Senior Biologist. S26 Survey Supervisor
Jim Cocking holds a Bachelor and Graduate Diploma of Science from Curtin University and brings over 30 years of experience in environmental science and field-based research. A former member of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Science Division (1994–2007) and a founding member of Bennelongia Environmental, Jim has developed deep expertise in ecological monitoring and survey design. He is a highly experienced field survey supervisor, leading complex programs across subterranean fauna (stygofauna and troglofauna), SRE invertebrates, aquatic systems, river health, and vertebrate fauna, including feral predator studies and translocations, with experience spanning all regions of Western Australia across mining, pastoral, and conservation tenures.
Renowned for innovation and applied research, Jim has designed specialised survey equipment and contributed to the development of subterranean sampling protocols in Western Australia. His work includes leading stygofauna investigations for the Pilbara Biodiversity Survey, aquifer water chemistry profiling, and down-hole imaging of subterranean ecosystems, alongside contributions to AusRivAS river health models and major wetland and waterbird surveys. In terrestrial systems, he has played a key role in large-scale vertebrate studies, assessing introduced predator impacts through trapping, translocation, and radio telemetry across more than 500,000 hectares of northern jarrah-wandoo forest. Jim is a qualified Schedule 26 Field Supervisor under current WHS legislation.