Dr Richard Sherley is a Marine Ecologist and Conservation Biologist who studies human impacts on the oceans using long-term data on animal populations, technology-led approaches to study behaviour and cutting-edge analytical techniques. He works to understand the drivers of population change in marine vertebrates and to develop strategies to balance conserving species in decline with the sustainable use of ocean resources. Geographic scope includes southern Africa, the Southern Ocean, North Sea, Celtic Sea, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and global-scale projects. Outputs include >140 papers, reports, and book chapters spanning a range of subjects including seabird ecology, shark demography, marine conservation, ecosystem effects of fisheries, behavioural ecology, and impacts of marine plastics. Impact includes contributing to six protected areas in South Africa and underpinning the listing of several sharks and rays on CITES and the CMS.
“Without real knowing that it was something you could have a career in, I think I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist when I grow up (I guess I still do…). Even now, the ocean fills me with a sense of wonder—a petrel cutting across a wave crest, a shark vanishing shyly into the blue. Despite the pressures we’ve placed on the sea, so much life endures. I hope my scientific career – which I’ve been incredibly fortunate to pursue – can help safeguard that resilience and leave the ocean a little better than we found it.”