RICHARD SHERLEY

I am a marine ecologist and conservation biologist whose research integrates population demography, animal movement, and fisheries science. I try to understand what drives population change in marine vertebrates and develop strategies to conserve declining species. I’m particularly interested in the drivers of dispersal and survival of non-breeders as these issues have received little attention in marine predators, even though they may play vital roles in buffering populations against collapse. Other key areas of interest include researching the best ways to account for the foraging needs of predators in fisheries management and how to objectively incorporate uncertainty into conservation decision making. I have worked on seabirds in southern Africa for ~15 years, particularly their interactions with fisheries, and have carried out research on the impact of environmental change and human activity on marine predators in the Southern Ocean, North Sea, Indian Ocean and at a global scale. Ultimately, I hope to use research to guide conservation strategy for the sustainable and equitable use of ocean resources. I am also a member of the Marine Predator Ecology & Conservation research group (https://exeterseabird.wixsite.com/research/people) and a Research Associate at the University of Cape Town’s Fitz Patrick Institute of African Ornithology (http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/).