About

Education:

• PhD Earth Sciences (2013) – University of Cambridge, UK
• MSc Marine Biology with Distinction (2002 – 2003)  – Bangor University, UK
• BSc Marine Biology with Oceanography (1999 – 2002) – Bangor University, UK

Employment history:

• Assistant Professor in Sustainable Aquaculture -Fisheries, Animal & Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, USA (2018 – present)
• Lecturer in Marine Biology – School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, UK (2016 – 2018)
• Teaching & Learning Support – School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, UK (2015 – 2016)
• Post Doctorate Researcher – School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, UK (2012 – 2015) – NERC Standard Grant No. NE/J007544/1
• PhD Student – British Antarctic Survey & Cambridge University, UK (2008 – 2012)
• Support Scientist – Scottish Association for Marine Science, UK (2005 – 2008) – Project SPIINES2
• Hyperbaric Chamber Attendant – SAMS Diving Centre, UK (2007 – 2008)
• Benthic Macro Fauna Processor – Hebog Environment, Menai Technology, UK (2004)
• Aquaculture Technician – Indian Ocean Aquaculture, Mozambique (2003 – 2004)
• Research Technician – Bangor University, Centre of Arid Zone Studies, UK (2002 – 2003)

Current & recent funding:

• Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (Principle Investigator) – “Expanding green sea urchin production by removing key aquaculture challenges“. 2020-2022 – $100,000.
• Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Grant (Advisor) – “Enhancing our understanding on how sea urchins actively remove micropalstics from their body“. 2020 ∼ $1,000.
• Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council (Principle Investigator) – “A species-specific approach to enhance models for planktivorous fishes“. 2020 – $80,000.
• Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council (Co-Principle Investigator) – “Establishing the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics within Narragansett Bay“. 2020 – $79,891
• Rhode Island Sea Grant (Co-Principle Investigator) – “Are microplastics a vector for organic pollutants and disease in marine food webs?”. 2020-2022 – $444,181.
• URI2 Undergraduate Research Project Grant (Advisor) – “Histology of the Gonad Tissues of a Commercially Relevant Sea Urchin: Arbacia punctulata”. 2020 – $1,400.
• URI2 Undergraduate Research Project Grant (Advisor) – “Establishing the effect of differing food treatments on the energy budget of commercially relevant sea urchins“. 2019-2020 – $1,000.
• RI C-AIM (EPSCoR, NSF) seed grant (Principle Investigator) – “Addressing predictive modeling knowledge gaps to improve information used in decision making.“ 2018-2019 – $25,000.
• USDA RIAES Hatch (Co-Investigator), 2018-2023 – $4.6m.

Recent invited presentations:

• ‘Addressing predictive modeling knowledge gaps to improve information used in decision-making.’ – Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Institute, USA – May 2019.
• ‘A slow-growing perspective on multi-generational responses to future change.’ – Honorarium Seminar Speaker,Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies, Southern Connecticut University, USA – Mar. 2019.
• ‘A slow-growing perspective on multi-generational responses to future change.’ – Physiomar, University of Cambridge, UK – Sept. 2017.
• ‘A meta-analysis of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture: extractive species growth is most successful within close proximity to open-water fish farms.’ – 7th International Oyster Symposium, Bangor University, Wales, UK – Sept. 2017.
• ‘Use of mesocosms in climate change research’ – Global change in coastal marine ecosystems: science, policy, and sustainable development Workshop, Santos, Brazil (2015).

Recent presentations:

• ‘The impacts of microplastics on a largely overlooked marine invertebrate – the sea urchin’. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, USA – Oct. 2019.
• ‘A slow growing perspective on multi-generational responses to future change.’ North East Aquaculture Conference, USA – Jan. 2019.
• ‘A slow growing perspective on multi-generational responses to future change.’ World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB), Montreal, Canada – May 2018.
• ‘Metabolic responses of two species of brachyuran crustaceans to multiple-stressors’. World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB), Montreal, Canada – May 2018.

Recent outreach:

• BBC Science Cafe Interview with Adam Wharton discussing why starfish were stranded on our shores after big storms. Apr. 2018.
• Articles for The Conversation: ‘Starfish can see in the dark’& ‘Why thousands of starfish have washed up on the shore’. Feb. – Mar. 2018.

Teaching & supervision:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
• Winner of the ‘Open’ Category for the Student Led Teaching Awards (2015) & nominated for ‘Best Feedback’ (2016).
• Supervised a large number of undergraduate & postgraduate students since 2010.

Professional involvement & membership:

• Member of: British Ecological Society; National Shellfish Association; Society of Experimental Biology; World Aquaculture Society.
• SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Ocean Acidification Action Group – 2012–present.
• British Ecological Society Grants Committee & Peer Review College – 2013–2019.
• APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists) Representative for the SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Antarctic Thresholds – Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation group (AnT-ERA) – 2011–2018.
• Co-convener for Session Theme 9: Ocean Acidification (with Richard Bellerby & James Orr) at the XXXII SCAR Open Science Conference – Oregon, USA – July 2012.
• Committee Member of the UK Polar Network (British branch of the Association for Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)) – Secretary (previously Workshops & Events) – 2011–2013.