The MBA is honoured to welcome Rod Downie as a newly appointed Fellow of the Marine Biological Association (FMBA).
Rod Downie is WWF’s Chief Advisor, Polar & Oceans. He has worked on the conservation of the polar regions for nearly 30 years, initially at the British Antarctic Survey and for the last 15 years with WWF.
Rod has undertaken 15 field seasons in Antarctica, where he spent a total of 2½ years living and working on the ice. He has also worked in the Canadian, Russian and Norwegian Arctic. He leads a wide portfolio of science and biodiversity conservation projects ranging from area-based management and krill conservation to polar bears and ‘Walrus from Space’, which was a WWF–UK and British Antarctic Survey project using satellite imagery and citizen science to count walruses across the Arctic.
Rod serves as an advisor to the UK Government at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, as well as sitting on numerous scientific and technical advisory bodies. He facilitated Arctic Voices, a series of dialogues between the UK Governments and indigenous Arctic leaders.
He also represents WWF at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
As the world’s oldest learned society and charity dedicated to marine science, the MBA awards Fellowship as a mark of distinction to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their field. Rod is now entitled to use the post-nominal FMBA in line with the Association’s Royal Charter.
Professor Willie Wilson, Chief Executive of the MBA, said: “Congratulations to Rod Downie on his appointment as a Fellow of the Marine Biological Association. Rod has made significant contributions to polar research, policy and conservation across the Arctic and Antarctic, and his expertise in climate change, biodiversity and communicating complex science has been instrumental in protecting some of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. We look forward to strengthening collaboration in the years ahead. Well done and welcome to the MBA family.”
