I am interested in understanding the processes of carbon storage and cycling within saltmarsh habitats. I am particularly interested in improving the empirical evidence base for saltmarsh greenhouse gas emissions, as this is understudied yet key to constrain for accurate carbon accounting. This is essential if saltmarshes are to be included in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which I hope my work can contribute towards.
September 2021 – September 2025: NERC funded SUPER DTP student at the University of St Andrews. PhD title: Sources, Sinks and Subsidies of Carbon within Coastal Saltmarsh Habitats.
September 2017 – May 2021: 1st Class BSc (hons) in Earth Science from the University of Glasgow.
August 2019 – May 2020: Undergraduate exchange year funded by Erasmus +ICM. GPA: 3.67/4.
PhD: Sources, Sinks and Subsidies of Carbon within Coastal Saltmarsh Habitats. Understanding the processes of carbon storage and cycling within saltmarsh habitats. I will use novel methods to determine the relative contributions of saltmarsh carbon sources (in-situ, terrestrial, marine) and their effect on carbon sequestration or emission as CO2/CH4.
ClimateXChange funded project: Blue carbon potential of Scottish intertidal wetlands and the implications of sea-level rise: policy brief. This ongoing project aims to show the potential to use managed realignment to create new saltmarsh habitats which are valuable carbon stores. Saltmarshes have the potential to contribute to Scotland’s 2045 net-zero commitment. I carried out the literature review and created a poster for an international conference which won first prize.
Blog for ClimateXChange: https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/blog/increasing-blue-carbon-in-scotland/
Poster presented at the international conference, ‘Blue Carbon: Beyond the Inventory’. This was for the ClimateXChange project ‘Blue carbon potential of Scottish intertidal wetlands and the implications of sea-level rise: policy brief’. It won first prize in the poster competition. https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/media/5084/sbcf_a0landscapeposter_alexhouston.pdf
