I am an Environmental Scientist with major interests in 

• Freshwater Biodiversity- and in particular the biodiversity of groundwaters
• The impact on freshwater ecosystems of disturbances such as climate change and emerging contaminants including microplastics.
• Monitoring and conservation of groundwater ecosystems.

I am increasingly interested in developing interdisciplinary approaches to address complex problems such as declining water quality and quantity and habitat loss.

RECENT GRANTS AWARDED:

Leverhulme Trust Research Project 2021 (PI) ‘Microplastics in Groundwater Ecosystems: A Global Impact Analysis (PlaStyx)’.

Environment Agency- British Geological Survey 2020- 2022 ‘Developing a groundwater monitoring network that is fit for the future’. Lead for groundwater ecology.

UK-RI-AHRC 2020. (Co-I) "Guardians of the Rivers" and the future of Earth Law: towards a new Legal, Ecological and Participatory (LEAP) model for Environmental Humanities?

Environment Agency 2017–2022 (PI) Hyporheic zone restoration.

British Council- FAPESC 2017  How and why do ecosystem services differ between temperate and sub-tropical freshwater systems? 

RC-UK- CONFAP 2015 Comparing community size patterns and food web structure in eutrophic temperate and sub-tropical freshwater systems. 

EC 2014 'HypoTRAIN: Hyporheic Zone Processes - A training network for enhancing the understanding of complexphysical, chemical and biological process interactions. 641939. 

2014 NERC research grant NE/M005151/1 'Groundwater flooding: Groundwater community recovery following an extreme recharge event'.

BGS joint research studentship Geological controls on groundwater fauna

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 2008
Discovering the distribution and habitat requirements of groundwater animals in southwest England and Wales
Environment Agency  2008
Meiofaunal and zooplankton community development in the Jubilee River
Environment Agency 2007
Review of sub-surface ecology in England & Wales.
NERC CASE studentship (in partnership with Environment Agency) 2007
Towards an understanding of hydrogeologic controls on lowland hyporheic assemblages in the UK.
NERC research grant NE/E004 148/1v  2006
The influence of major flood disturbance on river ecosystem evolution trajectories in recently deglaciated terrain (FLOODRESET)
Environment Agency  2003-2007
Meiofaunal and zooplankton community development in the Jubilee River

FORMER PHD STUDENTS

Zerihun Fole (awarded 2022)

DIVERSITY, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND USAGE OF HUMAN MODIFIED AFROMONTANE FOREST IN SOUTHWEST ETHIOPIA

Marie-Claire Danner (awarded 2020)

Effects of multiple anthropogenic stressors on freshwater ecosystems

Ignacio Peralta-Maraver (awarded 2018)

Hypotrain (MSCA-ITN): Links between productivity, flow paths and hotspots/ moments in the hyporheic zone

Damiano Weitowitz (awarded 2017)

Geological controls on groundwater fauna

Octavian Pacioglu (awarded 2012)
Hyporheic assemblages and diffuse nitrate pollution in chalk river ecosystems.

Mark Dunscombe (awarded 2012)
Towards an understanding of hydrogeologic controls on lowland hyporheic assemblages in the UK.

Astrid Willener (awarded 2014)
The biomechanics and energetics of a common behaviour in poorly-adapted species: analyses of pedestrian locomotion in penguins.

Mike McDermott (awarded 2005)
Colonisation and succession of lotic meiofauna following glacial recession.

Roger Baker (awarded 2006)
Colonisation and succession of meiofauna in the Jubilee River

Barbara Hancock (awarded 2008)
The physical and biological factors affecting meiofauna in the Jubilee River