[3][2][4] As a PhD student in the late 1980s, Punt and his colleague Doug Butterworth competed in an informal competition against other international research groups to develop computer simulations that could guide quota decisions for whale harvests.
[5] Punt and his collaborators went on to produce simulations and formulae that could account for uncertainties in whale abundance data.
[5] These approaches were subsequently applied to stock assessments for South Africa's hake, sardine, anchovy and West Coast rock lobster fisheries.
[5] In 1992, after completing his doctoral studies, Punt joined the School of Fisheries at the University of Washington as a research associate.
[3] He later rejoined the University of Washington, in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences where he has received numerous distinguished teaching awards.