Dr Rob Jones decided that he wanted to work with animals and become a vet at 12 years old. He graduated with a BVSc from Melbourne University in 1977 and worked for 32 years at the Dandenong Veterinary Hospital. Passionate about marine life, he went on to do a master’s degree in aquaculture at Deakin University, Warrnambool. Jones then attended the advanced fish medicine course at the University of Florida, and passed the examinations for aquatic animal health at the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists.
Jones now spends his time working with fish and is one of the world’s only veterinarians who regularly performs ultrasound examinations on sharks. He was also a key member of the team that performed the first-ever artificial insemination on a shark in 2005. Additionally, he has been involved in the air transportation of sharks to Japan and is in regular contact with veterinarians at other aquariums across the world. He is now known as “the shark wrestler”.
Jones serves as the consultant veterinarian to Aquarium Industries, the largest importer of ornamental fish into Australia. He has assisted in writing several government documents as part of the Australian AquaVetPlan program, which relates to disease preparedness for aquatic animal diseases. He has been involved in the aquatic animal sector for the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy.
One person who nominated Jones described him as “a dynamic and driven veterinary surgeon who is continually advancing knowledge for the aquarium industry around animal welfare”.