Morton was educated in Belfast and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied Botany under Professor Doctorate.A. Webb. After graduating from Trinity in 1969, he studied at the University of Wales and obtained a Diploma in Marine Biology.
Morton resigned in 2007. His final year thesis involved research on marine algae, the interest in seaweed having developed from childhood curiosity in the seashore. His first post was as an Education Officer in Doncaster Museum.
However, the interest in marine algae was actively maintained and he returned to Belfast in 1975 as Research Assistant, later Curator, in Botany with special responsibility for the algae and lichens at the Ulster Museum.
His interests include bird-watching, gardening and classical music
