New Research Assistant - Benjamin Jones

Benjamin Jones has recently started as a Research Assistant at the Sustainable Places Research Institute. Ben will be working closely with Research Fellow Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth researching seagrass.

Ben completed his undergraduate degree in Marine Biology at Swansea University where he went on to complete a masters in Aquatic Ecology and Conservation. His master's thesis focused on the role of seagrasses as indicators of change in the British Isles where multiple characteristics were used to assess how seagrasses responded to varying degrees of anthropogenic stress. Following from this he worked on a similar, but international project with the Zostera Experimental Network (ZEN) which examined the factors that affect seagrass growth on a global scale.

Ben's current work in Sustainable Places is focused on tropical seagrass meadows where he is working on an international project investigating drivers of seagrass decline across multiple scales throughout South East Asia. Ben is also a director of Project Seagrass where his work focuses on improving knowledge and understanding of seagrass ecosystems in the UK while working to enhance public awareness of their importance and threats using creative design to communicate scientific research to the wider public.