Providing marine biodiversity and conservation advice in relation to the development and implementation of: • the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)• Marine and Coastal Access Act (Marine Act)• Marine Protected Area (MPA) network development • An ecosystem approach to the management of the marine environment • Marine conservation and biodiversity policy• EU maritime policy • Other related Welsh, UK, European and global MPA policy developments, initiatives and agreements

I'm working on the Celtic Seas Partnership, a four year EC Life+ funded project aimed at encouraging multi-stakeholder collaboration to develop best practice approaches for practical implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the Celtic Seas marine region. In short, it’s all about working with stakeholders, developing good links between sectors and working together across the Celtic Seas region to find ways to contribute to Good Environmental Status.

- Working as part of a network of NGOs, under the umbrella organisation Wales Environment Link (WEL), to ensure full and swift implementation of the Marine and Coastal Access Act, 2009.- Responsible for providing specialist marine knowledge to complement and underpin Marine Act advocacy work in Wales.- Strategic lead on marine planning and licensing issues, identifying and developing coherent policy positions to promote sustainable development of the Welsh marine environment.- Contributing to marine protected area and fisheries aspects of the Marine Act campaign.- Wide-ranging advocacy of WEL and WWF policy positions to political and public audiences.- Design, development and delivery of key products and technical documents to promote policy positions to a wide range of stakeholders.- A key achievement has been the presentation of oral evidence to the National Assembly for Wales’ Environment and Sustainability Committee inquiry into marine policy.

Collaborative research project between Swansea University and James Cook University.The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of seagrass productivity on seawater carbonate chemistry on a spatial and temporal scale at Green Island, Queensland.

Recently graduated with a First Class (Hons) BSc in Marine Biology. Overall grade of 86%. Recipient of the David Huxtable Prize in Zoology and Oxford University Press Prize for Achievement in Biosciences.The course has included modules on Oceanography, Marine Mammals, Polar Ecology, Fish Biology, EIA, Fisheries Management, Tropical Ecology and Plankton Ecology.My dissertation project was a three month study into the growth and production of Zostera noltii.

Worked with the Marine Monitoring Team on their programme of long-term monitoring and surveillance of key features and species within Wales’ network of MPAs.Experience of side-scan sonar; deploying and relocating hydroacoustic beacons; surface support for diving survey; ornithological surveys; benthic grabs; line transects and photo ID to monitor cetacean population structure; laboratory work, including fixing and identification of samples; intertidal survey, including Sabellaria and Zostera; non-native species monitoring and eradication; drop-down video; grey seal tagging, photo ID and moult monitoring.

Worked as a member of the Analysis and Reporting team implementing criteria of the Water Framework Directive applicable to the marine environment. Key responsibilities were primarily surveillance monitoring and data management.Areas of work included: saltmarsh plants, opportunistic macroalgae, fucoid algae, seagrass mapping and monitoring, electric fishing, benthic grabs, beam trawling and use of internal databases.