Nick Shears is an Associate Professor in the University of Auckland’s Institute of Marine Science. His research focusses on understanding rocky reef ecosystems and how we can manage these ecosystems better in the future. Nick carried out his PhD at the University of Auckland's Leigh Marine Laboratory, utilising the long-established Leigh Marine Reserve to experimentally investigate the ecological effects of fishing on kelp forest ecosystems. He then carried out a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Santa Barbara where he studied the effects of the Channel Islands Marine Reserve Network on kelp forest ecosystems. Nick then returned to the University of Auckland where he has developed a long-term research program aimed at informing the management, conservation and restoration of rocky reef ecosystems.