08/06/2026
To recognise World Ocean Day, we acknowledge UOW alumni Dr Nathan Knott, who has dedicated almost three decades to marine science and coastal management. 🌊🦑
Graduating in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from UOW, Dr Knott has gone on to have an extensive scientific career and is now an esteemed Principal Research Scientist in Fisheries Research with the NSW Government.
Dr Knott's research has focused on the connection between human pressures, like pollution, desalination, fishing, and coastal development, and the biodiversity of our oceans.
He still reflects on his first real research study whilst studying Biological Sciences at UOW as a fascinating experience that opened his eyes to ocean biodiversity and the complexity of even some of the simplest marine lifeforms.
“It involved doing a range of cool, high and low tech experiments to figure out how cunjevoi feed. Cunjevoi are the ubiquitous coastal sea-squirts that are endemic to our NSW rocky shores. They look simple, but they are super hi-tech filtering machines (animals)!”
📸: Antonia Cooper IMAS University of Tasmania
