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Ocean waves splashing on a rocky coast at Queens Bath. Photo by Sergei Akulich
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TEAM

Marine Biodiversity, Ecology & Ecosystem Services
at University College Dublin

Tasman Crowe profile picture

Prof. Tasman Crowe

Principal Investigator

I completed a BSc in Zoology at the University of Bristol, UK in 1990; followed by a PhD at the University of Sydney with Tony Underwood in 1996. My first postdoc was based at the Northern Territory University in Darwin, investigating stock enhancement of trochid gastropods in Australia, Indonesia and Vanuatu. After returning to the UK in 1998 for a NERC postdoctoral fellowship with Steve Hawkins’ group at the University of Southampton, I later joined the staff at UCD in July 2001. Currently, I am the director of the UCD Earth Institute, Chair of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Programme Board, co-director of the UCD BSc in Sustainability and Chair of the National Biodiversity Forum.

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tasman.crowe@ucd.ie
Paul Brooks profile picture

Dr. Paul Brooks

Post-Doctoral Researcher & Teaching Fellow

My research has been primarily focused on human impacts on coastal systems, covering topics such as the effects of multiple stressors on coastal ecosystems, impacts of coastal urbanisation and the effects of invasive species on marine systems. More recently, my research is aiming to further understand how links between spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity in nature can be used to modify artificial structures using eco-engineering approaches in order to enhance their associated biodiversity.

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paul.brooks@ucd.ie
Jennifer Coughlan profile picture

Jennifer Coughlan

Senior Technical Officer

I graduated from Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin in 1993 where I specialised in Marine Biology and subsequently completed a Masters in Environmental Biology at University College Swansea, Wales. Since 1999, I have been the Senior Technical Officer with the Marine Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Group. During my time with the group, I have been involved in many different international projects across Iceland, Scotland, Norway, France, Spain and Tahiti and in many varied fields such as fisheries, molecular biology and green engineering, both above and below the water. I am a CMAS Moniteur* (SCUBA Instructor) and qualified coxswain and I am also involved in teaching undergraduates both in the field and lab.

Camino Fernandez de la Hoz profile picture

Dr. Camino Fernandez de la Hoz

Post-Doctoral Researcher

I graduated in Environmental Science and developed my PhD in the effects of climate change over macroalgae communities in Europe, in the University of Cantabria (Spain). Currently I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Coastal ecosystems group in the IHCantabria and I also collaborate with the University College Dublin in the framework of the project Land2Sea. I am mainly involved in the meta-analysis of stressors-effect relationship and the review on linking biodiversity loss and ecosystem functioning change with socio-economic and cultural aspects.

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Tomas Buitendijk profile picture

Tomas Buitendijk

Post-Doctoral Researcher

I am a post-doctoral researcher at the UCD Earth Institute, working on the Ireland-Wales Ecostructure project. I graduated from University College Utrecht with a BA (Hons) and from Trinity College Dublin with an M.Phil. My PhD research, at Dublin City University, investigated representations of the marine environment in contemporary fiction and film, with particular attention to the impact of climate change on these depictions. For my work with Ecostructure, I investigate cultural connections to coastal sites and infrastructures, including around North Bull Island in Dublin Bay and in the Wicklow-Arklow rural coastal area.

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tomas.buitendijk@ucd.ie
Veronica Farrugia-Drakard profile picture

Veronica Farrugia-Drakard

PhD Candidate

I graduated from the University of Malta with a BSc. (Hons.) and MSc. in Biology. Currently working on the ecology of seaweed communities on artificial structures. Research interests include all things seaweed, particularly population structure of ecosystem engineers, colonisation processes, and ecology of seaweed epiphytes.

veronica.farrugiadrakard@ucdconnect.ie

Recent Alumni

Bryan Thompson profile picture

Bryan Thompson

PhD Candidate

I am a final year PhD student in the MARBEE research group at University College Dublin. My research interests primarily focus on marine artificial structures and range from GIS based mapping and quantification of artificial structures and coastal hardening, to investigating the link between topographic complexity and biodiversity on artificial and natural shores . I am also testing novel eco-engineered materials for use in marine artificial structures and enhancements.

Becky Giesler profile picture

Dr. Becky Giesler

Post-Doctoral Researcher

I am a post-doctoral researcher in the UCD Earth Institute, studying the ecological and socio-economic impacts of marine invasive species in Ireland. I received my PhD from the Scottish Association of Marine Science and the University of Edinburgh, which focused on marine invasive species management in Scotland. My research interests include environmental policy and legislation, and I have worked as a policy officer, and as a POST fellow at the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology.

becky.giesler@ucd.ie

Professor Tasman Crowe

UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
E: tasman.crowe@ucd.ie