I hold a half-time position of Professor in the School of Life Sciences. The remainder of my time I work for a range of UN , Governmental and aid agencies in tropical marine and coastal development issues.
I advise several governments on marine and coastal management and science, including the UK Government on its tropical Overseas Territories.
I have organised and led the scientific input to the 2010 creation of the world's largest fully protected marine researce, in the Chagos archipelago, Indian Ocean, where a lot of my research has been focussed.
The other main geographical area of research is the Arabian region.
PhD University of Durham 1976.
Fellow, Linnean Society
Conservation Fellow, Zoological Society London
Reviewing member of the IPCC
Editor of the Elsevier journal:Marine Pollution Bulletin
Author and/or editor 10 books at various levels, from lay, student text and academic.