Will Le Quesne Email & Phone Number

Leading expertise across Cefas to have a positive and lasting impact on the sustainability of ecosystems and wellbeing of society by providing evidence, tools and advice to balance the use and protection of rivers, estuaries, seas and the ocean.

United Kingdom

Strategic oversight and leadership of Cefas science and advisory engagements across the Middle East. Liaising with partner organisations across the Middle East to support climate resilience, biodiversity, blue economies and sustainable development of marine and coastal environments.

United Kingdom

Leading development of natural capital science and advice at Cefas to support. Liaising with staff across Defra and its executive agencies to enable implementation of the natural capital approach management of the ennvironment.

Temporary secondment with the SAGE Secretariat COVID-19 response group. Liaising with SAGE science advisory groups, and across government, to develop processes to deliver science advice to government in a fast changing and challenging environment.

Oman / Uk

Cefas Middle East Programme Leader, and led the UK-Gulf Marine Environment Partnership (UK-GMEP) Programme. The UK-GMEP Programme is a collaborative programme working with Gulf environment management bodies. I lead and develop collaborative projects with management and research bodies in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as the Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) and the GCC Secretariat.The UK-GMEP Programme is addressing challenges related to five key topic areas:• climate change adaptation and mitigation • food security • sustainable blue economies• human health• UN Sustainable Development Goals

Kuwait

I was the senior resident scientist in Kuwait and project manager of the eMISK-Marine project with the Kuwait Environment Public Authority (EPA).The eMISK-Marine project was a major project designing a comprehensive national marine environmental monitoring and assessment programme for Kuwait.Responsibilities included:Leading the development of a national ecosystem based marine environmental assessment programme.Led the design of a national marine environmental monitoring and assessment programme covering all aspects of the marine environment including; climate change, biodiversity, food and water , pollution, fishing , eutrophication and harmful algal blooms, coastal erosion and human activities.Established a permanent Cefas presence in Kuwait, overseeing the establishment of working practices for permanent and regularly visiting staff.As project manager, and lead scientist and advisor on the project based in Kuwait I was responsible for high-level communications with the EPA, and operational management of all aspects of the project.

Lowestoft

I was Group Manager of the Seas and Oceans group in the Fisheries and Ecosystems Division at Cefas. In the role of Group Manager duties were split 50-50 between science and advisory duties and management duties.I managed 2 teams of scientific advisory and research staff who provided advice on biodiversity, fisheries and ecosystem based management to a range of national and international management and advisory bodies. I led the development of Cefas’ initiative 'New Directions in Fisheries Science' to develop ecosystem based fisheries research and advisory services to meet international policy commitments and the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and revised Common Fisheries Policy. My research and advisory duties related to work on impacts of climate change and fishing impacts on biodiversity. I participated in international and national expert workshops and working groups providing technical advice to management.I was the lead researcher and project manager for European Parliament Committee on Fisheries project on data-deficient fisheries management, a high profile issue for fisheries management in European international waters.

Lowestof

I was a senior marine ecologist at Cefas conducting research for, and providing advice to, UK government and international management and advisory organisations.My scientific and technical work was based around two main strands of research, assessing the potential impacts of climate change and ocean acidification, and supporting the implementation of ecosystem based management advice with particular emphasis on biodiversity.My technical studies included mathematical modelling studies, and laboratory experimental studies, of human and climate impacts on biodiversity and fisheries productivity.I developed a data-limited approach to evaluating the sensitivity of fish species to exploitation to enable rapid biodiversity risk assessment on the basis of limited data. The method can also be used for generating fisheries management advice for data-limited fish stocks. The method has been incorporated into the advisory procedures used by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas for providing formal advice to the European Union regarding management of European fisheries resources.I provided advice and expert contributions to a variety of international (ICES, EC, STECF) and national (HBDSEG) expert working groups and workshops relating to the specification of objectives and indicators during implementation of the MSFD. In addition to technical scientific and advisory duties I was a project manager for several R&D projects, and responsible for leading the development of project proposals for international and national collaborative projects.

Newcastle

I was the post-doctoral research associate working on the EU funded INCOFISH project. The INCOFISH project was a 3 year project made up of 35 organisations from across 22 countries addressing integrating multiple demands on coastal zones with emphasis on aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. I was the project manager for Newcastle University’s contribution to the project, and leader of a work package studying the role of marine protected areas for biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, and participated in a work package developing and applying marine ecosystem models to evaluate the relative anthropogenic and climatic drivers of change in marine ecosystems. As a work package leader I managed and co-ordinated work by 5 institutions from across 3 continents.

Phd Oceanography

Msc Oceanography (Distinction)

Bsc Biology & Philosophy

Education record