John PatersonBorn in Brisbane, Australia in 1953, I grew up next door to the University of Queensland. Quite literally, the Vice-Chancellor Sir Zelman Cowan was my next-door neighbor, and it is not surprising that I was very interested in the future of the Great arrier Reef at an early age. Outbreaks of coral-eating starfish were also of great concern to my parents who encouraged me in all areas of science. Their connection to the Reef goes back to before I was born but that is quite another story. Read More Read Less