Abstract

There is an increasing amount of international law and policy relating to the ocean and the marine science community has a vital role to play in implementation and in supporting the achievement of related targets. Capacity building is also at the heart of the UN Decade of Ocean Science as it aims to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14. The world’s marine stations represent a vast global resource, and the World Association of Marine Stations (WAMS) is seeking to mobilize this capacity to address these challenges. WAMS is led out of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, a marine station in the UK conducting multidisciplinary research to understand the complex marine environment and help solve the challenges it faces.

Biography

A senior leader with over 25 years’ experience in the charity and research sector, working at a high level in strategic development and working globally in networking, science diplomacy and policy.

Professor Matthew Frost FMBA is an experienced strategic leader specialising in engagement, networking and science diplomacy. He sits on a number of national and international policy committees including being Chair of the UKs National Decade Committee. Matt also chairs the UKs primary marine climate advice body (the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership) and its Overseas Working Group. He led work with the UK government and Overseas Territory governments to produce the first-ever climate assessment across all the UK Overseas Territories.

As President of the European Network of Marine Stations (MARS) he also led on the establishment of the World Association of Marine Stations (WAMS), working with global partners to bring together marine station directors (with UN IOC-Unesco) in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and to build capacity for marine research.

Matt has also worked on key national assessments including working with a large number of scientists as lead author and editor of the Charting Progress 2 biodiversity Assessment that became the basis for the UKs Initial Assessment for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Matt sits on numerous other international and national science-policy bodies and has appeared as an expert before a number of UK Parliamentary select committees. He has given over 100 invited conference talks (inc. keynote), organised over 30 national and international conferences and workshops and published 160+ journal papers, book chapters, reports, and articles.