James is joining the expedition as a multipurpose research assistant and general labourer, and will be publishing the expedition blog. His training is in marine science and geography from the University of Auckland, and he is a 2015 Duke University Global Fellow in Marine Conservation.

James has worked on commercial fishing vessels as a scientific observer for the New Zealand government, as an analyst on New Zealand marine protection policy, and as a consultant for a number of conservation projects in Aotearoa and overseas. His primary interest is in the maintenance of artisanal and indigenous fisheries for food security and social-ecological resilience (though he is also very fond of whales).