Dr Beth Fulton

2020 College Recipient, College of Science and Engineering

Dr Beth Fulton graduated from James Cook University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science with Honours and a University Medal. Her Honours research was unique at the time in that it combined Mathematics and Marine Biology, requiring her to participate in Honours programs in both departments and submit a thesis that could be understood by experts from both fields.

Since 2001, Beth has compiled a stellar career as a senior principal research scientist at CSIRO, where she specialises in oceans and atmosphere research. Early in her career, she developed an ecosystem model known as Atlantis, which was the first of its kind to even-handedly combine oceanography, food webs, fisher behaviour and socioeconomics. The model has been one of the most influential ecosystem models used in fisheries management and in 2007 the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation cited Beth’s model as the world’s best for providing strategic advice to management bodies.

Since then Beth has continued to focus her research on ecosystem dynamics, sustainability and climate adaptation and is now Deputy Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania and the Research Program Director, for Environment & Ecosystems in the Blue Economy CRC.

In 2022 Beth became a fellow of both the Academy of Science and the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Updated April 2023