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

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
Bergseth B, Williamson D, Russ G, Sutton S and Cinner J (2017) A social-ecological approach to assessing and managing poaching by recreational fishers. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 15 (2). pp. 67-73
Blythe J, Cohen P, Eriksson H, Cinner J, Boso D, Schwarz A and Andrew N (2017) Strengthening post-hoc analysis of community-based fisheries management through the social-ecological systems framework. Marine Policy, 82. pp. 50-58
Gelcich S, Cinner J, Donlan C, Tapia-Lewin S, Godoy N and Castilla J (2017) Fishers' perceptions on the Chilean coastal TURF system after two decades: problems, benefits, and emerging needs. Bulletin of Marine Science, 93 (1). pp. 53-67
Graham N, McClanahan T, MacNeil M, Wilson S, Cinner J, Huchery C and Holmes T (2017) Human disruption of coral reef trophic structure. Current Biology, 27 (2). pp. 231-236
Hughes T, Barnes M, Bellwood D, Cinner J, Cumming G, Jackson J, Kleypas J, van de Leemput I, Lough J, Morrison T, Palumbi S, van Nes E and Scheffer M (2017) Coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature, 546 (7656). pp. 82-90
Arias A, Pressey R, Jones R, Alvarez-Romero J and Cinner J (2016) Optimizing enforcement and compliance in offshore marine protected areas: a case study from Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Oryx, 50 (1). pp. 18-26
Cinner J, Huchery C, MacNeil M, Graham N, McClanahan T, Maina J, Maire E, Kittinger J, Hicks C, Mora C, Allison E, D'Agata S, Hoey A, Feary D, Crowder L, Williams I, Kulbicki M, Vigliola L, Wantiez L, Edgar G, Stuart-Smith R, Sandin S, Green A, Hardt M, Beger M, Friedlander A, Campbell S, Holmes K, Wilson S, Brokovich E, Brooks A, Cruz-Motta J, Booth D, Chabanet P, Gough C, Tupper M, Ferse S, Sumaila U and Mouillot D (2016) Bright spots among the world's coral reefs. Nature, 535 (7612). pp. 416-419
Cinner J, Pratchett M, Graham N, Messmer V, Fuentes M, Ainsworth T, Ban N, Bay L, Blythe J, Dissard D, Dunn S, Evans L, Fabinyi M, Fidelman P, Figueiredo J, Frisch A, Fulton C, Hicks C, Lukoschek V, Mallela J, Moya A, Penin L, Rummer J, Walker S and Williamson D (2016) A framework for understanding climate change impacts on coral reef social–ecological systems. Regional Environmental Change, 16 (4). pp. 1133-1146
Gurney G, Cinner J, Sartin J, Pressey R, Ban N, Marshall N and Prabuning D (2016) Participation in devolved commons management: multiscale socioeconomic factors related to individuals' participation in community-based management of marine protected areas in Indonesia. Environmental Science & Policy, 61. pp. 212-220
Maina J, Kithiia J, Cinner J, Neale E, Noble S, Charles D and Watson J (2016) Integrating social–ecological vulnerability assessments with climate forecasts to improve local climate adaptation planning for coral reef fisheries in Papua New Guinea. Regional Environmental Change, 16 (3). pp. 881-891
Maire E, Cinner J, Velez L, Huchery C, Mora C, Dagata S, Vigliola L, Wantiez L, Kulbicki M and Mouillot D (2016) How accessible are coral reefs to people? A global assessment based on travel time. Ecology Letters, 19 (4). pp. 351-360

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 132+ 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.

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

Diffusion of Gear-based Conservation Innovation in Coral Reef Fisheries (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Macro and Micro Level Determinants of the Contribution of Fish to Nutritional Security (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Equity in Fisheries Co-Management: Social-Ecological Determinants and Trade-Offs (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Winners and Losers in Coral Reefs: Access, Equity and Ecosystem Services (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
How Coral Reef Fish Communities are Shaped by both Socioeconomic Drivers and Larval Dispersal Patterns (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)

Completed

Fear of Fishers: Anti-Predator Behaviour of Coral Reef Fish and its Relevance to Fisheries Management and Conservation. (2013, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Ecosystem service values and societal settings for coral reef governance (2013, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Understanding and integrating socioeconomic factors into the design and management of marine protected areas (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Avoiding and reversing "paper parks": integrating fishers' compliance into marine conservation efforts (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Vulnerability to fishing in reef fishes that aggregate (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Social determinants of the exploitation and management of coral reef resources in Solomon Islands (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
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)

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.

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
Graham, N. (2012) Coral reef benthic and fish surveys in 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.