The aim of the South-West Marine Ecosystem programme is to report and communicate annually on the major marine natural system and management thematic topics covering the marine environment of the south-west.

The South-West Marine Ecosystems (SWME) annual conferences were started in 2008 by Russell Wynn and in 2014 Bob took over organising these.

Since 2014, and during the covid lock down in particular, SWME has evolved to become a comprehensive communication platform involving a website, Youtube channel, webinars, an annual conference, an annual State of the South West Seas Report which attracts media attention. SWME covers 12+ thematic topics including oceanography, plankton, seabed and seashore, fish, marine birds, seals, cetaceans and management topics including marine planning, marine protected areas, fisheries, water quality and plastic pollution. Bob started the SWME annual report process in 2014. Bob Earll currently acts as the convenor of the 30+ steering and editorial group for SWME. He is leading work to explore whether the SWME Model can be applied to other English regions, and he has helped develop the East Marine Ecosystems (EASTME) programme and is advising on a North West Marine Ecosystems initiative. Spin-off projects such on the UK Marine Landscape for Regulation and Policy are currently being developed.

An overview of SWME from 2024 can be viewed here Watch Bob’s talk on ‘Communicating Annual Change in the Marine Environment’ at the 2024 SWME Conference