Simon is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment and collaborator with Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab. He has been instrumental in building the foundations for the field of seascape ecology and is the editor of the first book, Seascape Ecology, dedicated to the subject.

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He serves on the Executive Committee of the IUCN Marine Connectivity Working Group and a Science Advisor to the Blue Parks initiative to assess and promote excellent in marine protected area design and management. Simon mentors graduate researchers globally and lectures on seascape ecology. He also serves as an editor for Marine Ecology Progress Series.

 

Simon is fascinated by life in the Ocean and has been fortunate to have spent many hours underwater on some of the most biologically diverse coral reef ecosystems on Earth. In addition to his academic writing on seascape ecology and conservation he has promoted and supported transformative action for healthier and inclusive coastal cities through the social concepts of Ocean Cities and City Marine Parks.

 

With one foot in academia and the other in government science and consultancy he has contributed to implementing marine spatial planning, designing protected areas and guiding seascape restoration projects. Early on in his career he led science projects for NOAA in the USA and Caribbean and he has trained park rangers to monitor MPAs in Kenya and the Seychelles. He lived in the USVI for several years, providing science to support coastal management and enjoyed mentoring graduate researchers at the University of the Virgin Islands. Currently, he lives in the beautiful Dyfi Valley Watershed within Eryri National Park (aka Snowdonia) in Wales (Cymri).