Meet the Team
Bangor University
Dr Jon King is a Reader in Marine Biology at Bangor University. With over 25 years’ experience in commercial and applied research in marine ecology, development of aquaculture techniques, including pilot scale recirculation systems, sustainability and ecological effects of shellfish farming including non-native culture species, maintaining genetic variability when restocking indigenous oysters, offshore aquaculture and its co-location with renewable energy sites.
Dr Nick Jones is a Research Officer at Bangor University’s CAMS. Since joining CAMS in 2011, Nick has been involved in a variety of aquaculture research projects, including those developing conservation and sustainable aquaculture rearing techniques of marine fish species. Nick has also worked in the aquatic retail sector, as a Senior Aquarist at a public aquarium and as a Larval Room Superintendent at a commercial finfish hatchery.
Dr Tom Galley is a Research Officer at Bangor University’s CAMS, with over 10 years’ experience in temperate and tropical marine aquaculture research, across a range of bivalves, crustacean and fish species. This has included work on the development and optimisation of larval and juvenile culture techniques and technology, assessing the impact of husbandry and environmental parameters, as well as research on larval development and nutrition.
Max Austin is a Research Project Support Officer at Bangor University who has pursued a career in grassroots conservation projects and the wider aquaculture sector. His passion for conservation has seen him surveying seahorses in Spain, researching the effects of electromagnetic fields on edible crabs in Scotland, and managing the successful rearing of an endemic species of clownfish for their reintroduction to the Maldivian reefs.
Patrick Lehane is the Project Accountant for SNAP, and is part of Bangor University’s Research and Enterprise Office.
Industrial Partners
ZSL (Zoological Society London)
Samantha Guillaume Slatter has worked at ZSL since 2006. Previously specialising in the breeding and husbandry development of native seahorse species and now focusing on the captive management of critically endangered freshwater fish species. Through her role at ZSL, she has been active in promoting well managed, sustainable populations of fish in public aquariums and ensuring strong contribution to conservation of aquatic species.
The Deep
Graham Hill is Head of Animal Care and Research at The Deep aquarium in Hull. Joining The Deep in 2001 he has been responsible for the veterinary care of the animals and co-ordinating research and conservation projects. Working with major universities and marine conservation organisations he has help develop research projects such as Manta Ray tracking in Sudan with Equipe Cousteau, Lopehlia coral collection with BP and advancing aquarium veterinary science.
SEA LIFE
Chris Brown is the Head of Conservation, Welfare and Engagement for UK SEA LIFE. Working for over 20 years with public aquaria around the world, breeding, rearing and transporting a variety of species. In 2020 he returned from a 2 year secondment as Curator at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium after setting up a number of conservation, research and breeding programs including rescuing critically endangered wild grey nurse sharks and breeding the native White’s seahorse.
Riaan Boshoff is the Curator at Legoland Windsor Resorts’ Deep Sea Adventure for the past 3 years. Before this he was the Collections and Acquisitions Manager at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research’s uShaka Seaworld where he spent 10 years collecting, importing and transporting animals for the Aquarium. He has been diving for 22 years, is a qualified Skipper of vessels up to 40 tons and previous experience includes a few years as a scientific technician at the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in Durban and a Marine Ranger for South African National Parks (SANParks) based in Cape Town.