Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) announced today that Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Jones has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Davidson Science Award, an honor established to recognize transformative scientific contributions to flats conservation. The award is named in tribute to Tom Davidson, Sr., BTT’s Founding Chairman and an influential leader in business and conservation.
“Dr. Jones’ work on alternative methods to assess fisheries reflects a pioneering approach that will have a positive influence on how we manage not only the flats fishery, but data-poor fisheries globally,” said Dr. Aaron Adams, BTT Director of Science and Conservation. “It is fitting that Dr. Jones receives this award to continue and expand this important work because it uses the innovative combination of vision, collaboration, and action that has enabled BTT to be far more influential in regional flats and coastal conservation than anyone imagined. This award is aimed at continuing that legacy by supporting innovative science that contributes to transformative conservation.”
As Chief Conservation Officer and Co-Founder of Project Seagrass, Jones is known for his groundbreaking interdisciplinary work to better understand and protect seagrass meadows and for his leadership in developing new methods to assess data-poor fisheries.
While serving as a postdoctoral researcher at Florida International University, Jones collaborated with BTT on an alternative fishery assessment project that was designed to address long-standing challenges in managing data-poor fisheries such as bonefish, tarpon, and permit. Recognizing that traditional stock assessments are often impractical for these species, Jones developed an innovative method—Best Catch Assessment (BECAA)—that uses Local Ecological Knowledge to determine historic trends and current fishery status.
BECAA has already been successfully applied to assess the bonefish fishery in the Florida Keys, demonstrating its effectiveness and promise for broader conservation efforts. With $50,000 in support from the Davidson Science Award, Jones will lead new BECAA assessments for permit and tarpon in the Florida Keys and initiate the process of applying the method in additional locations across the region where the flats fishery occurs.
“I’m deeply honored to receive the inaugural Davidson Science Award,” said Jones. “This work began as an idea to bridge science and lived experiences, and its success shows what’s possible when we rethink how fisheries can be assessed and more strongly bring fishers on that journey with us. With this support, we can scale this work across the region and help secure a more resilient future for bonefish, tarpon, permit, and the coastal communities that rely on them.”
About Dr. Benjamin Jones
Jones is an interdisciplinary marine scientist with more than 12 years of experience working in seagrass ecosystems across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Through Project Seagrass, a UK-based global conservation initiative he co-founded, he has advanced both social and ecological research to strengthen the appreciation and protection of seagrass meadows worldwide.
His work emphasizes the essential role seagrass plays in supporting communities, including its importance for food security. Jones previously served as President of the World Seagrass Association and has led a number of collaborative conservation efforts that bridge academic research, local knowledge, and community participation.
About Tom Davidson, Sr.
The Davidson Science Award honors the legacy of Tom Davidson, Sr., whose leadership has shaped both the corporate and conservation landscapes. As Founding Chairman of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Davidson helped establish BTT’s enduring mission to conserve the flats fishery through science, education, and advocacy. He also served on the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary Advisory Board and as V.P. Director of Sanctuary Friends of the Florida Keys, and was a director of the Everglades Foundation.
Davidson founded numerous companies across North America and Europe and served as director of more than 20 public and private corporations. His distinguished business career earned him significant recognition, including Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year in 1979. His past roles include Chairman of the Young Presidents Organization and World Presidents Organization, and Founding Chairman of the Ocean Reef Club and its affiliated cultural and conservation organizations.
BTT extends its warmest congratulations to Dr. Jones and its sincere gratitude to Tom Davidson for his extraordinary contributions to conservation and the founding vision that continues to guide BTT’s work today.
About Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon, and permit—the species, their habitats and the larger fisheries they comprise. BTT pursues this mission through science-based conservation, education, and advocacy across Florida, The Bahamas, Belize and Mexico, as well as in coastal states from Texas to Virginia. Learn more at: www.BTT.org.
