In particular, his research group investigates the global biogeography of deep-sea chemosynthetic environments, the spatial and temporal dynamics of their faunal assemblages, and the life-history biology of their species. In 2013 he became the first British person to dive to 5000 m, during the first manned submersible dive to the world's deepest known hydrothermal vents. He is also co-founder of a company that has trained >12,000 scientists in how to share their work with wider public audiences, and he has published >150 "popular science" articles in magazines and newspapers, having been a reporter and news editor at New Scientist.