Profile

As Operations Director of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS), I am responsible, together with the MASTS Direcorate, for the day to day delivery of a Scottish Funding Council Research Pool involving the majoriyt of Scotland's marine science capacity. Our role is to facilitate and improve the co-ordination of marine science across 13 Scottish Universities, a Government laboratory and a non-departmental public body.

I have ongoing research interests in fisheries, aquaculture, marine renewables and applied conservation and restoration of biogenic reefs.

Research Overview:

As Operations Director of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS), Dr James is responsible, together with the MASTS Directorate, for the day to day delivery of a Scottish Funding Council Research Pool with an initial investment of £75m involving the majority of Scotland's marine science capacity. Our role is to facilitate and improve the co-ordination of marine science across 17 Scottish Universities, a Government laboratory and a non-departmental public body. Dr James, through the MASTS Directorate, can provide links to the MASTS research network which engages ~700 researchers active in all areas of marine science. He is a former Vice Chair of the European Marine Board, a currrent Non-Executive member of the UK Marine Science Co-ordination Committee and a member of the Scottish Marine Strategy Forum. His own research interests include fisheries, aquaculture, marine renewables and biogenic reefs. In 2020 he was appointed by UKRI as a Champion for the Sutainable Management of UK Marine Resources Programme - 2020-2014. This £12.4m SPF programme will bring marine scienctists together with social and economic researchers to address strategic policy priorities in the management of UK marine resources and foster stronger working relationships between science and policy. He also co-leads the NERC - Scottish Universities Partnership for Environmental Research, Doctoral Taining Partnership.