Delivering effective management for invasive alien species

I am research scientist interested in ecology, conservation, and invasive species. Currently, my research focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI), evidence synthesis, evidence summarisation and evidence use in conservation. I am a Research Associate in the Conservation Evidence group based in the Department of Zoology. I have a PhD in Zoology from the University of Cambridge, which focused on harnessing the impacts of aquatic invasive species, and a MSc and BSc Hons in Biological sciences from the University of Warwick.

I am an aquatic ecologist undertaking research in both freshwater and marine environments. Projects are centred on conservation of aquatic organisms and environments at landscape and global scales.

I recently completed an analysis of mangrove restoration potential which locates and maps, on a global scale, the places where mangroves can be restored, and calculates the potential benefits from such restoration. The work provides a critical tool for encouraging restoration and enabling robust, data-driven policy changes and investments. I develop tools and datasets that are used by organisation implement on the ground conservation.

My current work is focused on mapping the distribution of global tidal marshes as a baseline to examine habitat loss, quantify ecosystem service value and determine restoration potential.

I am currently heavily involved in exploring a range of ways of integrating conservation science and policy especially through the development of evidence-based conservation. I have written The Conservation Handbook and From Individual Behaviour to Population Biology and have edited Managing Habitats for Conservation, Ecological Census Techniques, Behaviour and Conservation, Conservation Science and Action and Bird Ecology and Conservation: a Handbook of Techniques and most recently Transforming Conservation: a practical guide to evidence and decision making.

Read an interview with Bill published in ‘This Cambridge Life’ by the University of Cambridge.

Since 2016 I have lead IUCN secretariat work on invasive alien species (IAS). This is focused on supporting countries and civil society in meeting global, regional and national targets on IAS through working closely with IUCN’s Commissions and members on the provision of data, guidance and analyses, and on the development and implementation of national strategies and polices. I also work on One Health issues related to reducing the risks of zoonotic spillover and wildlife health.

I also oversee the work within IUCN’s Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team that use data and knowledge to inform policy and action, including on wildlife trade, freshwater biodiversity, invasive alien species and Key Biodiversity Areas.

I am the Director of the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) – an NGO that is building the capacity of conservation scientists and managers in Africa and SE Asia.  The TBA has trained over 2,800 conservation scientists from 70 countries world-wide and has a 90% contact rate with its trainees.  Many are now leading conservationists, or hold senior positions in government and non-government organisations.  Recently, my team and I have developed a new programme of online training and are exploring the huge potential that the online environment offers for bringing conservation to life.

I hold a BA and a DPhil in zoology from the University of Oxford.   I am also a founding member of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and Cambridge Conservation Forum and an organiser of the Student Conference on Conservation Science.

I’m a conservation scientist specialising in evidence-based conservation, decision-making, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). I am currently a Henslow Research Fellow at Downing College, affiliated to the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, and the Conservation Evidence project. I have a PhD in Zoology from the University of Cambridge and a BSc Hons in Marine Biology from the University of St Andrews.

I am a programme officer with IUCN, working on invasive alien species (IAS). I primarily provide technical and scientific support to the European Commission on EU Regulation 1143/2014 – the IAS Regulation. My work involves producing materials to support EU Member States in the prevention and management of IAS. The work is extremely varied; I may at any time focus on pathways of introduction, provide guidelines for the surveillance of IAS, or run collaborative workshops to share best practices. I am also involved in the development of horizon scanning processes, to identify future potential IAS.

As a marine biologist, I am particularly interested in aquatic IAS, and I am frequently involved in awareness-raising activities relating to aquatic biosecurity, for example biofouling management for recreational boating. I also have an interest in the mechanisms by which IAS impact commercial aquaculture, and their role in disease-cycling within the marine environment.

I am Research Associate in the Conservation Science Group at the University of Cambridge. I am interested in ecology and conservation, particularly the conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems, and the impacts and management of invasive alien species . I have worked for several years with the Conservation Evidence team, leading global synopses of evidence for the effects of conservation actions in peatlands, marshes and swamps. I am an Associate Editor for the journal Wetlands Ecology and Management. My PhD, at the University of Leeds, quantified the impacts of invasive alien crustaceans.