JCU > Research Portfolio > Dr Patrick Smallhorn-West

About

My research focuses on the intersection between conservation and food security, with a particular focus on small-scale fisheries, which account for 90% of all fishers and 40% of global fisheries yields. While my background is in coral reef science, I also work on marine governance, human rights, co-management, conservation planning, and impact evaluation.

I am currently a lecturer at James Cook University, jointly funded by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is explicitly conservation focused, and WorldFish, which aims to reduce poverty and end hunger. In this capacity, I am working to reframe the conservation practice of large international NGOs to embrace non-western values of nature, including shifting the unit of conservation towards the social-ecological system, rather than solely prioritizing biodiversity. We are currently developing assessment criteria to integrate a human rights-based approach into marine conservation, and assessing whether the policies and practices of international conservation NGOs support and promote human rights of small-scale fishers.

Prior to my current position, I worked with WorldFish to examine the resilience of small-scale fisheries co-management in Solomon Islands and Bangladesh. From 2016 – 2019 I completed my PhD while being based in the Kingdom of Tonga, where I collaborated with the Tongan Government to inform the design and implementation of a national coral reef monitoring program. This collaboration involved rigorous impact evaluation for a network of 50 locally-managed marine protected areas and baseline data collected for 350 coral reefs. Additionally, I collaborated with NASA to lead two research expeditions to the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcano to examine reef resilience and recovery following the massive eruption.

Interests

Professional

Human rights and conservation. Understanding the legal and ethical obligations, and practical benefits, for why marine conservation should support human rights.
Ethical practice of marine conservation organizations. Developing inclusive models of conservation that support Indigenous peoples, foster flourishing communities, regenerative fisheries, and resilient ecosystems.

Research

Inclusive governance of small-scale fisheries, including co-management, community-based marine management, and locally managed marine areas.
Impact framing and conservation planning for impact. Counterfactual analysis, ecological and socioeconomic monitoring and evaluation.
Coral reef ecology. Using underwater visual surveys and experiments to address ecological questions on coral reefs.

Experience

2023 to present - Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
2022 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Wildlife Conservation Society; WorldFish (New York, USA)
2020 to 2021 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, WorldFish (Penang, Malaysia)

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

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

Goldsworthy N, Srinivasan M, Smallhorn-West P, Cheah L, Munday P and Jones G (2022) Life-history constraints, short adult life span and reproductive strategies in coral reef gobies of the genus Trimma. Journal of Fish Biology, 101 (4). pp. 996-1007
Smallhorn-West P, Cohen P, Kukiti E, Rabbitt S, Rikio A, Sori F, Tapala S, Warren R, Boso D and Foale S (2022) Ten years of dynamic co-management of a multi-species reef fishery. Coral Reefs, 41. pp. 1449-1464
Smallhorn-West P, van der Ploeg J, Boso D, Sukulu M, Leamae J, Isihanua M, Jasper M, Saeni-Oeta J, Batalofo M, Orirana G, Konamalefo A, Houma J and Eriksson H (2022) Patterns of catch and trophic signatures illustrate diverse management requirements of coastal fisheries in Solomon Islands. Ambio, 51 (6). pp. 1504-1519
Smallhorn-West P, Cohen P, Morais R, Januchowski-Hartley F, Ceccarelli D, Malimali S, Stone K, Warren R and Cinner J (2022) Hidden benefits and risks of partial protection for coral reef fisheries. Ecology and Society, 27 (1).
Bongaerts P, Cooke I, Ying H, Wels D, den Haan S, Hernandez-Agreda A, Brunner C, Dove S, Englebert N, Eyal G, Foret S, Grinblat M, Hay K, Harii S, Hayward D, Lin Y, Morana M, Moya A, Muir P, Sinniger F, Smallhorn-West P, Torda G, Ragan M, van Oppen M and Hoegh-Guldberg O (2021) Morphological stasis masks ecologically divergent coral species on tropical reefs. Current Biology, 31 (11). pp. 2286-2298.e8
Gordon S, Wingfield M, Smallhorn-West P, Malimali S, Halafihi T, Schoeman D and Southgate P (2021) Spatio-Temporal Variation in Growth Performance and Condition of the Winged Pearl Oyster Pteria penguin. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8.
Morais Araujo R, Siqueira Correa A, Smallhorn-West P and Bellwood D (2021) Spatial subsidies drive sweet spots of tropical marine biomass production. PLoS Biology, 19 (11).
Smallhorn-West P, Gordon S, Dempsey A, Purkis S, Malimali S, Halafihi T, Southgate P, Bridge T, Pressey R and Jones G (2021) Tongan socio-environmental spatial layers for marine ecosystem management. Pacific Conservation Biology, 27 (1). pp. 86-92
Smallhorn-West P, Gordon S, Stone K, Ceccarelli D, Malimali S, Halafihi T, Wyatt M, Bridge T, Pressey R and Jones G (2020) Biophysical and anthropogenic influences on the status of Tonga's coral reefs and reef fish fishery. PLoS One, 15 (11).
Smallhorn-West P, Stone K, Ceccarelli D, Malimali S, Halafihi T, Bridge T, Pressey R and Jones G (2020) Community management yields positive impacts for coastal fisheries resources and biodiversity conservation. Conservation Letters, 13.
Smallhorn-West P, Sheehan J, Malimali S, Halafihi T, Bridge T, Pressey R and Jones G (2020) Incentivizing co-management for impact: mechanisms driving the successful national expansion of Tonga's Special Management Area program. Conservation Letters, 13 (6).
Smallhorn-West P, Weeks R, Gurney G and Pressey R (2020) Ecological and socioeconomic impacts of marine protected areas in the South Pacific: assessing the evidence base. Biodiversity and Conservation, 29 (2). pp. 349-380

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 18+ research outputs authored by Dr Patrick Smallhorn-West from 2017 onwards.

Current Funding

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

Fisheries Society of the British Isles - Research Grant Fund

Impacts of a volcanic eruption on coral reef fisheries in a co-managed fishery-system

Indicative Funding: $12,186 over 2 years
Summary: In January 2022, a massive submarine volcanic eruption occurred in the Kingdom of Tonga, causing widespread damage from both ashfall and tsunami waves. For 20 years prior to this eruption, the Tongan government has worked closely with local communities to manage and conserve the countries coral reef ecosystem and reef fisheries. In the wake of this acute disturbance, I aim to: 1)understand how coral reefs and their fisheries respond to massive acute disturbances, and 2)investigate whether local marine management measures can mitigate observed impacts. Ecological surveys of fish and reef health will be conducted across the country?s coral reefs, both within and beyond managed areas, at varying distances from the eruption epicentre.
Investigators: Lucy Southworth, Andrew Hoey, Patrick Smallhorn-West and Amy Diedrich (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Research Division and College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Small scale fisheries; Fisheries co-management; Volcanic eruption; Habitat degradation; Food security; Fisheries productivity

WorldFish Center, Malaysia - Grant

The impact of conservation NGO interventions on small-scale fishers

Indicative Funding: $129,176 over 2 years, in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society ($129,176)
Summary: The objective of this post-doctoral position is to conduct a systematic review of NGO interventions to support Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) and to apply these findings to WCS? programs. The position will be co-hosted between James Cook University, WorldFish, and the WCS Global Marine Conservation division.
Investigators: Patrick Smallhorn-West (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Impact Evaluation; Non-Government Organization; Small-scale fisheries; Conservation

Crawford Fund - Research Grant

What can locally managed marine areas do for you?

Indicative Funding: $12,000 over 1 year
Summary: Locally-managed marine areas (LMMA) regulate when, how, and by whom harvesting of resources occurs and are the dominant local marine resource management approach in the Pacific. Recently, a new wave of lessons have emerged on the efficacy of LMMAs that has yet to be interpreted and critiqued amongst resource managers, NGOs, and government actors. This project will involve hosting two workshops and co-developing communication products (infographic, pamphlet, and short video) in various Pacific languages on the current state of knowledge on LMMAs as a fisheries management tools. This work will provide an up to date synthesis of the contexts under which they can be successful, the trade-offs that may result when managing for multiple objectives, and the realistic impacts that can be expected from their use.
Investigators: Patrick Smallhorn-West (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Workshops; Marine Protected Areas; Outreach; Community based fisheries management

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

The Cave dwellers Distribution, abundance, ecological partitioning and social organisation of the genus Trimma on coral ereefs (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Regional and Local Variation in Fish Assemblages and Demography: A Seascape Perspective (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Political economy of youth-led food system transformations (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

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.