Dr. Tim Carruthers
- Ecology
- Ecological Indicators
- Habitat Loss
- Restoration
- Sustainable Development
- Melon Post-doctoral Fellow, System Processes, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro, Panama, 2002-2003
- Post-doctoral Scholar, Integration and Application Network, The University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A., 2001-2002
- Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Benthic Ecology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 2000-2001
- Ph.D. in Marine Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia, 1998
- M.S. in Marine Botany, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia, 1994
- B.S. in Botany (with Honors), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia, 1990
Tim has a strong international reputation from over 20 years working in coastal ecology, related to human impacts and management. Development of ecosystem health indicators, and understanding system processes, have informed his work to assess ecosystem condition and the use of ecosystems to enhance adaptation to coastal change.
Before joining the Water Institute,he worked for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, as the Coastal and Marine Advisor, based in Samoa, providing marine management support to 21 Pacific Island countries and territories. A large component of this work was developing and implementing approaches for preservation or restoration of natural ecosystems to increase resilience of vulnerable coastal communities.
Tim has developed approaches to ecosystem condition assessment, and global syntheses of seagrass trends and processes. Synthesizing knowledge for communication to broad audiences, and to enhance uptake of research and understanding into management decision making and policy, has been an ongoing focus throughout his career.