Dr. Johanna Zimmerhackel
Postdoc
I am an environmental economist and marine scientist working at the interface of marine ecology, conservation, and socio-economic research. My research examines how environmental change and conservation strategies affect marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and the benefits people derive from the ocean.
My work combines ecological and economic approaches to assess marine ecosystem services, conservation outcomes, fisheries sustainability, and the human dimensions of environmental management. Much of my research has focused on kelp forest ecosystem services, shark conservation, marine tourism, and the economic impacts of plastic pollution.
I contributed to interdisciplinary projects across Australia, the Maldives, Malaysia, the Galapagos Islands, and Europe, collaborating with universities, conservation organisations, and government-supported initiatives. More recently, my work has centred on ecosystem-service valuation, the socio-economic dimensions of marine restoration and the value of monitoring information.
Qualifications
2019: PhD in Environmental Economics, The University of Western Australia
2012: MSc in Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries Science, University of Hamburg, Germany
Achievements and awards
2026: Funding: Institute of Marine Research, Norway
2024: Funding: Minderoo Foundation Trust
2015-2019: Australian Postgraduate Award, The University of Western Australia
2015-2019: International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, The University of Western Australia
2015-2019: Centre for Excellence in Environmental Decisions Top-Up Scholarship
2015-2019: UWA Safety Net Top-Up Scholarship
2017: CRIOBE Travel Award, Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Tahiti
2012: DAAD/PROMOS Exchange Scholarship for research at the Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador
2011: DAAD/PROMOS Exchange Scholarship for study at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2010: Stip-out Exchange Scholarship, University of Hamburg, for research in Dahab, Egypt
Publications
Ackermann, F., Elrick-Barr, C.E., Clifton, J., Zimmerhackel, J.S., Burton, M., Hill, G., Harvey, E.S. (2025). Model-based group support systems enable more effective stakeholder engagement: reflections from the field. Ocean and Coastal Management.
Piñeiro-Corbeira, C., Zimmerhackel, J.S., Barreiro, R., Bennett, S., Burton, M., Eger, A.M., Franco, J.N., Lavoie, C., Rogers-Bennett, L., Starko, S., Thomsen, M., Filbee-Dexter, K., Norderhaug, K.M., Wernberg, T. (2025). The Habitat Dependency Index: A new tool for quantifying species-habitat relationships. Ecological Indicators.
Zimmerhackel, J.S., Clifton, J., Ackermann, F., Burton, M., Elrick-Barr, C.E., Hill, G., Harvey, E.S. (2023). A framework for the integrated assessment of social and economic values associated with man-made marine structures. Marine Policy.
Elrick-Barr, C., Zimmerhackel, J.S., Hill, G., Clifton, J., Ackermann, F., Burton, M., Harvey, E.S. (2022). Man-made structures in the marine environment: A review of stakeholders’ social and economic values and perceptions. Environmental Science and Policy.
Zimmerhackel, J.S., Rogers, A.A., Kragt, M.E., Ali, K., Meekan, M.G. (2019). Evidence of increased economic benefits from shark-diving tourism in the Maldives. Marine Policy.
Zimmerhackel, J.S., Rogers, A.A., Meekan, M.G., Ali, K., Kragt, M.E. (2018). How shark conservation in the Maldives affects demand for dive tourism. Tourism Management.
Vianna, G., Meekan, M.G., Rogers, A.A., Kragt, M.E., Alin, J.M., Zimmerhackel, J.S. (2018). Shark-diving tourism as a financing mechanism for shark conservation strategies in Malaysia. Marine Policy.
Usseglio, P., Friedlander, A., Koike, H., Zimmerhackel, J.S., Schuhbauer, A., Eddy, T., Salinas de León, P. (2016). So long and thanks for all the fish: Overexploitation of the regionally endemic Galapagos grouper Mycteroperca olfax. PLOS ONE.
Zimmerhackel, J.S., Schuhbauer, A.C., Usseglio, P., Heel, L.C., Salinas-de-León, P. (2015). Catch, bycatch and discards of the Galapagos Marine Reserve small-scale handline fishery. PeerJ.
Acuña-Marrero, D., Zimmerhackel, J.S., Mayorga, J., Hearn, A. (2013). First record of three shark species, Odontaspis ferox, Mustelus albipinnis and Centrophorus squamosus, from the Galapagos Islands. Marine Biodiversity Records.
Reports and Book Chapters
Zimmerhackel, J.S., Tomlinson, A., Raes, E., Burton, M. (2026) The value of integrating eDNA into strategic nationwide monitoring of Australian Marine Parks. Minderoo Foundation Trust.
Funnelkamp, C., Vegh, T., Rogers, A., Bakken, P., Zimmerhackel, J., Verbeek, J. (2023). Economic perspectives on kelp management. In: Into the Blue: Securing a Sustainable Future for Kelp Forests (UNEP).
Eger, A.M., Bennett, S., Zimmerhackel, J.S., Rogers, A., Burton, M., Filbee-Dexter, K., Wernberg, T., et al. (2022). Quantifying the ecosystem services of the Great Southern Reef. National Environmental Science Program.
Zimmerhackel, J.S., Tothill, T., Parfitt, C., Meeuwig, J., Florec, V., Rogers, A.A., Pannell, D. (2020). The External Costs of Ocean Plastics. Minderoo Foundation Trust.