Oliver Ashford is a Program Associate in the Ocean Program. In this role, Oliver will support the delivery, and the development of WRI’s Ocean Program and its associated work streams, with particular emphasis given to supporting the activities of the Ocean Panel and driving implementation of its ambitious ocean agenda.

Prior to joining WRI, Oliver spent over two years as an Intelligence Analyst at OceanMind, where he worked closely with foreign governments, NGOs and businesses to provide intelligence reports and advice on the protection and sustainable use of marine resources. Before this, he undertook post-doctoral research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California, where he investigated the sensitivity of Costa Rican deep-sea environments to human disturbance. As part of this project, he collected seafloor samples at over 1000 metres depth in the submarine Alvin.

Oliver is a Marine Biologist and Intelligence Analyst with experience working in both academic and not-for-profit organisations. He is committed to increasing the understanding of marine environments to encourage their conservation, alongside their sustainable use. Oliver has particular expertise in how humans are impacting the oceans, with recent projects including using remote sensing tools to combat illegal fishing, and investigating the impacts of trawling on deep-sea environments.

Oliver holds a PhD in Deep-Sea Ecology from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Taxonomy and Biodiversity from Imperial College London, and a BA in Natural Sciences (Zoology) from the University of Cambridge.

When Oliver is not working, he can be found playing music, fencing, cycling, or walking in the Chilterns.