JCU > Research Portfolio > Prof Joshua Cinner

About

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

Socio-Economic Objectives

Honours

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

Publications

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

Lau J, Cinner J, Fabinyi M, Gurney G and Hicks C (2020) Access to marine ecosystem services: examining entanglement and legitimacy in customary institutions. World Development, 126, Article: 104730, DOI:10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104730.
Mbaru E, Graham N, McClanahan T and Cinner J (in press) Functional traits illuminate the selective impacts of different fishing gears on coral reefs. Journal of Applied Ecology, , DOI:10.1111/1365-2664.13547.
Cinner J, Lau J, Bauman A, Feary D, Januchowski-Hartley F, Rojas C, Barnes M, Bergseth B, Shum E, Lahari R, Ben J and Graham N (2019) Sixteen years of social and ecological dynamics reveal challenges and opportunities for adaptive management in sustaining the commons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116 (52), pp. 26474-26483, DOI:10.1073/pnas.1914812116.
Cohen P, Allison E, Andrew N, Cinner J, Evans L, Fabinyi M, Garces L, Hall S, Hicks C, Hughes T, Jentoft S, Mills D, Masu R, Mbaru E and Ratner B (2019) Securing a just space for small-scale fisheries in the blue economy. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, Article: 171, DOI:10.3389/fmars.2019.00171.
Darling E, McClanahan T, Maina J, Gurney G, Graham N, Januchowski-hartley F, Cinner J, Mora C, Hicks C, Maire E, Puotinen M, Skirving W, Adjeroud M, Ahmadia G, Arthur R, Bauman A, Beger M, Berumen M, Bigot L, Bouwmeester J, Brenier A, Bridge T, Brown E, Campbell S, Cannon S, Cauvin B, Chen C, Claudet J, Denis V, Donner S, Estradivari , Fadli N, Feary D, Fenner D, Fox H, Franklin E, Friedlander A, Gilmour J, Goiran C, Guest J, Hobbs J, Hoey A, Houk P, Johnson S, Jupiter S, Kayal M, Kuo C, Lamb J, Lee M, Low J, Muthiga N, Muttaqin E, Nand Y, Nash K, Nedlic O, Pandolfi J, Pardede S, Patankar V, Penin L, Ribas-Deulofeu L, Richards Z, Roberts T, Rodgers K, Safuan C, Sala E, Shedrawi G, Sin T, Smallhorn-West P, Smith J, Sommer B, Steinberg P, Sutthacheep M, Tan C, Williams G, Wilson S, Yeemin T, Bruno J, Fortin M, Krkosek M and Mouillot D (2019) Social–environmental drivers inform strategic management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3, pp. 1341-1350, DOI:10.1038/s41559-019-0953-8.
McClanahan T, Schroeder R, Friedlander A, Vigliola L, Wantiez L, Caselle J, Graham N, Wilson S, Edgar G, Stuart-Smith R, Oddenyo R and Cinner J (2019) Global baselines and benchmarks for fish biomass: comparing remote reefs and fisheries closures. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 612, pp. 167-192, DOI:10.3354/meps12874.
Thiault L, Mora C, Cinner J, Cheung W, Graham N, Januchowski-Hartley F, Mouillot D, Sumaila U and Claudet J (2019) Escaping the perfect storm of simultaneous climate change impacts on agriculture and marine fisheries. Science Advances, 5 (11), Article: eaaw9976, DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aaw9976.
Aswani S, Basurto X, Ferse S, Glaser M, Campbell L, Cinner J, Dalton T, Jenkins L, Miller M, Pollnac R, Vaccaro I and Christie P (2018) Marine resource management and conservation in the Anthropocene. Environmental Conservation, 45 (2), pp. 192-202, DOI:10.1017/S0376892917000431.
Bergseth B, Gurney G, Barnes M, Arias A and Cinner J (2018) Addressing poaching in marine protected areas through voluntary surveillance and enforcement. Nature Sustainability, 1, pp. 421-426, DOI:10.1038/s41893-018-0117-x.
Beyer H, Kennedy E, Beger M, Chen C, Cinner J, Darling E, Eakin C, Gates R, Heron S, Knowlton N, Obura D, Palumbi S, Possingham H, Puotinen M, Runting R, Skirving W, Spalding M, Wilson K, Wood S, Veron J and Hoegh-Guldberg O (2018) Risk-sensitive planning for conserving coral reefs under rapid climate change. Conservation Letters, 11 (6), Article: e12587, DOI:10.1111/conl.12587.
Cinner J, Maire E, Huchery C, MacNeil M, Graham N, Mora C, McClanahan T, Barnes M, Kittinger J, Hicks C, D'Agata S, Hoey A, Gurney G, Feary D, Williams I, Kulbicki M, Vigliola L, Wantiez L, Edgar G, Stuart-Smith R, Sandin S, Green A, Hardt M, Beger M, Friedlander A, Wilson S, Brokovich E, Brooks A, Cruz-Motta J, Booth D, Chabanet P, Gough C, Tupper M, Ferse S, Sumaila U, Pardede S and Mouillot D (2018) Gravity of human impacts mediates coral reef conservation gains. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115 (27), pp. E6116-E6125, DOI:10.1073/pnas.1708001115.
Cinner J, Adger W, Allison E, Barnes M, Brown K, Cohen P, Gelcich S, Hicks C, Hughes T, Lau J, Marshall N and Morrison T (2018) Building adaptive capacity to climate change in tropical coastal communities. Nature Climate Change, 8 (2), pp. 117-123, DOI:10.1038/s41558-017-0065-x.

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 150+ research outputs authored by Prof Joshua Cinner from 2004 onwards.

Current Funding

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

CGIAR - Contract Research

CGIAR Fish-Agri-Food Systems

Indicative Funding: $429,091 over 4 years (administered by WorldFish, Malaysia)
Summary: JCU and WorldFish are committed to delivery of Flagship 2 "Sustaining small-scale fisheries" of the FISH CRP, and in particular Cluster 1 Resilient Coastal Fisheries and with contributions towards Cluster 3 Fish in Regional Food Systems (Program description http://on.cgiar.org/CRP2Proposals). This partnership will produce novel research contributing to increasing nutrition-sensitive fisheries management and policy for small-scale coastal fisheries, and leading to increased adpative capacity and resilience of small-scale coastal fisheries in the face of climate change. This partnership also represents a strong opportunity to build research-in0development capacity of students and post-doctoral research fellows based in Australia and in WorldFish focal countries.
Investigators: Joshua Cinner, Terry Hughes and Cindy Huchery (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Pacific Islands; small scale coastal fisheries; Climate Change; adaptive capacity and resilience; food security and nutrition; Sustainable Fisheries

Australian Research Council - Discovery - Future Fellowships

Identifying and learning from bright spots in coral reef governance

Indicative Funding: $940,000 over 5 years
Summary: This project aims to solve the global problem of unsustainable coral reef fisheries by locating and learning from `bright spots? in reefs. Bright spots are reefs in better condition than they should be, given the multiple drivers (e.g. markets and human population pressures) to which they are exposed. This project will use a global-scale analysis to identify bright spots, and field-based research to uncover the enabling social, economic and institutional conditions. Understanding these enabling conditions should help to formulate policy levers for more sustainable reef governance in other regions.
Investigators: Joshua Cinner (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Bright Spots; Markets; Coral Reefs; social-ecological

Australian Research Council - Centres of Excellence

ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated Coral Reef Studies

Indicative Funding: $28,000,000 over 7 years
Summary: The overarching aim of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated Coral Reef Studies is to provide the scientific knowledge necessary for sustaining ecosystem goods and services of the world's coral reefs, which support the livelihoods and food security of millions of people in the tropics. The Centre will enhance Australia's global leadership in coral reef science through three ambitious research programs addressing the future of coral reefs and their ability to adapt to change. A key outcome of the research will be providing tangible benefits to all Australians by bui8lding bridges between the natural and social sciences, strengthening capacity, and informing and supporting transformative changes in coral reef governance and management.
Investigators: Terry Hughes, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Malcolm McCulloch, Peter Mumby, Sean Connolly, John Pandolfi, Bob Pressey, Andrew Baird, David Bellwood, Joshua Cinner, Sophie Dove, Maja Adamska, Mia Hoogenboom, Geoff Jones, Mike Kingsford, Ryan Lowe, Mark McCormick, David Miller, Philip Munday, Morgan Pratchett, Garry Russ and Tiffany Morrison in collaboration with Janice Lough, David Wachenfeld, Stephen Palumbi, Serge Planes and Philippa Cohen (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia, College of Science & Engineering, Australian National University, College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Stanford University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and WorldFish)
Keywords: coral reef ecosystems; Climate Change Adaptation; ecological resilience; biodiversity goods and services; social-ecological dynamics

Paul M Angell Family Foundation - Grant

Learning from coral reef 'bright spots'

Indicative Funding: $99,337
Summary: This project aims to uncover novel solutions to the global problem of unsustainable coral reef fisheries by locating and learning from 'bright pots' in reef governance. In this case, bright spots are reefs in better condition than they should be, given the pressures they are exposed to (eg markets and human population). This proposal aims to build on my initial proof-of-concept by supporting fieldwork to uncover what makes bright spots bright, ie the social, economic, and institutional conditions that enable coral reef bright pots to withstand the pressures that caused other places to collapse.
Investigators: Joshua Cinner (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Coral Reef; fisheries; positive deviance; Markets; drivers; Resilience

Pew Charitable Trusts - Marine Fellows

Bright spots in the world's coral reefs

Indicative Funding: $197,670 over 3 years
Summary: I propose to conduct a 'bright spot' analysis for marine conservation. Bright spot (also called positive deviance) analyses rely on finding, and then learning from, 'positive' anomalies - in this case, the bright spots will be reefs that are in better condition than they should be, given the drivers (eg markets and human population pressures) to which they are exposed. Bright spot analyses have been used in fields such as nutrition to identify transformative solutions that have dramatically reduced malnutrition in some of the poorest places in the world. This project will use a global-scale analysis to identify bright spots in the world's coral reefs, and field-based research to uncover the enabling social, economic, and institutional conditions that have made it possible. These enabling conditions will then be used to formulate policy levers for more sustainable reef governance in other regions. This project will aims to uncover novel solutions to the global challenges confronting our oceans.
Investigators: Joshua Cinner (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Coral Reefs; Development; Markets; Biodiversity; Socioeconomics

Supervision

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

Network analysis in conservation planning: Metapopulation persistence, conservation and fisheries sustainability (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Macro and Micro Level Determinants of the Contribution of Fish to Nutritional Security (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Just Fisheries: Equity perceptions and their role in environmental management and conservation (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

Poaching in marine protected areas: drivers of and responses to illegal fishing (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Investigating spatial aspects of the community-based management of a small-scale artisanal grouper fishery (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Vulnerability to fishing in reef fishes that aggregate (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Avoiding and reversing "paper parks": integrating fishers' compliance into marine conservation efforts (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Understanding and integrating socioeconomic factors into the design and management of marine protected areas (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Socio-ecological drivers of fish biomass on coral reefs: the importance of accessibility, protection and key species (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Diffusion of a gear-based conservation innovation: adoption patterns and social - ecological outcomes (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)

Data

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

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. (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
Robinson, J. (2015) The role of fisher knowledge on the susceptibility of spawning aggregations to fishing: interview data from Papua New Guinea. James Cook University

Collaboration

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.