Matthew is a marine ecologist and geospatial scientist specialising in habitat mapping, functional ecology, and tropical seascape dynamics. He joined Project Seagrass in 2026 as Senior Science Officer, Seagrass Habitat Mapping. Matthew completed his PhD at Northumbria University in 2024, where he combined satellite and drone mapping, fish community surveys, and ecosystem service assessments to understand the status, functioning, and value of seagrass habitats in the Maldives.

Matthew has experience in academia, government-funded conservation projects, and consultancy work. His work spans the UK, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Oman, Honduras, and Japan collaborating with international partners including IUCN, JNCC, Cefas, Blue Marine Foundation, and national governments. Matthew’s research has been published in high-impact journals, contributed to national policy recommendations in Sri Lanka, and informed reporting for international biodiversity commitments such as Convention on Biological Diversity.

Matthew is committed to robust, collaborative research and bringing advanced geospatial tools to seagrass science globally. He holds a MRes degree in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Leeds and a BSc in Marine Biology and Oceanography from Newcastle University.