Jeff Ardron is currently working in Washington DC, as Director of the High Seas Program for the Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI.org), and co-lead on its Surveillance and Enforcement of Remote Maritime Areas (SERMA) project. Previously, for three years he was a senior scientific advisor on marine protected areas (MPAs) for the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. He has also consulted widely, recently for marine planning projects in West Africa, Canada, and Europe.

In addition to PacMARA, Jeff serves on the IUCN World Commission on Protected areas as Advisor on MPA Design, Tools, and Software, and also serves as a Scientific Advisor on the High Seas MPA Task Force. He has an MSc in Environment and Management. He has worked in the fishing sector, NGO sector, in federal government, and within international conventions. Most recently, he is an active member of the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI.org), serving on its Science Board. A specialist in marine spatial planning, systematic conservation design, and international maritime policy, a central theme throughout his work is the bridging of marine science with policy development.