Jock Mackenzie, MangroveWatch Director
See Jock’s full research profile here.
What are your research interests as they relate to northern Australia?
As a Director of MangroveWatch I am interested in working with local communities to promote the conservation of Northern Australia’s mangrove resource through data collection, knowledge sharing and broader communication. My interests lie in improving understanding of how climate change and human impacts alter mangrove ecosystems and ecosystem services and developing community-based mangrove management strategies to enhance mangrove resilience.
What do you love about working in northern Australia?
The people. Much of Northern Australia’s mangrove habitats form an important part of land and sea country for coastal Traditional Owner groups. These people and their ancestors have utilised and managed these mangroves for thousands of years. Because of this, traditional owners have a vested interest in protecting northern Australia’s mangrove resource. Undertaking research on mangroves in partnership with Traditional Owners is a highly rewarding experience. The ability to share knowledge and learn new insights to help protect Northern Australia’s mangroves in the face of climate change and human pressures is something I cherish greatly. The Daintree River is my favourite place to work. With the highest diversity of mangroves of any one estuary in the world and an amazing diversity of mangrove wildlife, the Daintree River is an exciting place to do mangrove research. Despite being an iconic estuary, the Daintree is under pressure from climate change and agriculture. Fortunately, there’s a keen group locals who are passionate about protecting the Daintree estuary mangroves which makes undertaking mangrove research there more than worthwhile.
Current project
Completed project
