Personal Statement
I have recently ended employment at the University of Liverpool but remain actively involved in research as an honorary member of staff.

I specialise in marine spatial planning, both in teaching and research. I have led a number of research projects investigating the uptake of marine planning, especially within Europe, looking at the institutional arrangements being put in place and transboundary dimensions of these initiatives. This short video introduces our work in this field.

I have co-organised a number of international online events to encourage collaboration in marine planning, with partners in Israel, South Africa, Ghana and Japan.

My theoretical interests include the relevance of contemporary spatial theory to developing more responsive approaches to marine planning, focusing particularly on how this can assist with seascape characterisation.

I was Director of the Liverpool Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans (LISCO) which combines the marine and maritime expertise of the National Oceanography Centre, the University of Liverpool, and Liverpool John Moores University.

My academic background covers environmental science, management and assessment. I have held previous appointments at the University of Manchester and Sheffield Hallam University. My doctoral research was into the formation of local planning policy on electricity networks.

I am a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Research Overview
I have recently been engaged in two projects under the Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources programme, exploring new approaches to bringing together the natural and social sciences for the more holistic management and well-being of coastal and marine habitats and resources.

I have also recently worked with the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience, based at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, in developing research potential in coastal and marine management. A project has focused on the coastal resilience of a fishing community in the face of climate change and water pollution impacts. This has led to a socio-environmental model of a resilience collective, embodying the multiple aspects of resilience.

I have also been working with colleagues in investigating the link between marine planning and the licencing of marine and maritime activities in English waters through an empirical study of marine licence applications for activities in part of the North Sea.

I have developed a progressive approach to coastal 'seascape assessment' based upon assemblage theory.