Daniel Dunn
Source: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/24799 Parent: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/920
Associate Professor
Daniel Dunn
Email: : daniel.dunn@uq.edu.au
Phone: : +61 7 336 58513
Positions
Affiliate of Centre for Marine Science : Centre for Marine Science : Faculty of Science
Centre Director of Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science : Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science : Faculty of Science
Associate Professor : School of the Environment : Faculty of Science
Overview
Background
Daniel is an Associate Professor in the School of the Environment, and the Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science at the University of Queensland. His research focuses on how migratory species use and connect the ocean; how we can use spatial management measures to help conserve them and marine biodiversity more broadly; and how we need to work together on regional and global scales to conserve marine spaces. He has worked with seven UN Conventions and organisations to try to provide the information and tools necessary to support a healthy ocean.
His research focuses on applying ecological and biogeographical theory to develop applied solutions to natural resource management and conservation problems in the ocean across a range of scales. I am particularly interested in developing and disseminating actionable information to inform conservation planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction and improving environmental governance of that “other” half of our planet. His current focus is on delivering an open-access, online system to describe how migratory species use and connect the ocean (mico.eco), and new tools to increase stakeholder engagement in systematic conservation planning.
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Availability
Associate Professor Daniel Dunn is: : Available for supervision
Research interests
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Marine conservation
Read more Read less - #### Migratory species
Read more Read less - #### Conservation planning
Read more Read less - #### Connectivity
Read more Read less - #### Areas beyond national jurisdiction (i.e., the High Seas)
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Works
Search Professor Daniel Dunn’s works on UQ eSpace
All (90) Journal Article (82) Other Outputs (4) Book Chapter (4)
Featured
2019
Journal Article
The importance of migratory connectivity for global ocean policy
Dunn, Daniel C., Harrison, Autumn-Lynn, Curtice, Corrie, DeLand, Sarah, Donnelly, Ben, Fujioka, Ei, Heywood, Eleanor, Kot, Connie Y., Poulin, Sarah, Whitten, Meredith, Åkesson, Susanne, Alberini, Amalia, Appeltans, Ward, Arcos, José Manuel, Bailey, Helen, Ballance, Lisa T., Block, Barbara, Blondin, Hannah, Boustany, Andre M., Brenner, Jorge, Catry, Paulo, Cejudo, Daniel, Cleary, Jesse, Corkeron, Peter, Costa, Daniel P., Coyne, Michael, Crespo, Guillermo Ortuño, Davies, Tammy E., Dias, Maria P. ... Halpin, Patrick N. (2019). The importance of migratory connectivity for global ocean policy. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 286 (1911) 1472, 20191472. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1472
The importance of migratory connectivity for global ocean policy
Featured
2019
Journal Article
High-seas fish biodiversity is slipping through the governance net
Crespo, Guillermo Ortuño, Dunn, Daniel C., Gianni, Matthew, Gjerde, Kristina, Wright, Glen and Halpin, Patrick N. (2019). High-seas fish biodiversity is slipping through the governance net. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 3 (9), 1273-1276. doi: 10.1038/s41559-019-0981-4
High-seas fish biodiversity is slipping through the governance net
Featured
2018
Journal Article
A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining
Dunn, Daniel C., Van Dover, Cindy L., Etter, Ron J., Smith, Craig R., Levin, Lisa A., Morato, Telmo, Colaço, Ana, Dale, Andrew C., Gebruk, Andrey V., Gjerde, Kristina M., Halpin, Patrick N., Howell, Kerry L., Johnson, David, Perez, José Angel A., Ribeiro, Marta Chantal, Stuckas, Heiko, Weaver, Philip and SEMPIA Workshop Participants (2018). A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining. Science Advances, 4 (7) eaar4313, eaar4313. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aar4313
A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining
2025
Journal Article
What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?
Dunn, D. C., Cleary, J., DeLand, S., Bax, N., Bentley, L. K., Curtice, C., Donnelly, B., Dunstan, P. K., Froján, C. Barrio, Gjerde, K. M., Gunn, V., Johnson, D. E., Klein, E., Kot, C. Y., Nisthar, D., Crespo, G. Ortuño and Halpin, P. N. (2025). What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?. NPJ Ocean Sustainability, 4 (1) 28, 1-8. doi: 10.1038/s44183-025-00126-5
What is an ecologically or biologically significant area?
2025
Journal Article
Multiple-use spatial planning for sustainable development and conservation
Neubert, Sandra, McGowan, Jennifer, Metcalfe, Kristian, Hanson, Jeffrey O., Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Dabalà, Alvise, Dunn, Daniel C., Everett, Jason D., Possingham, Hugh P., Stelzenmüller, Vanessa, Estep, Andy, Ervin, Jamison and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Multiple-use spatial planning for sustainable development and conservation. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 40 (11), 1126-1142. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2025.09.007
Multiple-use spatial planning for sustainable development and conservation
2025
Journal Article
Drifting fish aggregation devices as a tool to study oceanic marine protected areas
Blanluet, Arthur, Game, Edward T., Pollock, Kydd, Wolff, Nicholas H., Everett, Jason D., Neubert, Sandra, Dunn, Daniel C. and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Drifting fish aggregation devices as a tool to study oceanic marine protected areas. Fisheries Research, 289 107474, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107474
Drifting fish aggregation devices as a tool to study oceanic marine protected areas
2025
Journal Article
Near-global spawning strategies of large pelagic fish
Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Neubert, Sandra, Scales, Kylie L., Dunn, Daniel C., Everett, Jason D., Flower, Jason, Suthers, Iain M., Granados-Dieseldorff, Pablo, Dabalà, Alvise, Esturas, Kris Jypson T., Mercer, James and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Near-global spawning strategies of large pelagic fish. Nature Communications, 16 (1) 8146, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63106-w
Near-global spawning strategies of large pelagic fish
2025
Other Outputs
Blue Corridors for Turtles
Madden, C. A., Maurer, A. S., Bourgogne, H., Jensen, M. P., Bentley, L. K., O'Criodain, C., DiMatteo, A., Hurley, B., Posnik, Z., Baudel, S., Palin, O., Mast, R., Bandimere, A.N., Houtman, N., Pezin, J., Videira, E., van den Berg, S.H.R, Eliosa, E., Wijntuin, S., de Groene, A., Jolis, G, Restrepo, J., Heng, W. K. and Dunn, D. C. (2025). Blue Corridors for Turtles. Indonesia: WWF Coral Triangle Programme.
2025
Other Outputs
Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map
Bentley, Lily, Harrison, Autumn-Lynn and Dunn, Daniel (2025, 05 09). Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map The Conversation
Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map
2025
Journal Article
Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean
Bentley, Lily K., Nisthar, Dina, Fujioka, Ei, Curtice, Corrie, DeLand, Sarah E., Donnelly, Ben, Harrison, Autumn-Lynn, Heywood, Ellie I., Kot, Connie Y., Ortuño Crespo, Guillermo, Poulin, Sarah, Halpin, Patrick N. and Dunn, Daniel C. (2025). Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean. Nature Communications, 16 (1) 4089, 1-9. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59271-7
Marine megavertebrate migrations connect the global ocean
2025
Journal Article
Climate mediates the predictability of threats to marine biodiversity
Scales, Kylie L., Bolin, Jessica A., Dunn, Daniel C., Hazen, Elliott L., Hannah, Lee and Schoeman, David S. (2025). Climate mediates the predictability of threats to marine biodiversity. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 40 (5), 502-515. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2025.02.010
Climate mediates the predictability of threats to marine biodiversity
2025
Journal Article
Current approaches and future opportunities for climate-smart protected areas
Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Dunn, Daniel C., Metaxas, Anna, Schoeman, David S., Everett, Jason D., Pidd, Alice, Hanson, Jeffrey O., Bentley, Lily K., Kim, Sun Wook, Neubert, Sandra, Scales, Kylie L., Dabalà, Alvise, Brito-Morales, Isaac and Richardson, Anthony J. (2025). Current approaches and future opportunities for climate-smart protected areas. Nature Reviews Biodiversity, 1 (5), 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s44358-025-00041-0
Current approaches and future opportunities for climate-smart protected areas
2025
Journal Article
Advances in systematic conservation planning to meet global biodiversity goals
Giakoumi, Sylvaine, Richardson, Anthony J., Doxa, Aggeliki, Moro, Stefano, Andrello, Marco, Hanson, Jeffrey O., Hermoso, Virgilio, Mazor, Tessa, McGowan, Jennifer, Kujala, Heini, Law, Elizabeth, Álvarez-Romero, Jorge G., Magris, Rafael A., Gissi, Elena, Arafeh-Dalmau, Nur, Metaxas, Anna, Virtanen, Elina A., Ban, Natalie C., Runya, Robert M., Dunn, Daniel C., Fraschetti, Simonetta, Galparsoro, Ibon, Smith, Robert J., Bastardie, Francois, Stelzenmüller, Vanessa, Possingham, Hugh P. and Katsanevakis, Stelios (2025). Advances in systematic conservation planning to meet global biodiversity goals. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 40 (4), 395-410. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.12.002
Advances in systematic conservation planning to meet global biodiversity goals
2025
Other Outputs
Migratory connectivity in the ocean literature review datasheets
Dunn, Daniel and Bentley, Lily (2025). Migratory connectivity in the ocean literature review datasheets. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/aa77f3c
Migratory connectivity in the ocean literature review datasheets
2024
Journal Article
From oceans apart to the global ocean: Including marine connectivity in global conservation targets
Metaxas, Anna, Harrison, Autumn-Lynn and Dunn, Daniel (2024). From oceans apart to the global ocean: Including marine connectivity in global conservation targets. npj Ocean Sustainability, 3 (1) 40, 1. doi: 10.1038/s44183-024-00079-1
From oceans apart to the global ocean: Including marine connectivity in global conservation targets
2024
Journal Article
Spatial and life history variation in a trait-based species vulnerability and impact model
Fleury, Aharon G., O’Hara, Casey C., Butt, Nathalie, Restrepo, Jaime, Halpern, Benjamin S., Klein, Carissa J., Kuempel, Caitlin D., Gaynor, Kaitlyn M., Bentley, Lily K., Richardson, Anthony J. and Dunn, Daniel C. (2024). Spatial and life history variation in a trait-based species vulnerability and impact model. PLoS One, 19 (6) e0305950, 1-16. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305950
Spatial and life history variation in a trait-based species vulnerability and impact model
2024
Other Outputs
The world’s spectacular animal migrations are dwindling. Fishing, fences and development are fast-tracking extinctions
Fuller, Richard, Dunn, Daniel and Bentley, Lily (2024, 02 13). The world’s spectacular animal migrations are dwindling. Fishing, fences and development are fast-tracking extinctions The Conversation
2024
Journal Article
Author Correction: A global, historical database of tuna, billfish, and saury larval distributions
Buenafe, Kristine Camille V., Everett, Jason D., Dunn, Daniel C., Mercer, James, Suthers, Iain M., Schilling, Hayden T., Hinchliffe, Charles, Dabalà, Alvise and Richardson, Anthony J. (2024). Author Correction: A global, historical database of tuna, billfish, and saury larval distributions. Scientific Data, 11 (1) 29, 29. doi: 10.1038/s41597-023-02860-2
Author Correction: A global, historical database of tuna, billfish, and saury larval distributions
2024
Journal Article
New framework reveals gaps in US ocean biodiversity protection
Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Sarah A., Dunn, Daniel C., Cleary, Jesse, Halpin, Patrick N., Anderson, Clarissa R., Bax, Nicholas J., Canonico, Gabrielle, Chaniotis, Peter, DeLand, Sarah, Diorio, Mimi, Gaines, Steven D., Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten, Johnson, David E., Levin, Lisa A., Lundquist, Carolyn J., Manca, Eleonora, Metaxas, Anna, Monaco, Mark E., Morgan, Lance, Mumby, Peter J., Nisthar, Dina, Pashkow, Brittany, Pike, Elizabeth P., Pinsky, Malin L., Ribera, Marta M., Stanley, Ryan R.E., Sullivan-Stack, Jenna, Sutton, Tracey T., Tittensor, Derek P. ... Duffy, J. Emmett (2024). New framework reveals gaps in US ocean biodiversity protection. One Earth, 7 (1), 31-43. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.12.014
New framework reveals gaps in US ocean biodiversity protection
2024
Journal Article
Generating affordable protection of high seas biodiversity through cross-sectoral spatial planning
Fourchault, Léa, Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid, Dunn, Daniel C., Everett, Jason D., Hanson, Jeffrey O., Buenafe, Kristine C. V., Neubert, Sandra, Dabalà, Alvise, Yapa, Kanthi K.A.S., Cannicci, Stefano and Richardson, Anthony J. (2024). Generating affordable protection of high seas biodiversity through cross-sectoral spatial planning. One Earth, 7 (2), 253-264. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.12.006
Generating affordable protection of high seas biodiversity through cross-sectoral spatial planning
Funding
Current funding
- 2024 - 2026
Understanding marine migratory connectivity for more sustainable oceans
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2023 - 2026
Efficient, scalable, climate-smart marine conservation planning support
The University of Queensland in America, Inc
Past funding
- 2023 - 2024
Beyond Known Hotspots in the Eastern Pacific Ocean
MigraMar
Open grant - 2023 - 2025
Leveraging individual operator skill to reduce threatened species bycatch in prawn trawl fisheries
Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc
Open grant - 2022 - 2024
Spatial management reserve solutions for a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Kong Hakons VII Hav (WSMPA Phase 2)
Norwegian Polar Institute
Open grant - 2020 - 2021
Modelling migratory connectivity to support management of protected areas
Global Fishing Watch
Supervision
Availability
Associate Professor Daniel Dunn is: : Available for supervision
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Available projects
The distributions of migratory species in the ocean span local, national and international jurisdictions. Across these ecologically interconnected regions, migratory marine species interact with anthropogenic stressors throughout their lives. Migratory connectivity, the geographical linking of individuals and populations throughout their migratory cycles, influences how spatial and temporal dynamics of stressors affect migratory animals and scale up to influence population abundance, distribution and species persistence. Population declines of many migratory marine species have led to calls for connectivity knowledge, especially insights from animal tracking studies, to be more effectively incorporated into management and policy frameworks. However, while the quantity of data on marine migratory species has increased dramatically in recent decades, efforts to synthesize and integrate information on animal movement and connectivity into global management and policy fora are nascent with examples largely originating from individual efforts.
Launched in April 2019 at the UN, the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean system (MiCO system; https://mico.eco/system) represents a step-change: a move from aggregating raw data that require precious human resources to re-analyze, to aggregating and developing fit-for-purpose, actionable knowledge. MiCO has been conducting a massive literature review of over 1200 publications describing how marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles and fish use and connect our oceans. That review has now generated a dataset on migratory connectivity for more than 85 marine species. The integrated network models which are being derived from this datset can feed countless analyses of cumulative impacts, extinction risk, governance fit, biodiversity hotspots based on empirical data of areas of importance to species rather than models of distribution, and regional and global systematic conservation planning among many, many other options.
The Applied Marine Bioegeography Lab at UQ seeks HDR students to engage with this datset and expand it to integrate other sampling methods that can inform network models for migriatory species (e.g., mark/recapture, stable isotopes, genetics and acoustics). A strong interest in either movement modeling or network modeling is desirable, as is some background in statistics, R and marine ecology. With a global dataset that spans taxa, output from this research should be emminently publishable in high level journals. Opportunities to collaborate with field ecologists, numerical ecologists, conservation scientists, and experts in regional and global governance are plentiful, as are chances to engage directly with regional and global ocean governance bodies including the Convention on Migratory Species, the Convention on Biological Diversity, Regional Seas Organizations, and the UN negotiations (and eventual implementation) of a new treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Dr. Dunn, AMBL and MiCO are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in this project and the lab. Applicants of any background, age, ability or gender are strongly encouraged to apply. Feel free to reach out for more information and check out the mico.eco & AMBL websites.
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Supervision history
Current supervision
- Doctor Philosophy
##### Understanding marine migratory connectivity for more sustainable oceans
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham, Dr Lily Bentley - Doctor Philosophy
##### Post Nesting Migration Evaluation and Foraging Areas Identification Based on Stable Isotopes Analysis of Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Nesting at Tortuguero Rookery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Anthony Richardson, Dr Lily Bentley - Doctor Philosophy
##### Connectivity of seagrasses for megaherbivores under environmental change
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Mumby - Doctor Philosophy
##### Effective marine conservation planning for vulnerable species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Anthony Richardson, Associate Professor Carissa Klein, Dr Jason Everett - Doctor Philosophy
##### Migratory movements of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef: strengthening connectivity within and beyond national jurisdictions
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Anthony Richardson - Doctor Philosophy
##### Coastal connectivity for conservation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock, Professor Anthony Richardson - Doctor Philosophy
##### Classifying and understanding the effectiveness of ecological corridors and their role in wider landscape and seascape integrity
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Carissa Klein, Professor James Watson - Doctor Philosophy
##### Multiple-use spatial planning in the Global South
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jason Everett, Professor Anthony Richardson - Doctor Philosophy
##### Modelling larval connectivity and fisheries spillover to design 30x30 marine protected area networks
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Anthony Richardson - Doctor Philosophy
##### Connected climate-smart marine conservation planning
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jason Everett, Professor Anthony Richardson
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