Establishment of the Red List of Ecosystems wins the International Cosmos Prize —Interview with Australian Dr. Keith: Fieldwork is the foundation of research

The Expo '90 Foundation, a Commemorative Foundation for the International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan, 1990, held the award ceremony for the 2025 International Cosmos Prize on October 13 and the commemorative lecture on the 21st. The Science News spoke with the recipient, Dr. David Andrew Keith (Professor, Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Australia), who came to Japan to attend the events.

As an ecosystem researcher, Keith has advanced research and activities in biodiversity conservation. He received the award particularly for his achievement in leading the establishment of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems, which assesses the risk of ecosystem collapse.

"A Highlight of My Life"

Please share your thoughts on receiving the award.

Receiving the award itself and this one-week stay are truly a highlight of my life. This is actually my first visit to Japan, and I am grateful for this opportunity.

How did your family and those around you react to your award?

Everyone around me offered congratulations. However, this is my first experience with such an occasion, and I think I'll find it difficult to explain this experience going forward.

"A good experience on this first visit to Japan"

Since this is your first visit to Japan, what are your impressions of the country?

I feel that Japan is a wonderful and vibrant place. I am very pleased to have experienced the Japanese environment firsthand and to have felt Japan's warmth, culture, and history. I also had the opportunity to visit Kyoto, where I went to temples and nearby forests, and had a very good experience.

Please tell us about your aspirations for future research.

In terms of what I want to advance over the next decade or so, I want to think about methods to support more vulnerable ecosystems. On a small scale, many countries are already working on such approaches, but I would like to develop ideas going forward on making larger ecosystems sustainable. Through this, I would like to consider building a more harmonious environment. What is important, after all, is to clarify the vulnerability of ecosystems and take countermeasures.

Experiencing the joy of being a scientist

What is the appeal of your research?

When it comes to research, everything is appealing, both analysis and fieldwork. However, visiting various places and investigating ecosystems is indeed the foundation of my research. Going out for fieldwork generates ideas, provides inspiration, and also raises questions.

In recent years, I have been very honored to deepen exchanges with scientists in the same field from other countries, which is a joy.

I have been able to meet scientists from countries with completely different ecosystems from Australia, where I began my research, and to visit countries I have never been to before—of course, Japan is one of them—and I am enjoying these opportunities very much. Relationships among scientists can also be deepened through such occasions, and I feel joy as a scientist in learning from each other about the commonalities of ecosystems.

Keith was born in Australia in 1959 and raised by parents who were enthusiastic gardeners. He entered the University of Sydney and around this time his aspirations to become a scientist began. His undergraduate thesis theme was "The Taxonomy and Ecology of the Genus Banksia." After graduation, he worked at the National Herbarium of New South Wales, and after obtaining his doctorate, he moved to New South Wales National Parks, where he researched biodiversity conservation and management. Since 2012, he has been teaching at the University of New South Wales.