Dr. Michael S. Watt received a MForSc and a Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Canterbury in 1999 and 2003, respectively. He is a Principal Researcher who specializes in remote sensing and the development of models to characterize the growth, health, and wood quality of forest resources. He works extensively with the New Zealand forest industry and has a track record of undertaking science that has been adopted by the industry. He is co-leader of the Remote Sensing cluster group, which is one of the most well-attended industry focus groups within the New Zealand forestry sector. He has many international links with other research groups in Europe, Australia, and South America.