Alan Jones

Elected Member / NSW branch representative

I completed a PhD in marine ecology from the University of Queensland in 1974 and worked as a university tutor and environmental consultant before joining the Australian Museum in 1975 as a research scientist in marine ecology. I was appointed Head of the Museum’s Division of Earth and Environmental Sciences (1990-2006) and became a Senior Fellow following retirement in 2006.

My research interests included marine invertebrate ecology and the management of coastal ecosystems, addressing questions of pollution, disturbance and beach nourishment. This work has been published in the peer-reviewed literature and presented at local and international conferences. I contributed to the Museum’s commercial research projects, education programmes and environmental submissions.

I served on expert committees advising Government Departments such as the EPA, Sydney Water, Fisheries Research Institute, Legal Aid and the Department of Planning. I advised the Sydney Coastal Councils Group concerning the large-scale nourishment of Sydney’s ocean beaches and currently serve on the Northern Beaches Council’s environmental committees including the Environmental Strategic Reference Group.

My strong interest in ecological sustainability and its relationship with human population size led me to join AESP decades ago. I currently serve on SPA’s national executive and the NSW branch committee. I contribute to SPA’s media releases and write numerous letters about the environment and sustainability to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald.