Meriwether Wilson is an Associate Professor and Reader in Marine Science and Policy at the University of Edinburgh. Her research and teaching focus on the science-policy-society intersections of marine ecosystems, in particular biodiversity, ocean governance, the blue economy and climate adaptation for small island and large-ocean nations.

Meriwether founded and led the university’s first interdisciplinary MSc in Marine Systems and Policies. In 2020, she also founded, and is Co-Director, of the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders Programme, an executive leadership programme and life-long network for mid-career professionals from diverse geographies and sectors, to collectively accelerate sustainable solutions for the ocean and society at all scales (oceanleaders.org).

Before joining the University of Edinburgh in 2010, Meriwether worked internationally for two decades on marine protected areas and sustainable development, throughout the Pacific and Caribbean during the 1980s, and the 1990s – 2000s with the World Bank, UNESCO, UNDP, UNEP across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She remains a long-standing member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.

Meriwether has degrees from Duke University (BA ‘81), Yale University (Master of Environmental Studies, ‘84) and the University of Washington (PhD, 2009). While originally from the Chesapeake Bay, her long-term home is Scotland, where she is also an avid sailor. She holds both British and US citizenship.