Beyond biofuel Team
- Dr. Nessa O’ConnorPrincipal Investigator Nessa is leading this project and secured funding as part of the SFI President of Ireland Future Research Leaders Award.
- Dr. Abby GilsonPost-Doctoral Researcher Abby will be investigating cultivated kelp-grazer interactions under ocean warming and acidification and the potential for seaweed cultivation to mitigate predicted climate change effects.
- Dr. Matthias SchmidPost-Doctoral Researcher Matthias is investigating the role of seaweed farming for climate change mitigation and will model the potential for the future expansion of seaweed cultivation around Ireland and the North Atlantic under predicted global change scenarios.
- Francis SpellmanPhD Candidate Frank is applying ecological theory to develop improved methods for seaweed cultivation from hatchery cultures, out-growing of seaweed on long lines, harvesting and processing of biomass.
- Tallulah DaveyResearch Assistant Tallulah is investigating whether cultivated seaweed can protect calcifiers from predicted warming and ocean acidification, and how climate change effects may alter other key ecological interactions.
- Simon BensonPhD Candidate Simon’s current research centres on kelp genetic resources in context of biodiversity as well as for more commercial purposes, such as potential biomedical applications.
- Grace AspellResearch Assistant Grace is interested in investigating the effects of climate change stressors on marine communities and developing mitigating measures to combat this.
- Vivienne GaoResearch Assistant Vivienne is interested in methods of sustainable kelp aquaculture and the potential of kelp cultivation to mitigate effects of ocean acidification and warming on calcifying organisms.