Tom Bech Letessier

Dr. Tom Bech Letessier is a Research Fellow at the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, affiliated with the Centre for Marine Futures and the Oceans Institute. Since 2011, he has led the National Environmental Research Program’s (NERP) project on marine megafauna interactions with oceanic features.

He obtained a BSc (Hons) in Marine Biology from the University of Aberdeen (2002-2006) and a PhD from the University of St Andrews (2007-2011), where he studied bathymetry’s effects on pelagic ecology using field sampling, statistical modeling, and biochemical analysis. His research focuses on environmental drivers of open-ocean ecosystems, apex predator conservation, and sustainable fishery management.

His recent publications include studies on pelagic/benthic fish body-size responses in protected areas, global conservation gaps via socioeconomic-environmental niche modeling, and illegal fishing dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research sites span Shark Bay (WA), Timor Sea, Chagos, New Caledonia, and Norway’s Skagerrak coast.

Dr. Letessier has received the Russel Trust award (2009) and contributed to 39 research outputs, including 37 peer-reviewed articles and 5 datasets. He collaborates nationally and internationally, emphasizing data-driven marine policy and balancing ecological integrity with human activities.