Ian Kenneth Fergusson (Ian K. Fergusson, b. 1965, Stockton-on-Tees, England, UK) is BBC Weather Presenter and a noted UK-based expert on sharks, especially species inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea.
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Fergusson has authored or co-authored a number of papers in marine biological science journals since 1993. Much of his research has focussed on biology of the great white shark in Mediterranean and north-eastern Atlantic waters.[1]
A dedicated marine conservationist, Fergusson was a founding trustee, inaugural chairman and now a patron of the Shark Trust, a wildlife charity formed in 1997 and based in Plymouth, UK. Since 1994, he has served as a member of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Shark Specialist Group, preparing and co-preparing Red List status accounts. He is professionally qualified as a Chartered Biologist (CBiol) and made a member (MSB) of the Society of Biology, formerly Institute of Biology in 1995.
Fergusson works for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) presenting TV weather bulletins on regional TV news BBC Points West and for local radio across much of England's West Country, namely BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Wiltshire, and BBC Somerset.
In his official BBC biography,[2] Fergusson reveals his "lifelong passion" for meteorology. He first appeared presenting weather on BBC Points West in April 2008, having previously worked at BBC Bristol in roles as a staff cameraman and managing press and publicity there.[3] He has appeared in various TV natural history documentaries about sharks since the early 1990s, including presenting Channel 4's Equinox: Jaws in the Med in 1995 and more recently appearing in BBC TWO's landmark series Oceans in December 2008. He is credited as scientific advisor for the Emmy-awarded 1995 production Great White Shark: A Wildlife Special, co-produced by the BBC with National Geographic.[4] In 2007 he won a Craft Award for camerawork from the Royal Television Society in Bristol[5] and was a nominee for the same category in 2006. Fergusson is a Freeman of the City of London.
During 2001-2002, Fergusson worked as a weather presenter for Herts-TV, a (now defunct) local TV news venture in Hertfordshire, UK. A selection of out-takes from his weather forecasts were subsequently screened in the long-running ITV series TV's Naughtiest Blunders.
In his BBC biography, Fergusson cites his longstanding interest in Formula One motor-racing and has often indicated that he is a supporter of 2008 F1 World Champion & McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton. In 2009, he was the BBC's weather forecaster providing race weekend weather prospects for each Grand Prix on the BBC's online coverage for the sport [6] and popular '606' forum.
YouTube, forecast from BBC Points West, 2009:[1]
The Observer, 3 April 2005, Travel Feature: The Real Shark's Tale (authored by Ian Fergusson): [2]
Fergusson's BBC Weather-related Blog: [3]