - ARC Future Fellow
• 2011 to 2015 - ARC Australian Research Fellow
• 2007 to 2010 - ARC AUstralian Postdoctoral Fellow

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Bergseth B, Arias A, Barnes M, Caldwell I, Datta A, Gelcich S, Ham S, Lau J, Ruano-Chamorro C, Smallhorn-West P, Weekers D, Zamborain-Mason J and Cinner J (2023) Closing the compliance gap in marine protected areas with human behavioural sciences. Fish and Fisheries, 24. pp. 695-704
• Cannon S, Donner S, Liu A, González Espinosa P, Baird A, Baum J, Bauman A, Beger M, Benkwitt C, Birt M, Chancerelle Y, Cinner J, Crane N, Denis V, Depczynski M, Fadli N, Fenner D, Fulton C, Golbuu Y, Graham N, Guest J, Harrison H, Hobbs J, Hoey A, Holmes T, Houk P, Januchowski-Hartley F, Jompa J, Kuo C, Limmon G, Lin Y, McClanahan T, Muenzel D, Paddack M, Planes S, Pratchett M, Radford B, Reimer J, Richards Z, Ross C, Rulmal Jr. J, Sommer B, Williams G and Wilson S (2023) Macroalgae exhibit diverse responses to human disturbances on coral reefs. Global Change Biology, 29 (12). pp. 3318-3330
• Cumming G, Adamska M, Barnes M, Barnett J, Bellwood D, Cinner J, Cohen P, Donelson J, Fabricius K, Grafton R, Grech A, Gurney G, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Hoey A, Hoogenboom M, Lau J, Lovelock C, Lowe R, Miller D, Morrison T, Mumby P, Nakata M, Pandolfi J, Peterson G, Pratchett M, Ravasi T, Riginos C, Rummer J, Schaffelke B, Wernberg T and Wilson S (2023) Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes. Regional Environmental Change, 23 (2).
• Seguin R, Mouillot D, Cinner J, Stuart-Smith R, Maire E, Graham N, McLean M, Vigliola L and Loiseau N (2023) Towards process-oriented management of tropical reefs in the anthropocene. Nature Sustainability, 6. pp. 148-157
• Simpfendorfer C, Heithaus M, Heupel M, MacNeil M, Meekan M, Harvey E, Sherman C, Currey-Randall L, Goetze J, Kiszka J, Rees M, Speed C, Udyawer V, Bond M, Flowers K, Clementi G, Valentin-Albanese J, Adam M, Ali K, Asher J, Aylagas E, Beaufort O, Benjamin C, Bernard A, Berumen M, Bierwagen S, Birrell C, Bonnema E, Bown R, Brooks E, Brown J, Buddo D, Burke P, Cáceres C, Cambra M, Cardeñosa D, Carrier J, Casareto S, Caselle J, Charloo V, Cinner J, Claverie T, Clua E, Cochran J, Cook N, Cramp J, D’Alberto B, de Graaf M, Dornhege M, Espinoza M, Estep A, Fanovich L, Farabaugh N, Fernando D, Ferreira C, Fields C, Flam A, Floros C, Fourqurean V, Gajdzik L, Barcia L, Garla R, Gastrich K, George L, Giarrizzo T, Graham R, Guttridge T, Hagan V, Hardenstine R, Heck S, Henderson A, Heithaus P, Hertler H, Padilla M, Hueter R, Jabado R, Joyeux J, Jaiteh V, Johnson M, Jupiter S, Kaimuddin M, Kasana D, Kelley M, Kessel S, Kiilu B, Kirata T, Kuguru B, Kyne F, Langlois T, Lara F, Lawe J, Lédée E, Lindfield S, Luna-Acosta A, Maggs J, Manjaji-Matsumoto B, Marshall A, Martin L, Mateos-Molina D, Matich P, McCombs E, McIvor A, Mclean D, Meggs L, Moore S, Mukherji S, Murray R, Newman S, Nogués J, Obota C, Ochavillo D, O'shea O, Osuka K, Papastamatiou Y, Perera N, Peterson B, Pimentel C, Pina-Amargós F, Pinheiro H, Ponzo A, Prasetyo A, Quamar L, Quinlan J, Reis-Filho J, Ruiz H, Ruiz-Abierno A, Sala E, Salinas-de-León P, Samoilys M, Sample W, Schärer-Umpierre M, Schlaff A, Schmid K, Schoen S, Simpson N, Smith A, Spaet J, Sparks L, Stoffers T, Tanna A, Torres R, Travers M, van Zinnicq Bergmann M, Vigliola L, Ward J, Warren J, Watts A, Wen C, Whitman E, Wirsing A, Wothke A, Zarza-González E and Chapman D (2023) Widespread diversity deficits of coral reef sharks and rays. Science, 380 (6650). pp. 1155-1160
• Sutcliffe S, Lau J, Barnes M, Mbaru E, Wade E, Hungito W, Muly I, Wanyonyi S, Muthiga N, Cohen P and Cinner J (2023) COVID-19 impacts on food systems in fisheries-dependent island communities. Ecology and Society, 28 (1).
• Zamborain-Mason J, Cinner J, MacNeil M, Graham N, Hoey A, Beger M, Brooks A, Booth D, Edgar G, Feary D, Ferse S, Friedlander A, Gough C, Green A, Mouillot D, Polunin N, Stuart-Smith R, Wantiez L, Williams I, Wilson S and Connolly S (2023) Sustainable reference points for multispecies coral reef fisheries. Nature Communications, 14 (1).
• Barnes M, Jasny L, Bauman A, Ben J, Berardo R, Bodin Ö, Cinner J, Feary D, Guerrero A, Januchowski-Hartley F, Kuange J, Lau J, Wang P and Zamborain-Mason J (2022) ‘Bunkering down’: How one community is tightening social-ecological network structures in the face of global change. People and Nature, 4 (4). pp. 1032-1048
• Cinner J, Caldwell I, Thiault L, Ben J, Blanchard J, Coll M, Diedrich A, Eddy T, Everett J, Folberth C, Gascuel D, Guiet J, Gurney G, Heneghan R, Jagermeyr J, Jiddawi N, Lahari R, Kuange J, Wenfeng L, Maury O, Muller C, Novaglio C, Palacios-Abrantes J, Petrik C, Rabearisoa A, Tittensor D, Wamukota A and Pollnac R (2022) The potential impacts of climate change on agriculture and fisheries production in 72 tropical coastal communities. Nature Communications, 13.
• Cinner J, Zamborain-Mason J, Maire E, Hoey A, Graham N, Mouillot D, Villeger S, Ferse S and Lockie S (2022) Linking key human-environment theories to inform the sustainability of coral reefs. Current Biology, 32 (12). pp. 2610-2620.e4
• Mason J, Eurich J, Lau J, Battista W, Free C, Mills K, Tokunaga K, Zhao L, Dickey-Collas M, Valle M, Pecl G, Cinner J, McClanahan T, Allison E, Friedman W, Silva C, Yanez E, Barbieri M and Kleisner K (2022) Attributes of climate resilience in fisheries: from theory to practice. Fish and Fisheries, 23 (3). pp. 522-544
• Ruano-Chamorro C, Gurney G and Cinner J (2022) Advancing procedural justice in conservation. Conservation Letters, 15 (3).

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 177+ research outputs authored by Prof Joshua Cinner from 2004 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Equity in marine conservation: from global to local (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Assessing the effectiveness of social norms behavioural interventions to increase fisher compliance (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Rural Cassava Farmers Behaviour and Adaptation to Climate Smart Africulture in Nigeria (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Building Social Resilience to rapid change in Coastal Communities (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Macro and Micro Level Determinants of the Contribution of Fish to Nutritional Security (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Sustainability of coral reef fishery in Indonesia (Masters , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• The role of equity in small-scale fisheries management (2023, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Assessing the sustainability of multispecies coral reef fisheries around the globe (2022, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Diffusion of a gear-based conservation innovation: adoption patterns and social - ecological outcomes (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Socio-ecological drivers of fish biomass on coral reefs: the importance of accessibility, protection and key species (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• 'The reef is our garden' expanding analysis of ecosystem services in coastal communities (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Poaching in marine protected areas: drivers of and responses to illegal fishing (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor)

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit Research Data Australia.

• Rojas, C. (2020) Data for: Do market and trust contexts spillover into public goods contributions? Evidence from experimental games in Papua New Guinea. James Cook University
• Cinner, J. (2020) Data from: Meeting fisheries, ecosystem function, and biodiversity goals in a human dominated world. James Cook University
• Cinner, J. (2019) Data for: Sixteen years of social and ecological dynamics reveal challenges and opportunities for adaptive management in sustaining the commons. James Cook University
• Maire, E. (2019) Fish biomass and socio-economic data from small-scale reef fisheries in Northwest Madagascar. James Cook University
• Cinner, J. (2018) Recreational fishers' perceptions of poaching in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. James Cook University
• Waldie, P. (2017) Data from: Restricted grouper reproductive migrations support community-based management. James Cook University
• Cinner, J. (2017) Global gravity of coral reefs spatial layer. James Cook University
• Waldie, P. (2017) Investigating spatial aspects of the community-based management of a small-scale artisanal grouper fishery . James Cook University
• Robinson, J. (2016) Expert interview data for a risk assessment of spawning aggregation fisheries . James Cook University
• Robinson, J. (2016) Multi-species grouper spawning aggregation fishery study in Papua New Guinea. James Cook University

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.