Mark John Jessopp

Dr. Mark John Jessopp is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Science, University College Cork (UCC). His research focuses on marine ecology and conservation, particularly the ecological roles of seals and seabirds in marine ecosystems through diet and telemetry studies. Jessopp holds a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from UCC. He has extensive postdoctoral experience and joined UCC in 2018.

• Affiliations: MaREI Centre, UCC; Collaborator with institutions like the British Antarctic Survey and Zoological Society of London
• Education: BSc (Hons) Zoology (Melbourne), PhD (UCC)

His research interests include marine mammal and seabird distribution patterns, population monitoring, foraging ecology, and citizen science applications. Notable projects involve aerial surveys of marine megafauna, seal-fisheries interactions, and climate change impacts on seabird distributions. Jessopp leads the SEAFICS project exploring sustainable seal-fisheries coexistence and contributes to initiatives like the Celtic Sea ecosystem studies.

He has secured over €2.5M in grants, including EU-funded projects and industry collaborations. Key awards include the UCC Research Team of the Year (2013). Jessopp supervises 8 PhD students and teaches modules in marine biology, conservation, and literature analysis. His work bridges ecological research with policy, addressing challenges in marine spatial planning and protected species management.