Mark Ziembicki

Originally from South Australia, Mark Ziembicki discovered his passion for the tropics on his first foray to northern Australia following completion of his undergraduate university studies. He has lived and worked across the world’s tropical zones ever since, but occasionally leaves the region for good food and music, company, and travel experiences.

Mark is an environmental scientist and is currently Senior Research Fellow at James Cook University in North Queensland, Australia and lead researcher on the State of the Tropics initiative—a project that brings together leading research institutions from across the world’s tropics to assess social, economic, and environmental issues in the region. His research is inter-disciplinary and he has particular interests in wildlife ecology and conservation, indigenous knowledge and natural resource management, and sustainable development.

For the last 10 years, when time permits, he has led or participated in numerous research and eco-travel expeditions in the Indo-Pacific region and the neo-tropics. Although having travelled extensively he still struggles deciding between the Kimberley in Western Australia and New Guinea as his favorite places on the planet.

Mark is also passionate about science communication, education, and photography. He is a regular speaker and contributor to popular science magazines and online media, and he is cofounder of a production company that specializes in producing science-based media content, innovative social media campaigns, and training scientists and students in science communication.