Expert Details

Base Line Wildlife Survey Techniques, Coral Biology, Molecular Biology, British Bird Identification

ID: 728514 United Kingdom

Expert trained as a zoologist at undergraduate level then travelled the world gaining valuable biological and ecological field skills with numerous organisations from government bodies to local or national run NGO's. Upon returning to the UK he opted to further his education with a PhD in microbial molecular ecology of coral reefs, learning molecular lab skills and furthering his field studies. During his further time at university he was an active member in numerous teaching and demonstrating of undergraduate courses from ecological survey techniques, bird and insect identification to vertebrate dissections to name a few, along with running field trips in the North East England and Scotland. Work with consultancies on bat and newt surveys along with being an active member in the North East Reptile and Amphibian Group kept his skills varied and his local knowledge on fauna around the UK up to date, whilst becoming ever more specialised in marine biology, principally coral reef ecology.

He has been involved in the North East Reptile and Amphibian group as communication officer offering help and advice to members of the public and the group with regards to local species of Amphibians and reptiles, habitat types, stranded animals etc.Association with E3 consultancy (a North East consultancy firm) with help with bat and newt surveys.He has worked for various government agencies including liaison with the Zimbabwean government on management plans for three national parks, provided resources and man power to aid in the formation of management and strategy plans for the future development of the National Parks, along with associated field based surveys.

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Education

Year	Degree	Subject	Institution
Year: 2004	Degree: BS.c	Subject: Zoology	Institution: Newcastle University

Work History

Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2007 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Instructor / Demonstrator	Department: School of Biology
Responsibilities: He is finishing his final year of PhD on Molecular Microbial Coral Reef Ecology: - aiding the understanding of What controls microbial community structure of the surface mucus layer of corals? work includes joint field and lab based work with use of PCR-DGGE, clone libraries, ABI sequencing and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Currently writing and publishing papers. Has been an active member in the department taking on large amount of teaching responsibilities.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2006 to 2007	Employer: African Encounter/Impact	Title: Project Manager, Research Coordinator and Project Developer	Department:
Responsibilities: In charge of running a volunteer organisation working in Hwange and Matopos National Parks in Zimbabwe. Assisting the National Park Research Services with field based research within the park and helping with forming certain management and strategy plans for the future development of the National Parks. Hwange National Parks; Zimbabwe
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2006 to 2006	Employer: MFG (Madagascan Faunal Group)	Title: Park Ranger	Department:
Responsibilities: He was the general parks ranger at Ivoloina, conducting maintenance, biodiversity surveys, attending lectures on health, dietary and veterinary procedures within zoos in conjunction with Saint Louis Zoo.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2005 to 2006	Employer: Coral Cay Conservation	Title: Expedition Leader and Project Scientist	Department:
Responsibilities: He worked in cooperation with NRCP (Negros Rainforest Conservation Project) - conducting a rapid biodiversity index of the flora and fauna present in the Northern Negros Forest Reserve in association with Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) and Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation Inc on Negros Island in the Philippines, along with running the Malaysian Tropical Forest Conservation Project, a rapid biodiversity index survey on the varied ecological habitats found within the Setiu Wetlands of the state of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2004 to 2005	Employer: Department of Conservation - New Zealand	Title: Researcher	Department:
Responsibilities: Involved in the reintroduction and monitoring of two of the most endangered birds in the world the Black Robin (Petroica traversii) and the Chatham Island Petrel. Chatham Islands, New Zealand along with assisting an ongoing monitoring programme of the North Island Kaka (Nestor meridionalis)
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2004 to 2005	Employer: Massey University - New Zealand	Title: Research Assistant	Department:
Responsibilities: Assistance given on numerous projects from monitoring the health status, distribution and breeding habits of Hectors Dolphin, Red crowned Kakariki (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae), North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis lawryi) and Saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus along with an experimental test of metapopulation theory using reintroductions of the North Island robin (Petroica austalis longipipes) and Understanding patterns of local extinction within.

Government Experience

Years	Agency	Role	Description
Years: 2004 to 2005	Agency: Department of conservation - New Zealand	Role: Research Assistant	Description: Reintroduction and monitoring of two endangered bird species, the Black Robin (Petroica traversii) and the Chatham Island Petrel. Chatham Islands, New Zealand – along with assisting an ongoing monitoring programme for the North Island Kaka (Nestor meridionalis) including radio telemetry and GIS. NZ – 2005

International Experience

Years	Country / Region	Summary
Years: 2006 to 2007	Country / Region: Zimbabwe	Summary: He was the Project Manager, Research Coordinator and Project Developer for a volunteer organisation working in Hwange and Matopos National Parks in Zimbabwe. Assisting the National Park Research Services with field based research within the park and helping with forming certain management and strategy plans for the future development of the National Parks.
Years: 2006 to 2006	Country / Region: Madagascar	Summary: He was the general parks ranger at Ivoloina, conducting maintenance, biodiversity surveys, attending lectures on health, dietary and veterinary procedures within zoos in conjunction with Saint Louis Zoo.
Years: 2005 to 2006	Country / Region: Philippines and Malaysia	Summary: He was expedition leader and project scientist for two projects running in two countries, the NRCP (Negros Rainforest Conservation Project) - a rapid biodiversity index of the flora and fauna present in the Northern Negros Forest Reserve in association with Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) and Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation Inc. and for the MTFCP (Malaysian Tropical Forest Conservation Project) - rapid biodiversity index survey on the varied ecological habitats found within the Setiu Welands of the state of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia
Years: 2004 to 2005	Country / Region: New Zealand	Summary: Worked for Department of Conservation on numerous bird projects as a research assistant along with aiding Massey University (Palmerstone North) with project skills and development of PhD and masters projects

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
North East Reptile and Amphibian Group - Communication officer

Licenses / Certifications
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Bronze, Silver and Gold - 1999

Publications and Patents Summary
He has presented at numerous conferences on his current work on coral biology including at the International Coral Reef Symposium 2007; on the relationships between water borne and coral bacteria – a new perspective and on Corals, Bacterial Worlds Presented at the Environmental Marine Biology Conference 2009; on a realistic measure of the supply of bacteria from the water column to the coral surface mucus layer and at Reef Conservation UK 2009, on bacterial Communities associated with the Surface Mucus Layer of reef corals Publications in press or review include; Temporal and Spatial Patterns in Waterborne Bacterial Communities of an Island Reef System and Bacterial assemblages differ between compartments within the coral holobiont

Publications and Patents Summary

He has presented at numerous conferences on his current work on coral biology including at the International Coral Reef Symposium 2007; on the relationships between water borne and coral bacteria – a new perspective and on Corals, Bacterial Worlds

Presented at the Environmental Marine Biology Conference 2009; on a realistic measure of the supply of bacteria from the water column to the coral surface mucus layer

and at Reef Conservation UK 2009, on bacterial Communities associated with the Surface Mucus Layer of reef corals

Publications in press or review include;
Temporal and Spatial Patterns in Waterborne Bacterial Communities of an Island Reef System and Bacterial assemblages differ between compartments within the coral holobiont

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
He has started to do low level consultancy work for E3 ecology on bat and newt surveys, along with numerous field work for various employees.

Training / Seminars
As part of the PhD he has been required to attend teacher training programmes, 1st aid qualifications for both field trips and diving related incidents and numerous course on a variety of subjects. He has aided in many existing teaching programmes along with establishing his on field course at Millport Field station in Scotland on Anemone fighting behaviour and Hermit Crab shell selection for students to learn how to conduct research, write up and analyses data to a high quality.

Training / Seminars

As part of the PhD he has been required to attend teacher training programmes, 1st aid qualifications for both field trips and diving related incidents and numerous course on a variety of subjects. He has aided in many existing teaching programmes along with establishing his on field course at Millport Field station in Scotland on Anemone fighting behaviour and Hermit Crab shell selection for students to learn how to conduct research, write up and analyses data to a high quality.

Vendor Selection
During his time at Employer, he has been in charge of three labs for the Coral Health and Disease Group, leasing with suppliers and vendors of molecular tools and equipment

Other Relevant Experience
He has extensive training in radio telemetry, bird banding, mist netting (birds and bats), mammal traps & pitfall traps numerous catching and handling techniques associated with the following groups; Herpetiles, Mammals, Birds, Insects in particular Lepidoptera. Ability to use a variety of measuring techniques for flora and fauna (e.g. callipers, weighing balance, identification keys, vegetation analysis, habitat mapping, water quality testing etc.). Map reading and navigation skills, use of GPS and GIS. Data entry/interpretation/analysis/statistics and overall report writing skills. Knowledge of British, Asian, African, Australian and New Zealand flora and fauna. Especially Bird ID. General maintenance (track building, infra-structure work etc). Good communication skills. Lecture experience to different age groups on a variety of conservational topics. Trapping and eradication of non-native pests. Experience in tracking, signs of the wild and general bush survival skills (African and Asian wildlife). Qualified diver, climber and caver. Artistic/presentation and good use of photography. IT literate. Have a high level of fitness, full clean driving license with 4X4 experience in many terrains and basic knowledge of car mechanics – happy to work alone or as part of a group. Good management skills, ability to handle accounts, budgets and staff.

Other Relevant Experience

He has extensive training in radio telemetry, bird banding, mist netting (birds and bats), mammal traps & pitfall traps numerous catching and handling techniques associated with the following groups; Herpetiles, Mammals, Birds, Insects in particular Lepidoptera. Ability to use a variety of measuring techniques for flora and fauna (e.g. callipers, weighing balance, identification keys, vegetation analysis, habitat mapping, water quality testing etc.). Map reading and navigation skills, use of GPS and GIS. Data entry/interpretation/analysis/statistics and overall report writing skills. Knowledge of British, Asian, African, Australian and New Zealand flora and fauna. Especially Bird ID. General maintenance (track building, infra-structure work etc). Good communication skills. Lecture experience to different age groups on a variety of conservational topics. Trapping and eradication of non-native pests. Experience in tracking, signs of the wild and general bush survival skills (African and Asian wildlife). Qualified diver, climber and caver. Artistic/presentation and good use of photography. IT literate. Have a high level of fitness, full clean driving license with 4X4 experience in many terrains and basic knowledge of car mechanics – happy to work alone or as part of a group. Good management skills, ability to handle accounts, budgets and staff.

Language Skills

Language	Proficiency
German	Basic level
French	Basic level

Fields of Expertise

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Expert Details

Base Line Wildlife Survey Techniques, Coral Biology, Molecular Biology, British Bird Identification

Education

Work History

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

Government Experience

International Experience

Career Accomplishments

Additional Experience

Language Skills

Fields of Expertise