Ken Jones graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor in Marine Biology/Zoology in 1974 and completed his PhD on phytoplankton and nutrient dynamics in Scottish, fjordic sea lochs at Strathclyde University, Glasgow in 1979. He joined the research staff at SAMS (then the Scottish Marine Biological Association) in 1980. In 1999 Ken was appointed Deputy Director.

Ken's principal scientific interest is the biological oceanography of fjords, shelf seas and ocean margins of NW Europe and in particular the role of physical processes (mixing, turbulence and advection) and water optical properties on phytoplankton production and population dynamics. He has also contributed to major UK national and European research programmes on harmful algal blooms and their effects in European coastal seas. He has been a member of several ICES working groups on phytoplankton ecology, chaired the ICES working group on phytoplankton and management of their effects, and was UK delegate to the IOC/FAO Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms, as well as being a member of UK working groups on algal toxins. Applied work has included studies of oil and gas exploration impacts in Europe and the Middle East, and eutrophication in European coastal waters.

Ken has served on the NERC RV Challenger replacement working group and Science Promotional Panel 2. In his role as Deputy Director he leads operational aspects of the Scottish Marine Institute and was responsible for project management of the recent new building developments at Dunstaffnage.