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Professor Laurence Mee is Director of the Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scotland’s foremost marine institute and an academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands. Prof Mee was trained in oceanography and has 37 years of experience in multidisciplinary marine research and the interface between science and policy for sustainable use and conservation of the sea. He has considerable international experience including ten years in Mexico and an eleven year career in senior posts in the UN where his work was scientific, diplomatic and worldwide. He was responsible for the process that led to the 6-country 1993 Black Sea Ministerial Declaration, the first post-Soviet environmental agreement and subsequently led international efforts to restore and protect the severely damaged Black Sea environment. He was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation for his work on environmental education. In 1998 he joined the University of Plymouth to become the UK’s first Professor of Marine and Coastal Policy and was appointed as Director of the UoP Marine Institute. He was Special Advisor to the UK House of Commons Select Committee Inquiry on Investigating the Oceans and the Scrutiny Committee on the UK Marine Bill. He remains research active, publishes widely and is currently leading an EU-funded €5.7M, 31 partner project applying systems thinking for articulating the Ecosystem Approach for managing Europe’s seas. He received the first personal chair (professorship) in UHI following its award of University status. He is a passionate environmentalist and keen sailor and diver. |
