Prof Martin Attrill

Prof. Martin Attrill is a marine ecologist whose primary research interest is focused on the mechanisms behind long-term change and large-scale spatial patterns in marine assemblages and populations. He has been working with long-term data from marine fish and invertebrate populations within a range of habitats such as the Thames Estuary, Brazilian coral reefs and the open Atlantic Ocean, including investigating the role of climate variation on fish, corals and plankton. He has published over 150 papers in the prime literature, primarily on fish and benthic systems such as seagrass, but in recent years has been mainly involved in projects investigating the roles of Marine Protected Areas, within the UK and abroad, assessing their ecological and socioeconomic value and their interaction with fishing. The main study has been the UK Defra designation in Lyme Bay which his team has been monitoring since 2008 and formed a novel research partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation and local fishermen to undertake research into sustainable fishing within MPAs. He is also interested in the human impacts of large scale offshore renewable energy developments and how we can effectively and suitably monitor their interaction with the environment.

A family walking along a beach at sunset

Five ways to inspire ocean connection: reflections from my 40-year marine ecology career

by Prof Martin Attrill

8 June 2025

Five lessons from 40 years as a marine ecologist: why hope, action and connection still matter

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