Richard is an Associate Professor in marine ecology at Swansea University where he uses field, desk based and aquaria research to solve real world problems in seagrass conservation and restoration. He also has a particular interest in understanding the ecosystem service value of seagrass meadows, and has worked extensively on examining the role they play in supporting fisheries. Richard’s expertise lie in the ecological structuring processes of seagrass meadows which has led to his leading role in seagrass restoration across the UK having led the UKs first major seagrass restoration project over in West Wales. He has experimented with the methods behind seagrass restoration for almost a decade, leading to his major role in driving the UKs first seagrass nursery. Richard has over twenty years’ experience of research in marine systems and conducts collaborative interdisciplinary research in Europe, Australia, the Caribbean and SE Asia. As a leading voice in seagrass conservation, Richard has authored over 140 academic articles and reports and had his work featured in the global media on a number of occasions.