Researcher biography
Coen is an environmental scientist and ARC DAATSIA Fellow in the School of the Environment at The University of Queensland. His research reaches across Indigenous studies, environmental sciences, animal ecology and science and technology studies in asking how research can better respond to Country.
Coen's work spans several connected areas: native stingless bee science; herpetofauna and environmental physiology; Indigenous Data Sovereignty; and the ethics and epistemology of environmental research. His current projects are focused on how culturally significant organisms are studied, monitored and cared for.
Coen is a trawlwoolway pakana related to northeast lutruwita (Hearps, Briggs family) and is accountable to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. Coen grew up as a visitor to many lands in so-called Australia and currently is living on Yuggera land at Tulmur.
Publications
Book Chapters
Hird, Coen, Walker, Jim, Mos, Benjamin and Salisbury, Steven W. (2025). Indigenising the environmental science curriculum part 2: in practice. Indigenising curriculum at The University of Queensland: a handbook. (pp. 61-83) edited by Tracey Bunda, Katelyn Barney, Levon Blue and Laura Deane. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Hird, Coen, Walker, Jim, Mos, Benjamin and Salisbury, Steven W. (2025). Indigenising the environmental science curriculum part 1: foundations. Indigenising curriculum at The University of Queensland: a handbook. (pp. 48-60) edited by Tracey Bunda, Katelyn Barney, Levon Blue and Laura Deane. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Hird, Coen (2024). Shadows. Storying the archive: evoking the Fryer Library Indigenous collection. (pp. 59-61) edited by Tracey Bunda and Laura Deane. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Hird, Coen (2022). Blinding whiteness. Griffith Review 77: Real Cool World. (pp. 225-235) Melbourne, VIC Australia: Text Publishing Company.
Journal Articles
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca L. and Franklin, Craig E. (2025). Ambient ultraviolet radiation induces DNA damage in amphibian larvae under semi-natural conditions. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 228 (22) jeb.251017. doi: 10.1242/jeb.251017
Hird, Coen (2025). Indigenous theory as epistemic ground for environmental scholarship and practice. People and Nature, 7 (10), 2262-2277. doi: 10.1002/pan3.70137
Hird, Coen (2025). Review of Haunting biology: science and indigeneity in Australia by Emma Kowal. Native American and Indigenous Studies, 12 (2), 170-171. doi: 10.1353/nai.2025.a971985
Downie, Adam T., Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca L., Cortesi, Fabio and Franklin, Craig E. (2025). Ultraviolet B radiation impairs coral reef fish development. Biology Open, 14 (8) bio.062107, 8. doi: 10.1242/bio.062107
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca L. and Franklin, Craig E. (2025). Sunlight surveillance: a simplified approach for the monitoring of harmful ultraviolet radiation in freshwater ecosystems. Biology Open, 14 (4) bio061991, 1-12. doi: 10.1242/bio.061991
Hird, Coen, Lundsgaard, Niclas U., Downie, Adam T., Cramp, Rebecca L. and Franklin, Craig E. (2024). Considering ultraviolet radiation in experimental biology: a neglected pervasive stressor. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 227 (16) jeb247231, 1-7. doi: 10.1242/jeb.247231
Hird, Coen, Barham, Kaitlin and Franklin, Craig E. (2024). Looking beyond the mean: quantile regression for comparative physiologists. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 227 (5) jeb247122. doi: 10.1242/jeb.247122
Hird, Coen (2024). ECR Spotlight - Coen Hird. Journal of Experimental Biology, 227 (5) jeb247465. doi: 10.1242/jeb.247465
Hird, Coen, Flanagan, Emer, Franklin, Craig E. and Cramp, Rebecca L. (2024). Cold-induced skin darkening does not protect amphibian larvae from UV-associated DNA damage. Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part A, Ecological and Integrative Physiology, 341 (3), 272-281. doi: 10.1002/jez.2780
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca L. and Franklin, Craig E. (2023). Thermal compensation reduces DNA damage from UV radiation. Journal of Thermal Biology, 117 103711, 103711. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103711
Lundsgaard, Niclas U., Hird, Coen, Doody, Kathleen A., Franklin, Craig E. and Cramp, Rebecca L. (2023). Carryover effects from environmental change in early life: an overlooked driver of the amphibian extinction crisis?. Global Change Biology, 29 (14), 3857-3868. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16726
Hird, Coen, David-Chavez, Dominique M., Gion, Shanny Spang and van Uitregt, Vincent (2023). Moving beyond ontological (worldview) supremacy: Indigenous insights and a recovery guide for settler-colonial scientists. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 226 (12) jeb245302. doi: 10.1242/jeb.245302
McKnight, Donald T., Ard, Kendall, Auguste, Renoir J., Barhadiya, Gaurav, Benard, Michael F., Boban, Paige, Dillon, Martin L., Downs, Colleen T., DeGregorio, Brett A., Glorioso, Brad M., Goodman, Rachel M., Hird, Coen, Hollender, Ethan C., Kennedy, Malcolm, Kidman, Rosie A., Massey, Andrhea, McGovern, Pearson, Mühlenhaupt, MuhlenhauptMax, Ostovar, Kayhan, Podgorski, Danusia, Price, Cormac, Reinke, Beth A., Streeting, Louise M., Venezia, Jane, Young, Jeanne and Nordberg, Eric J. (2023). Nocturnal basking in freshwater turtles: a global assessment. Global Ecology and Conservation, 43 e02444, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02444
Hird, Coen, Franklin, Craig and Cramp, Rebecca (2022). Temperature causes species-specific responses to UV-induced DNA damage in amphibian larvae. Biology Letters, 18 (10) 20220358, 1-6. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0358
Todorov, Orlin S., Hird, Coen, Kraatz, Brian, Sherratt, Emma, Hill, Narelle, de Sousa, Alexandra A., Blomberg, Simone and Weisbecker, Vera (2022). Down a rabbit hole: burrowing behaviour and larger home ranges are related to larger brains in leporids. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 29 (4), 1-11. doi: 10.1007/s10914-022-09624-6
Hird, Coen, Franklin, Craig E. and Cramp, Rebecca L. (2022). The role of environmental calcium in the extreme acid tolerance of northern banjo frog (Limnodynastes terraereginae) larvae. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225 (13) jeb244376. doi: 10.1242/jeb.244376
Research Report
Hird, Coen (Trawlwoolway) and Dillon, Max (Kombumerri) (2026). Kupae (Sugarbag bees) on Kombumerri Country. Culturally Significant Entities case study Perth, WA, Australia: Curtin University.
Thesis
Hird, Coen (2024). Amphibian declines and UV radiation: a molecular and ecological investigation. PhD Thesis, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/80b707b
Data Collections
Coen Hird (2025). Indigenous environmental literature review. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/b6ba977
Coen Hird (2025). Impact of Ultraviolet Radiation on Larval Amphibians: Survival, Growth, and DNA Damage Data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/a5d0968
Hird, Coen, Franklin, Craig and Cramp, Rebecca (2023). Quantile regression for comparative physiologists. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/60f1bf8
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca and Franklin, Craig (2023). Cold-acclimation completely compensates UV radiation-induced DNA damage rate in amphibian larvae (Limnodynastes peronii). The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/221fbfe
Hird, Coen, Franklin, Craig and Cramp, Rebecca (2023). The ultraviolet microenvironment in freshwater ecosystems: implications for amphibians.. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0f81bde
Hird, Coen, Franklin, Craig and Cramp, Rebecca (2023). Cold-induced skin darkening does not protect amphibian larvae from UV-induced DNA damage. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/f559345
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca and Franklin, Craig (2022). Temperature causes species-specific responses to UV-induced DNA damage in amphibian larvae. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/4fdfc26
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca and Franklin, Craig (2021). The role of calcium transport in the extreme acid tolerance of northern banjo frog larvae (Limnodynastes terraereginae). The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/18c7301
Hird, Coen, Cramp, Rebecca and Franklin, Craig (2021). Aquatic UV and temperature low power field data logger (version 1). The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/5ed5d99