Overview

Professor James M. Mair

[email protected]

UK

Phone	+44 7507 511503
Language	English - Spanish
Profession	Marine Biologist
Communication	Mobile, email

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I have been working for over 40 years as a marine biologist in academia and consultancy. I have a degree in Zoology (1976 – University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK) and a PhD in Marine Biology (1979 – University of Liverpool, England, UK). Since 1979 I have been associated with Heriot-Watt University firstly as a full-time staff researcher/consultant, subsequently as lecturer and eventually Professor of Marine Biology. Having recently retired, I have the honorary title of Emeritus Professor of Marine Biology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.

Apart from extensive work in the UK on environmental impact assessment of North Sea hydrocarbon extraction activities, marine benthic monitoring, survey work for designation of marine protected areas and more recently habitat restoration (UK native oyster reefs, shellfish beds and seagrass meadows), I have worked internationally in Malaysia but, my main focus has been on Latin America. My interests in Latin America date back to when I spent two years of my PhD field research in Mexico(at the marine station in Mazatlan, Sinaloa of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico). My research was focussed on post-larval penaeid shrimp ecology and recruitment within a larger UK/Mexican team of researchers advising on an artisanal community shrimp fishery in coastal lagoons (Caimanero-Huizache complex). This is where I learned to speak Spanish fluently. My first work in Colombia was in 1985 (workshop on post-larval shrimp biology and aquaculture applications at INVEMAR, Santa Marta). After that, I led several UK-funded 3-5 year research projects in Ecuador (1997-2000), Colombia (1998-2001) and Panama (2003-2008). In the last decade, I was involved in Colombia (2009-2013 on running and participating in workshops on advice for offshore environmental monitoring for Ecopetrol, ANH and MADS). I also led a British-Council-funded workshop in Santa Marta for getting together 15 Colombian and 15 UK Early Career Researchers to promote international and interdisciplinary marine science/engineering research links. I was a partner in the 3-year ‘Pescandoparalavida’ project in the Colombian Caribbean, led by Dr Lina Barrios (2016-2019).

Some funded projects (23 in total)

• 2013: British Council Newton-Caldas funding, Co-ordinator of Early Career Researcher workshop, Santa Marta. (Funds managed by British Council).
• 2010: Scottish Funding, Heriot-Watt University’s component of MASTS Council research pooling grant (£439K).
• 2009: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Site condition monitoring of the reef and shallow inlet Heritage and bay features of Loch Laxford marine cSAC * (£56K).
• 2009: British Council – ITM, UK coordinator of AMERLINK project between HWU & Instituto Tecnológico de Mérida (Mexico) on Climate Change and marine ecosystem sensitivity (£56K).
• 2008: SNH, Site condition monitoring study Mousa marine cSAC * (£64K).
• 2007: SNH, Site condition monitoring, Treshnish marine cSAC * (£60K).
• 2006: DEFRA/Darwin, Conservation management zoning implementation and facilitation in Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama (£94K).
• 2006: NERC, Masters Training Grant (MTG) for “Marine Resource Development and Protection” Grant Manager (included MSc research component, £113K).
• 2006: SNH, Site condition monitoring study Sound of Barra marine cSAC * (£140K).
• 2005: SNH, Site condition monitoring study Loch Creran marine cSAC * (£45K).
• 2004: SNH, Biotope mapping and survey of Sullom Voe marine Csac (£72K).
• 2004: SNH, Site condition monitoring study Loch Maddy marine cSAC * (£61).
• 2003: DEFRA/Darwin, Marine biodiversity study of Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama (£168K).
• 2002: SNH, The development of broad-scale habitat maps of the Firth of Tay marine cSAC * (£40K).
• 2001: SNH, The development of broad-scale habitat maps of three marine Special Areas of Conservation Lochs Sunart, Laxford & the Sound of Barra * (£79K).
• 2000: Carnegie Trust, A research travel grant to enable me to take part in a 10-day oceanographic survey cruise with the Ecuadorian Navy around the Galapagos Islands (£1.4K).
• 1999: SNH, A study of horse-mussel beds/biogenic reefs in relation to their importance in marine Special Areas of Conservation (£39K).
• 1998: NERC, Potential of side-scan sonar techniques for mapping a variety of marine habitats in Scotland (£15K).
• 1998: DETR (now DEFRA), Remote sensing and marine habitat mapping in San Andres Archipelago, Colombia (£120K).
• 1997: DETR (now DEFRA), Remote sensing and marine habitat mapping in San Andres Archipelago, Colombia (£120K).
• 1997: DETR (now DEFRA), Marine invertebrate taxonomy/biodiversity and ecological studies in Ecuador (£125K).
• 1985: British Council, Co-ordinator of Workshop in Santa Marta (INVEMAR), Colombia on tropical penaeid shrimp postlarval ecology and applications in aquaculture (funds managed by British Council.

I was Project Leader/Principal Investigator on all above projects apart from those marked *(joint collaborator/Co-Investigator). The SNH-funded research projects were normally undertaken by a team of colleagues from Heriot-Watt University and jointly with other Universities such as Edinburgh University and St Andrews University.

PEER-REVIEWED Publications

Fariñas-Franco J, Cook R, Gell F, Harries D, Hirst N, Kent F, Macpherson R, Moore C, Mair J, Porter J, Sanderson W. (in press) Are we there yet? Management baselines and biodiversity indicators for the protection and restoration of subtidal bivalve shellfish hábitats. Science of The Total Environment, 863: (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161001).

Talbot R., Cardenas M., Mair J.M., López F., Cárdenas G., Pernía B., Hartl M.G.J. (2022) Macroplastic and Microplastic in River Sediment in Vinces and Los Tintos Rivers, Guayas province, Ecuador. . VIII Congreso Internacional de Investigación REDU. (DOI:10.5867/Medwave.2022.S1.CI27)

Cárdenas-Calle M., Pérez-Correa J., Uzca-Sornoza C., Bigatti G., Diez N., Lozada M., Coronel J., Herrera I., Torres G., De la Cuadra T., Espinoza F., Mair J.M., Keith I. (2021) Invasion and current distribution of the octocoral Carijoa riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) in the Ecuadorian coast (Eastern Tropical Pacific). Aquatic Invasions 16(1): 62–76. (https://doi.org/10. 3391/ai.2021.16.1.05)

Oscar Crehan, James Mair, Siang Hii Yii, Che Din Mohd Safuan and Zainudin Bachok. (2019) Effect of tourism and sedimentation on coral cover and community structure Tropical Life Sciences Research 30(2), 149–165. (https://doi.org/10.21315/tlsr2019.30.2.11)

Kent EAF, Mair JM, Newton J, Lindenbaum C, Porter J, Sanderson WG. (2017) Commercially important species associated with horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) biogenic reefs: a priority habitat for nature conservation and fisheries benefits. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol. 118: pp 71-78. (doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.05)

Robinson D, Jaidah M, Bac S, Lee K, Jabado R, Rohner C, March Abi, Caprodossi S, Henderson A, Mair J, Ormond R, Pierce S. (2016) Population Structure, Abundance and Movement of Whale Sharks in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. (PLoS ONE. 11. (e0158593).

Cardenas M, Mair. (2014). Characterization on two estuarine branches affected by industrial pollution, Estero Salado-Ecuador. Intropica. 9.

Mair James, Cipriani Roberto, Guzman Hector, Usan David. (2012) Fishery of the Green Jack Caranx caballus (Osteichytes: Carangidae) in Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama. Revista de Biología tropical. 60. 1271-88. 10.15517/rbt.v60i3.1806.

Harper S J M, Bates C R, Guzman H M, Mair J M. (2010) Acoustic seabed mapping to improve fishery management in Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama. Journal of Ocean and Coastal Management, 53, 615-623.

Kennedy E V, Guzman H M, Holdried M W, Mair J M, Simpson S D. (2010) Reef-generated noise provides reliable information about habitats and communities: evidence from a Panamanian case study. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 395, 85–92.

Mcgowan T, Cunningham S L, Guzman H M, Mair J M, Guevara J M, Betts T. (2010) Mangrove forest composition and dynamics in Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama. RBT, International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation, 58, 857-869.

Barrios L M, Chambers S J, Ismail N, Guzman H M, Mair J M. (2009) “Distribution of Idanthyrsus cretus (polychaeta: sabellaridae) in the Tropical Eastern Pacific and application of PCR-RAPD’s tools for population analysis”. Zoosymposia, 2, 487-503.

Mair J M, Sibaja-Cordero J A, Arroyo M F, Merino D, Vargas R, Guzman H M, Benfield S. (2009) "Mapping benthic faunal communities in the shallow and deep sediments of Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama". Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58, 375-383.

Moore C G, Bates C R, Mair J M, Saunders G R, Harries D B, Lyndon A R. (2009) “Mapping serpulid worm reefs (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) for conservation management”. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 19, 226-236.

Guzman H M, Benfield S, Breedy O, Mair J M. (2008) “Broadening reef protection across the Marine Conservation Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific: distribution and diversity of reefs in Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama”. Environmental Conservation, 35, 46-54.

Benfield S, Baxter L, Guzman H M, Mair J M. (2008) “A comparison of coral reef and coral community fish assemblages in Pacific Panama and environmental factors governing their structure”. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 88, 1331-1341.

Guzman H M, Cipriani R, Vega A, Lopez M, Mair J M. (2008) “Population assessment of the Pacific green spiny lobster Panulirus gracilis in Pacific Panama”. Journal of Shellfish Research, 27, 907-915.

Oviedo L, Guzman H M, Flórez-González L, Alzueta J C, Mair J M. (2008) “The Song of the Southeast Pacific humpback whale off Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama: Preliminary characterization”. Aquatic Mammals, 34, 458-463.

Benfield S, Guzman H M, Mair J M, Young J. (2007) “Mapping the distribution of coral reefs and associated sublittoral habitats in Pacific Panama: a comparison of optical satellite sensors and classification methodologies”. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 28, 5047-5070. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of United Kingdom, 87, 1111-1114.

Greathead C, Donnan D, Mair J M, Saunders G R. “The sea pens Virgularia mirabilis, Pennatula phosphorea and Funiculina quadrangularis: distribution and conservation issues in Scottish waters”. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of United Kingdom, 87, 1095-1103.

Harries D B, Cook E, Donnan D W, Mair J M, Harrow S, Wilson J R. (2007) “The establishment of the invasive alga Sargassum muticum on the west coast of Scotland: Rapid northwards spread and identification of potential new areas for colonisation”. Aquatic Invasions, 2, 367-377.

Medina B, Guzman H M, Mair J M. (2007) “Failed recovery of a collapsed scallop (Argopecten ventricosus) fishery in Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama”. Journal of Shellfish Research, 26, 9-15.

Benfield S, Guzman H, Mair J M. (2005) “An assessment of mangrove forest structure and development after human reclamation in Panama City, Panama”. Journal of Environmental Management, 76, 263-276.

Defew L H, Mair J M, Guzman H M. (2005) “An assessment of metal contamination in mangrove sediments and leaves from Punta Mala Bay, Pacific Panama”. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 50, 547-542.

Cruz M, Gabor N, Mora E, Jimenez R, Mair J M. (2004) “The known and unknown about marine biodiversity in Ecuador (Continental and Insular)”. Gayana, 67, 232-260.

Karpouzli E, Malthus T, Place C, Mitchell A, Garcia M, Mair J M. (2003) “Underwater light characterization for correction of remotely sensed images”. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 24, 2683-2702.

Somerville S, Miller K, Mair J M. (2003) Methods for assessing the extent of beach litter on shores”. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 46, 1184-1190.

Mair J M, Matheson I, Appelbee J F. (1987) “Offshore macrobenthic recovery in the Murchison Field following the termination of drill cuttings discharges”. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 18, 628 - 634.

Mair J M, Kingston P F, Hill S. (1986) “The effects of ballast water effluent on the macrobenthos around Sullom Voe, Shetland”. Water Science and Technology, 18, 331.

Mair J M, Watkins J L, Williamson D I. (1982) “Factors affecting the immigration of postlarval penaeid shrimp into a Mexican lagoon system”. Oceanologica Acta, V, 339-345.

Mair J M. (1981) “The identification of small juvenile penaied shrimp from the Pacific coast of Mexico”. Bulletin of Marine Science, 31, 174-176.

Mair J M. (1980) “Salinity and water-type preferences of four species of postlarval shrimp (Penaeus) from Mexico”. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 45, 69-82.

Mair J M. (1979) “The identification of postlarvae of four species of Penaeus (Crustacea:Decapoda) from the Pacific coast of Mexico”. Journal of Zoology, London, 188, 347-351.