Nick Fleming is a marine ecologist and conservation scientist specialising in applied marine conservation within working coastal and shelf seas. He is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the BSc Marine Biology degree at the University of Chester, where he leads the development of innovative, experiential approaches to marine science education focused on employability, field-based learning, and marine conservation in the Anthropocene.

His work integrates marine ecology, fisheries sustainability, ecosystem resilience, and environmental governance, with research spanning trophic ecology, ecosystem connectivity, marine restoration, and the ecological impacts of anthropogenic change. Much of his work is centred on the Irish Sea and Welsh coastline, where he investigates ecological interactions within multi-use marine environments and explores evidence-based approaches to conservation and sustainable management.

Nick completed a BSc in Marine Biology at the University of Wales, Swansea, an MPhil in Marine Fisheries Ecology at the University of Hull’s Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, and a PhD in Marine Ecology at Queen's University Belfast, specialising in the distribution, seasonality, and trophic ecology of gelatinous zooplankton in the North East Atlantic.

Following his doctorate, he held several postdoctoral research positions investigating elasmobranch trophic ecology in the Irish Sea, the ecological impacts of jellyfish on commercial fisheries in the Bay of Biscay, benthic organism stress responses, and the environmental implications of marine renewable energy developments.

He has worked extensively with external partners including regulators, conservation organisations, industry, and community-led marine initiatives to develop applied solutions focused on ecosystem resilience, fisheries sustainability, habitat restoration, and marine conservation. His current work increasingly explores how innovative technologies, interdisciplinary ecological approaches, and applied conservation science can support resilient marine ecosystems and sustainable ocean futures.