Abigail McQuatters-Gollop

Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop
Science-Policy Researcher

Role:

Science-Policy Researcher

abiqua@sahfos.ac.uk

 


Background, qualifications and professional membership:

PhD: Phytoplankton as indicators for eutrophication in Europe's regional seas. University of Plymouth (2004 - 2008)

MA (Hons): Marine Affairs and Policy and GIS. University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) (2000 - 2001)

BA (Hons): Marine Affairs and Policy. University of Miami (1996 - 2000)


Research Interests:

Abigail's primary research interest is on developing policy-related research and science-policy integration activities at SAHFOS, particularly within the UK and Europe.

Current research focuses on the applicability of phytoplankton as indicators for environmental change in European seas and on the synergistic effects of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on marine ecosystems.

She has a special interest in the North-East Atlantic and Black Sea and is particularly experienced in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in exploring spatial change in marine ecosystems.

Abigail is currently working on the ICES Historical Plankton Digitization Project as well as the EU-funded FP7 project Knowledge-based Sustainable Management for Europe's Seas (KnowSeas).

 

Additional responsibilities and interests include:

  • Coordination of the ICES data digitisation project.
  • Membership on policy-relevant bodies including UK Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy Healthy and Biologically Diverse Seas Evidence Group and SCOR 137- Patterns of Phytoplankton Dynamics in Coastal Ecosystems.
  • Contribute to UK and international policy bodies such as MCCIP, Charting Progress, ICES, EEA, and OSPAR.
  • Research and data mangement for various projects including: FP7 KnowSeas, FP7 EPOCA, INTERREG MARINEXUS.
  • Provision of advice and publication of reports communicating CPR science to policy makers, researchers and stakeholders.

Publications:

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS:

McQuatters-Gollop, A., D.E. Raitsos, M. Edwards, Y. Pradhan, L.D. Mee, S.J. Lavender, and M.J. Attrill (2007). A long-term chlorophyll dataset reveals regime shift in North Sea phytoplankton biomass unconnected to increasing nutrient levels. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 635-648.

Langmead, O., A. McQuatters-Gollop and L.D. Mee (Eds.). (2007). European Lifestyles and Marine Ecosystems: Exploring challenges for managing Europe's seas. 43pp. University of Plymouth Marine Institute, Plymouth, UK.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., D.E. Raitsos, M. Edwards, and M.J. Attrill. (2007). Spatial patterns of diatom and dinoflagellate seasonal cycles in the North - East Atlantic Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series 339: 301-306.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., L.D. Mee, D.E. Raitsos, G. Shapiro (2008). Non-linearities, regime shifts and recovery: The recent influence of climate on Black Sea chlorophyll. Journal of Marine Systems 74:649-658.

Artioli, Y., J. Friedrich, A.J. Gilbert, A. McQuatters-Gollop, L.D. Mee, J.E. Vermaat, F. Wulff, C. Humborg, L. Palmeri, F. Pollehne (2008). Nutrient budgets for European seas: a measure of the effectiveness of nutrient reduction policies. Marine Pollution Bulletin 56:1609-1617.

Vermaat, J.E., A. McQuatters-Gollop, M. Eleveld and A. Gilbert (2008). Past, present and future nutrient loads of the North Sea: causes and consequences. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 80:53-59.

Langmead, O., A. McQuatters-Gollop, L.D. Mee, J. Friedrich, A.J. Gilbert, M.-T. Gomoiu, E.L. Jackson, S. Knudsen, G. Minicheva, V. Todorova (2009). Recovery or decline of the Northwestern Black Sea: A societal choice revealed by socio-ecological modelling. Ecological Modelling 220: 2927-2939..

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Gilbert, A.J., Mee, L.D., Vermaat, J.E., Artioli, Y., Humborg, C. and Wulff, F., (2009). How well do ecosystem indicators communicate the effects of anthropogenic eutrophication? Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 82:583-596.

Henson, S. A., D. Raitsos, J. P. Dunne, and A. McQuatters-Gollop (2009), Decadal variability in biogeochemical models: Comparison with a 50-year ocean colour dataset, Geophysical Research Letters, 36:L21601.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., (2009). Regional policies needed to tackle eutrophication in Europe's seas. Science for Environment Policy: DG Environment News Alert Service, 154: 1.

Langmead, O., McQuatters-Gollop, A., Mee, L.D., (2010). The socioeconomics behind ecosystem collapse: the case of the Black Sea. Science for Environment Policy: DG Environment News Alert Service, Special Issue 22: 1.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Burkill, P., Beaugrand, G., Edwards, M., Gattuso, J.-P. and Johns, D.G., (2010). Atlas of Calcifying Plankton: Results from the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey. SAHFOS, Plymouth, UK, 20 pp.

Tirado, M.C., Clarke, R., Jaykus, L.A., McQuatters-Gollop, A. and Frank, J.M., (2010). Climate change and food safety: A review. Food Research International, 43: 1745-1765.

McQuatters-Gollop, A. and Vermaat, J.E., (in press). Covariance among North Sea ecosystem state indicators during the past 50 years - contrasts between coastal and open waters. Journal of Sea Research.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Reid, P.C., Edwards, M., Burkill, P., Castellani, C., Batten, S., Gieskes, W., Beare, D., Bidigare, R., Head, E., Johnson, R., Kahru, M., Koslow, J. and Pena, M., (in press). Marine phytoplankton: decline - or not? Nature.

POLICY REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS:

McQuatters-Gollop A., and L.D. Mee. (2007). Eutrophication in the Black Sea, p 20. World Resources Institute.

Reid, P.C., A. McQuatters-Gollop, D. Johns and M. Edwards (2007). Macroscale patterns in phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Blooms in UK waters based on Continuous Plankton Recorder data. UK Environment Agency contract report.

McQuatters-Gollop, A. (2008). Harmful Algal Blooms and fishery product safety. FAO. 10 pp.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Johns, D.G., Halliday, N. and Edwards, M., 2008. Fish Larvae Project: Progress Report Contract MF1101. SAHFOS/Defra,Cefas, Plymouth, 28 pp.

Edwards, M., Reid, P.C., McQuatters-Gollop, A., Helaouet, P., Kirby, R. and Frederiksen, M., 2008. Indicator review for pelagic ecosystems (phytoplankton and zooplankton): Report to the Healthy and Biologically Diverse Sea Evidence Group (HBDSEG). Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth, UK, 22 pp.

Edwards, M., Beaugrand, G., John, A.W.G., Johns, D.G., Licandro, P., McQuatters-Gollop, A. and Reid, P.C., 2009. Ecological Status Report: results from the CPR survey 2007/2008. SAHFOS Technical Report, 6: 1-12.

Reid, PC, Cook, EJ, Edwards, M, McQuatters-Gollop, A, Minchin, D and McCollin, T (2009) Marine non-native species in Marine Climate Change Ecosystem Linkages Report Card 2009. (Eds. Baxter JM, Buckley PJ and Frost MT), Online science reviews, www.mccip.org.uk/elr/non-natives, 28pp.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Dowland, P. and Edwards, M., 2009. Digitization, analysis and interpretation of plankton data for pre-1914 ICES sampling in the North Sea and adjacent waters: update report March 2009. SAHFOS, Plymouth, 11 pp.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Dowland, P. and Edwards, M., 2009. Digitization, analysis and interpretation of plankton data for pre-1914 ICES sampling in the North Sea and adjacent waters: update report October 2009. SAHFOS, Plymouth, 13 pp.

Edwards, M., Beaugrand, G., Johns, D.G., Licandro, P., McQuatters-Gollop, A. and Wootton, M., 2010. Ecological Status Report: results from the CPR survey 2009. SAHFOS Technical Report, 7: 1-8.

Reid, P.C., Edwards, M., McQuatters-Gollop, A., Beaugrand, G., Bresnan, E., Brierley, A., Davidson, K., Delany, J., Eloire, D., Forster, R., Fox, C., Frederiksen, M., Gowen, R., Halliday, N., Hardman-Mountford, N., Hátún, H., Hay, S., Hartman, S., Helaouët, P., Johns, D., Kirby, R., Lampitt, R., Larkin, K., Licandro, P., Lindley, A., Lucas, C., McCollin, T., Miller, P., Milligan, S., Mills, D., Pitois, S., Prior, A., Rees, A., Smyth, T., Smythe-Wright, D., Stevens, D. and Widdicombe, C., (2010). Biological indicators of state: the plankton, Charting Progress 2: An Integrated Assessment of the State of UK Seas. Defra, London, UK, 69 pp.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Edwards, M., Reid, P.C. and Johns, D., (2010). A marine assessment and monitoring framework for application in UKMMAS and OSPAR, for phytoplankton and zooplankton. Report to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee from the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science. SAHFOS, Plymouth, 44 p.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Johns, D.G., Dowland, P., Edwards, M. , 2010. Digitization, analysis and interpretation of plankton data for pre-1914 ICES sampling in the North Sea and adjacent waters: update report March 2010. SAHFOS, Plymouth, 20 pp.

McQuatters-Gollop, A., Johns, D.G., Dowland, P., Edwards, M. , (2010). Digitization, analysis and interpretation of plankton data for pre-1914 ICES sampling in the North Sea and adjacent waters: update report September 2010. SAHFOS, Plymouth, 20 pp.

Edwards, M., Heath, M. and McQuatters-Gollop, A., (2010). Plankton, MCCIP Annual Report Card 2010-11. MCCIP Science Review, pp. 10.

Johns, D.G. and McQuatters-Gollop, A., (2010). Natural Heritage Trends - Plankton in the seas around Scotland - update. Scottish Natural Heritage, 4 pp.

 


Roles on external bodies / national / international responsibilities:

SCOR 137 Working Group on Global Coastal Phytoplankton Time-series - Full member

HBDSEG - Healthy and Biologically Diverse Seas Evidence Group

Defra Marine Ecosystem Health Working Group

SAHFOS PI - FP7 KnowSeas (Knowledge based sustainable management of Europe's Seas)

SAHFOS PI - INTERREG MARINEXUS


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