I am currently a first year PhD student researching carbon stored in shelf sediment surrounding man-made structures.
My early career has involved degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Environmental Management and subsequent research experience. My work has been primarily within the UK, but I have also been a part of projects with the University of the West Indies, Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, in Jamaica.
Shelf sea sediments, such as in the North Sea, sequester significant amounts of carbon which contributes to the mitigation of climate change.
However, for decades, the North Sea shelf area has been anthropogenically modified, through the construction of man-made structures, including oil and gas platforms, and more recently, renewable energy installations.
Therefore, determining the role these man structures may play in blue carbon is of vital importance, particularly with the predicted extensive decommissioning in the next few years.