Rate My Professor Curtis Champion

Dr. Curtis Champion serves as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University and as a Senior Research Scientist with NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries at the National Marine Science Centre. He holds a BEnvSc (Hons) in Marine Science from the University of New South Wales and a PhD in Fisheries Oceanography from the University of Tasmania and CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere. During his doctorate, he developed statistical models to quantify the effects of historical and projected environmental changes on the distribution of fisheries resources.

Champion's research specializations include climate change ecology, fisheries oceanography, species distribution modelling, and species vulnerability assessment. His work examines the effects of regional-scale oceanography on the distribution and body condition of coastal and pelagic fishes, the impacts of environmental change on the health and nutritional quality of harvested marine species, the function of artificial habitats in coastal ecosystems, and the development of fishery-relevant indices to support climate adaptation. Key publications feature 'Managing consequences of climate‐driven species redistribution requires integration of ecology, conservation and social science' (Biological Reviews, 2018), 'Species on the move around the Australian coastline: A continental‐scale review of climate‐driven species redistribution in marine systems' (Global Change Biology, 2021), 'A designed artificial reef is among the most productive marine fish habitats: new metrics to address ‘production versus attraction’' (Marine Biology, 2016), and 'Seascape topography slows predicted range shifts in fish under climate change' (Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 2021). His research has accumulated over 1,600 citations, underscoring its influence on marine climate adaptation and fisheries management. Champion chaired the Early Career Researcher committee for the 2019 international Species on the Move conference in Kruger National Park, South Africa, and has earned multiple science communication awards, including the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s prize for best oral presentation at the 2018 Australian Marine Science Association conference.