Dr. Jacob (Jake) Asher was born and raised in Maryland, USA, where summers spent fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and Chincoteague Island sparked his lifelong interest in marine science and conservation. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan (1994), a Master's in Environmental Management from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment (2001), and a Ph.D. from Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia (2018).

Between 1995 – 2002, Jake gained extensive experience in marine science across a broad range of research institutions. These included programs in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, Bermuda, the Russian Far East, North Carolina, and Alaska. From 2002 to 2012, he worked with the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division, where he contributed to critical projects including (but not limited to) marine debris mitigation in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and long-term monitoring of benthic habitats and reef fish populations across the Hawaiian Archipelago and U.S. Pacific Territories. Additionally, he also served as a science liaison to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, representing the Division's interests.

From 2012 to 2019, Jake shifted his research focus exclusively to coral reef fish ecology, specializing in mesophotic coral reef fish communities and their trophic organizational components. From 2020 to 2024, he served as the Director of Operations for Red Sea Global's Department of Environmental Protection and Regeneration, where he led the development and implementation of multiple operational systems for environmental monitoring, regulatory, and sustainability initiatives. This involved establishing and overseeing critical infrastructure development, including diving programs, vessel fleets, moorings and navigational planning, data management systems, environmental permitting, and emergency response networks.

Jake joined the KAUST REL in late 2024. His current research interests encompass a comprehensive spectrum of coral reef fish ecology focal points, including community structure across geographic ranges, depth and habitat strata, and levels of human impact. He maintains a strong interest towards mesophotic coral reef fish communities and roving predator populations, including trophic demographics, size structure, and impacts of fishing pressure. His interests extend into studies on threatened or endangered species, particularly concerning species movements during spawning events and utilization of core habitats.

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