Mark James

Dr Mark James serves as Operations Director of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) at the University of St Andrews' School of Biology. He coordinates marine science activities across 17 Scottish Universities, a Government laboratory, and a non-departmental public body through the MASTS research network, which engages approximately 700 researchers.

His research interests span fisheries, aquaculture, marine renewables, and biogenic reefs. Dr James has been appointed by UKRI as a Champion for the Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources Programme and co-leads the NERC-Scottish Universities Partnership for Environmental Research Doctoral Training Partnership.

His recent publications demonstrate expertise in marine spatial analysis, fisheries management, marine animal physiology, and the application of technology in marine science. His work shows strong emphasis on practical applications of research for marine resource management and conservation.

Dr James has supervised multiple PhD students including Miguel Delos Santos, Sohini Dudhat, and Charis Hanna. He leads numerous research projects with significant funding from EPSRC, BBSRC, and The Royal Society of Edinburgh, focusing on fisheries data systems, marine renewable energy, and aquaculture.

He actively participates in policy and advisory roles as a former Vice Chair of the European Marine Board, current Non-Executive member of the UK Marine Science Co-ordination Committee, and member of the Scottish Marine Strategy Forum.