The scientific consensus is that a third of the ocean must be protected from human pressures, and the bigger the continuous area the better. I take pride in being Co-Founder and Chair of the Chagos Conservation Trust – US (cctus.org), a charitable foundation that successfully lobbied for the declaration of Earth’s largest protected area, the Chagos archipelago, that sprawls across 600,000 sq. km of the pristine central Indian Ocean. Through partnership with the National Geospatial Agency I am archiving an unparalleled database of remotely sensed information for this vast area of ocean and initializing projects to process the imagery into a publicly accessible GIS web-portal. The work is unfunded and should remain so. Big ocean conservation is a passion.

Full Professor - April 2014 ongoingAssociate Professor - August 2010 through April 2014Assistant Professor - August 2006 through August 2010Research Scientist - January 2004 though July 2006Led a lab of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, and post-doctoral and visiting scientists, dedicated to the application of Earth Observation technologies and GIS to coastal monitoring and conservation. Responsibilities stretched from air- and space-borne optical instruments to vessel-mounted acoustic tools and bathymetric LiDAR. Ran a diverse portfolio of externally funded projects employing remote sensing technology to resolve seabed architecture of modern and ancient carbonate landscapes, with attention to the detection of change through time. Research relevant to modelling degradation of marine ecosystems and the development of management plans to promote sustainability. Daily responsibilities stretched from field monitoring to software development and mathematical simulation. Conducted work in the U.S.A., Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, U.A.E., Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar, the Mariana Islands, Chagos, and throughout the Caribbean. Lectured extensively to M.Sc. students and mentored at the bachelors, masters and doctoral level. Authored 85 publications, three books and secured extramural research funds exceeding US$7,000,000.

Liaised with the European member countries of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and to ensure swift and consensus driven resolution of discussions pertaining to the scientific objectives of the organization. The position involved daily coordination of scientific and logistic issues for the 12 European countries who formed the ECOD consortium with a yearly budget of 3 million €’s. A sound and extensive knowledge of Ocean System and Earth Science processes was required in order to effectively interface with the program scientists at an appropriate level. Excellent communication and written skills were paramount, combined with a proven track and publication record in the field of Earth Science. Served as European Secretariat during the transition from the ODP to the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).

Upon completing my B.Sc. Hons degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography I completed an 18 month internship with the NRCT in Bangkok, Thailand. Duties included the calibration and maintenance of oceanographic observation buoys and drifters deployed in the Gulf of Thailand. Responsibility to ensure swift and accurate processing of oceanic data transmitted in real-time to the control center in Bangkok. Time also spent at Earth down-link department of the Thailand Earth Observation System Center archiving and processing satellite data.

Senior staff member in a mobile dive camp in the then remote southern Egyptian Red Sea. The camp consisted of tents which were moved every 4 days to a new location along the desert coastline. Instructed PADI SCUBA diving from Open Water (novice) to Dive Master (expert) and the PADI Medic First Aid curriculum to international tourists. Led shore dives and extended time offshore in small boats and live-a-boards. Responsible for safety and well-being of up to 25 divers from diverse multicultural backgrounds in exceptionally remote conditions with extremely limited communications.