Robert Gwydir Booth Morrison, OAM CF (born 14 November 1942) is an Australian zoologist and science communicator.
His research has focused on comparative anatomy of the mammalian olfactory system, the identification of animals from tracks and traces, the design of artificial nesting boxes, and techniques to breed animals and birds which face extinction in their native habitats in order to reintroduce them in the wild.
[3][4] On his return to Australia, he lectured at Sturt College of Advanced Education, the South Australian College of Advanced Education, and Flinders University in zoology, animal behaviour and human biology and he introduced a course on field studies based on his experience during his Churchill Fellowship.
[7] Its design suggestions were summarised in a joint publication with major ornithological groups,[8] and thousands were made and deployed as part of Rotary's ROBIN project.
[10] He chaired the Society's Research Committee and one of the major research projects during this period involved accelerated breeding programs for animals and birds which had become endangered or extinct in their native habitats in order to reintroduce them in the wild, including Yellow-tailed black cockatoos,[11] the Mongolian wild horse and the bilby.
Nowadays, he jokingly observes that "It's a bit daunting when some middle-aged, bald bloke comes up and says 'you were a great influence when I was young.
[24] His books on science and natural history included 10 written with Deane Hutton which featured material from The Curiosity Show, including companion books containing scientific explanations and instructions for experiments for children to perform at home themed on the four Western classical elements of earth, air, fire and water.
In addition to his formal academic roles and media work, Morrison has been involved with bodies that champion scientific literacy, evidence-based medicine and policies.
He is cited in the media as an expert on fields including the role of the Therapeutic Goods Administration,[25] government restrictions on dangerous "alternative health" practices[26][27] and the risks of university courses in health-related subjects which are not backed by appropriate standards of evidence.
[31] He chaired the Anti-Rabbit Research Foundation of Australia (ARRFA) from 1995 to 1998, investigating ways to reduce this introduced pest so that native animals and plants can get re-established.
[19] Morrison was[citation needed] for many years Vice-President of the organisation "Friends of Science in Medicine" (FSM), which he jointly founded in 2011,[41] described by the University of Adelaide as "a public health watch dog group ... concerned about honesty in medical claims and the need for evidence-based medicine".
[42] He created the Lesueur Conservation Park (part of which was previously called Cape Hart Conservation Park), a 14.14 square kilometres (5.46 sq mi; 3,490 acres) reserve including a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) length of coastline on Kangaroo Island.
[2] He also has an interest in maritime history, and he was involved in bringing the clipper ship City of Adelaide back to South Australia.