Harvey Cairns

Harvey Cairns

    Overview

    Profile summary

    I am a PhD student withing the Coastal Processes Research Group. My current research involves taking a numerical modelling approach to investigating the physical oceanographic processes that underpin conservation efforts in the Indian Ocean. At present, I am focusing on Hanifaru Bay - an MPA within the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. This is an area of interest due to it being the location for large aggregations of manta, with numbers reaching 200+ at a single time.

    My previous research focused on nutrient sources and drivers of primary production in Chagos - using remote sensing products, model output and in-situ data to assess the physical drivers of elevated productivity, with a view to understanding how the region may respond to climate change in the future.

    Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    • SDG 14 - Life Below Water

    Academic qualifications

    ResM Marine Sciences - Thesis titled ' Nutrient Input in the Chagos Archipelago - the Controlling Mechanisms of Chlorophyll-a Distribution' under the supervision of Dr. Phil Hosegood, using a combination of in-situ and remote sensing data to assess the sources and controlling mechanisms of nutrient input in the Chagos Archipelago., University of Plymouth

    2021 → 2023

    Award Date: 14 Apr 2023

    BSc Ocean Science and Marine Conservation, University of Plymouth

    2018 → 2021