Dr. Peter Cowman

Principal Scientist of Marine Biodiversity, Queensland Museum Tropics
Associate Professor, James Cook University

Overview

I am a marine biologist and bioinformatician bridging the gap between large-scale molecular phylogenetics and institutional museum curation. My work focuses on the evolutionary history of coral reef ecosystems, utilizing advanced computational pipelines to understand biodiversity.

Key Initiatives & Research

CoralBank

Leading large-scale phylogenomic analyses to map the evolutionary trajectories of coral species. This project serves as a foundational dataset for understanding reef resilience and deep-time biodiversity.

Dark Diversity Project

Investigating the hidden and uncatalogued biodiversity within marine ecosystems. Leveraging advanced bioinformatics and museum collections to quantify what is missing from current ecological models.

Museum Exhibitions & Curation

Translating complex genomic data into public knowledge. Currently collaborating on initiatives such as the TUMRA program exhibition, while actively managing the transition and digitization of vital taxonomic collections.

Connect & Collaborate

For academic inquiries, data requests, or institutional collaborations: