Passion, enthusiasm and frequent flyer points: Meet Nick

“I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” Vincent Van Gogh.

All the greats know that in order to find new land, you must be willing to lose sight of the shore. Adventure awaits if you’re brave enough to embark.

From treetops to ocean backdrops, Project Manager Nick James has an interesting resume.

“In whatever I do, I don’t tend to sit by and coast; I tend to always push,” Nick said.

With a bachelor's degree, two masters, and a PhD also under way, one might scratch their head when Nick adds he has also lived in West Africa, Spain, and Switzerland.

Studying movement ecology of chimpanzees, Nick bunked with Oxford Brookes University professors in a bamboo shack for a year.

“We were living off the grid for an entire year,” Nick said.

And if West Africa wasn’t adventure enough, Nick soon set his sights on Vietnam, where he would spend 10 months studying endangered primates. Some days, he’d watch the entire population swing by.

Driven by curiosity, Nick’s not the type to ponder.

“I think science as a profession came on step by step, as you learn something, it just itches at you and you want to learn more,” Nick said.

“When I left for Africa, I didn’t come back for 10 years,” Nick said.

After finishing his second masters, Nick felt a pull back home.

James Cook University’s Australian Research Council is Nick’s new hub for adventure.

“I found a position at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at JCU. And this PhD was perfect. It had a lot of things that carried on from my second masters. I started that PhD and somewhere along the line, I heard about a temporary position at the Reef Authority,” Nick said.

Now 12 months in as a Project Manager for the Reef Health team, Nick joins top marine scientists to help protect the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

“It’s been incredible to come into the team on the fly, led by Dr Jess Stella. There’s so much expertise within the Reef Authority and with our partners. The Reef Authority allows you the opportunity to meet and work with high level professionals.

“The team has a great vibe, and we all work together really well. It’s a nice place to be.”

Working together to pull data from the sea, sky and beyond, the team gathers and assesses information on the health of the entire Great Barrier Reef, to provide accurate updates.

Most recently, Nick heads helicopter and plane surveys to assess coral bleaching.

A crew of up to three undertake eight-to-nine-day trips over 2300kms of the Reef to understand the extent and severity of coral bleaching.

“You get up early at crack of dawn so you can make the most of every flight. Timing is key – environmental factors are important – you need to see through the water.”

“The sun direction, swell, wind and tide height need to line up for us to survey.

“Once you’re in the air you need to be focused, and sometimes we can be in the air for six to seven hours – and you’re concentrating the entire time.

“You’re working in a small team so there’s a lot of comradery, you need to look out for each other.”

Nick’s vantage point is pretty special. His slice of paradise is Heron Island, a coral cay in the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

That’s where Nick undertakes his PhD research on seabirds, collecting data from GPS trackers on adults and measuring newborn chicks in nests.

But it’s not all warm days and glassy conditions, with Heron Island under heat stress currently.

“During my spare time I go and snorkel at that Reef.

“Going down and seeing almost all of the coral cover bleached really brought home to me how much change heat stress can bring to the entire ecosystem.”

Once able to understand the results of the coral bleaching event, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will deploy resources to where they are needed most.

The resources will include targeted coral predator removal, managing recreational activities, species conservation, as well as education and engagement.

And while the Reef is experiencing a tough time, an agency of dedicated professionals continue to work for its protection and long-term enjoyment.

“When things are happening that are detrimental – I always think, why? What kinds of things are affecting it?

“There’s a curiosity in everything that fuels my driving force.

“The more time you spend, the more you see,” Nick said.

“I genuinely have an attachment to these special places,” Nick said.

And while passion and enthusiasm will get you far in a career in Marine Science, Nick says finding your niche is key.

“It’s important to specialise, but it’s also important to have the capacity to mix up your work and experience to make you in demand.”

Nick’s story can be summarised in a few words. Put simply, the world is his oyster.