Professor Terry Hughes is Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, which is headquartered at James Cook University, Australia. His research focuses on the linkages between the ecology of reefs and their importance for societies and economies. He has worked extensively in Australia, the Coral Triangle Region, and in the Caribbean. An important aspect of his research is understanding the dynamics and resilience of coral reefs, and translating this knowledge into innovative and practical solutions for improved reef management.

Interests

Research

• In the past five years, my research has increasingly evolved in a new direction, moving from an ecological focus to a broader evaluation of the linkages between coral reef ecosystems and people. This new program focuses on solutions for managing resilience and for coping with change and uncertainty in complex social-ecological systems. The ARC Centre is developing further research capacity in this area by strategic recruitment of social scientists, creating a unique multi-disciplinary team of the highest calibre. My recent work has focussed on market drivers of ecological change, missing institutions, identifying safe planetary boundaries for human development, avoiding social traps, and transformative governance of the sea in Australia, Chile, China, the Galapagos Islands, Gulf of Maine and the Coral Triangle. My future research will focus on the linkages between coral reef ecosystems, the goods and services they provide to people, and the welfare of human societies. The objective is to improve the governance and management of natural systems and enhance their capacity to sustain human and natural capital. The overarching goal is to integrate the science of coral reef resilience with decision-making and management.

Awards

• 2014 - Einstein Professorship
• 2008 - The Darwin Medal
• 2007 - Eureka Sherman Prize for Environmental Science

Fellowships

• 2012 to 2017 - ARC Laureate Fellow
• 2007 to 2012 - Federation Fellow
• 2002 to 2007 - Federation 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

• Hughes T, Kerry J, Álvarez-Noriega M, Alvarez-Romero J, Anderson K, Baird A, Babcock R, Beger M, Bellwood D, Berkelmans R, Bridge T, Butler I, Byrne M, Cantin N, Comeau S, Connolly S, Cumming G, Dalton S, Diaz-Pulido G, Eakin C, Figueira W, Gilmour J, Harrison H, Heron S, Hoey A, Hobbs J, Hoogenboom M, Kennedy E, Kuo C, Lough J, Lowe R, Liu G, McCulloch M, Malcolm H, McWilliam M, Pandolfi J, Pears R, Pratchett M, Schoepf V, Simpson T, Skirving W, Sommer B, Torda G, Wachenfeld D, Willis B and Wilson S (2017) Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals. Nature, 543 (7645). pp. 373-377
• Cumming G, Morrison T and Hughes T (2016) New directions for understanding the spatial resilience of social–ecological systems. Ecosystems, 20 (4). pp. 649-664
• Mouillot D, Parravicini V, Bellwood D, Leprieur F, Huang D, Cowman P, Albouy C, Hughes T, Thuiller W and Guilhaumon F (2016) Global marine protected areas do not secure the evolutionary history of tropical corals and fishes. Nature Communications, 7. pp. 1-8
• van de Leemput I, Hughes T, van nes E and Scheffer M (2016) Multiple feedbacks and the prevalence of alternate stable states on coral reefs. Coral Reefs, 35 (3). pp. 857-865
• Fischer J, Gardner T, Bennett E, Balvanera P, Biggs R, Carpenter S, Daw T, Folke C, Hill R, Hughes T, Luthe T, Maass M, Meacham M, Norström A, Peterson G, Queiroz C, Seppelt R, Spierenburg M and Tenhunen J (2015) Advancing sustainability through mainstreaming a social–ecological systems perspective. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 14. pp. 144-149
• Hughes T, Day J and Brodie J (2015) Securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef. Nature Climate Change, 5. pp. 508-511
• Scheffer M, Barrett S, Carpenter S, Folke C, Green A, Holmgren M, Hughes T, Kosten S, van de Leemput I, Nepstad D, van Nes E, Peeters E and Walker B (2015) Creating a safe operating space for iconic ecosystems. Science, 347 (6228). pp. 1317-1319
• Barrett S, Lenton T, Millner A, Tavoni A, Carpenter S, Anderies J, Chapin F, Crépin A, Daily G, Ehrlich P, Folke C, Galaz V, Hughes T, Kautsky N, Lambin E, Naylor R, Nyborg K, Polasky S, Scheffer M, Wilen J, Xepapadeas A and de Zeeuw A (2014) Climate engineering reconsidered. Nature Climate Change, 4. pp. 527-529
• Hughes T, Bellwood D, Connolly S, Cornell H and Karlson R (2014) Double jeopardy and global extinction risk in corals and reef fishes. Current Biology, 24 (24). pp. 2946-2951
• Bridge T, Hughes T, Guinotte J and Bongaerts P (2013) Call to protect all coral reefs. Nature Climate Change, 3. pp. 528-530
• Graham N, Bellwood D, Cinner J, Hughes T, Norström A and Nyström M (2013) Managing resilience to reverse phase shifts in coral reefs. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11 (10). pp. 541-548

Book Chapters

• Craig R and Hughes T (2014) Marine protected areas, marine spatial planning and the resilience of marine ecosystems. In: Social-Ecological Resilience and Law. Columbia University Press, New York, NY, USA, pp. 98-141

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

• Ecological Drivers of Community Stability in Space and Time (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The Trait Diversity of Reef Corals: A Response-and-effect Framework (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Primary Habitat Requirements of Key Herbivorous Fish and Stress-Tolerant Coral Species in the Great Barrier Reef: Which Ecological Factors Govern their Distribution and How to Draw Lessons for Coral Reef. (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• The contribution of locally managed marine areas to small-scale fisheries and food security: a Solomon Islands case study (2013, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The establishment and development of symbiosis in coral larvae (2012, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Social determinants of the exploitation and management of coral reef resources in Solomon Islands (2013, PhD , Associate Advisor)
• Advancing land-sea conservation planning: cross-system threats and competing values (2012, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The effects of ocean acidification and warming on the early life history stages of corals (2012, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Pathogenesis of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci L) (2012, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Geographic variation in ecology of coral feeding butterflyfishes and resilience to large scale disturbances (2012, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The importance of live coral habitat for reef fishes and its role in key ecological processes (2012, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Inter- and intra- specific variation in bleaching susceptibility among scleractinian corals (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Population regulation and diversity-stability relationships in ecological time-series (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Adaptive Strategies in Reef-building Corals (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Ecosystem service values and societal settings for coral reef governance (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)

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.