James PW Robinson

Coral reefs, fisheries, and food security
Reader @ Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK

My research uses data-driven approaches to understand how marine ecosystems work. As a marine ecologist, I have a strong focus on tropical coastal systems, and I collaborate widely with experts in fisheries, nutrition, oceanography, and social sciences. Our work has uncovered climate impacts on coral reefs, overfishing in tropical small-scale fisheries, and the vital contributions of aquatic foods to food security.

My team and I work within the LEC REEFS group at Lancaster University, and my funders include the Royal Society, the Leverhulme Trust, and EU HORIZON. Most of my papers are available here. Please get in touch with any questions or requests.

Selected publications

2025

Dried fish provide widespread access to critical nutrients across Africa

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Robinson, O'Meara, Fiorella, et al.

2025

Illuminating the multidimensional contributions of small-scale fisheries

Nature

Basurto, Gutierrez, Franz, ... Robinson, et al.

2024

Wild fish consumption can balance nutrient retention in farmed fish

Nature Food

Willer, Newton, ... Robinson, et al.

2024

Quantifying energy and nutrient fluxes in coral reef food webs

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Robinson, Benkwitt, Maire, Morais et al.

2022

Managing fisheries for maximum nutrient yield

Fish and Fisheries

Robinson, Nash, Blanchard et al.

2022

Climate-induced increases in micronutrient availability for coral reef fisheries

One Earth

Robinson, Maire et al.

2022

Small pelagic fish supply abundant and affordable micronutrients to low- and middle-income countries

Nature Food

Robinson, Mills et al.

2018

Productive instability of coral reef fisheries after climate-driven regime shifts

Nature Ecology & Evolution

Robinson, Wilson et al.

All publications →