Callum Roberts

Callum Roberts is Professor of Marine Conservation in the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus. His research focuses on threats to marine ecosystems and species and on finding the means to protect them. His main interests include documenting the impacts of fishing on marine life, both historic and modern, and exploring the theory and practical effectiveness of marine protected areas for conservation and fisheries management. For the last few decades he has used science to make the case for stronger protection for marine life at both national and international levels.

Callum Roberts’ award-winning book, The Unnatural History of the Sea, charts the effects of 1000 years of exploitation on ocean life. His second book, Ocean of life: how our seas are changing, shows that the oceans are changing faster and in more ways than at any time in human history, setting out a series of reforms that could lead to a more sustainable future. His latest book, Reef Life, focused on the past and precarious future of the world’s richest marine ecosystem, coral reefs.

He was chief scientific advisor for the BBC television’s flagship series Blue Planet II. He works extensively with ocean conservation charities and is Chief Scientific Advisor to BLUE Marine Foundation as well as a Trustee. He is on the board of the Nekton Deep Ocean Research Institute, scientific advisor to the Maldives Coral Institute, and advisor to the Pew Bertarelli Global Ocean Legacy Program.