Senior Research Fellow Dr Nova Mieszkowska smiling with coast backdrop

Dr Nova Mieszkowska

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Nova Mieszkowska

Senior Research Fellow

Senior Research Fellow Dr Nova Mieszkowska smiling with coast backdrop

nova@mba.ac.uk

My international research programme focuses on species and ecosystem-level responses to environmental change and multiple stressors in the marine environment, embedding small-scale, process-oriented experimental studies within larger scale macroecological investigations. This approach focuses on individual organisms via experimental physiological ecology and ecological genomics, integrating to the population level with long-term time-series data collection, analysis and modelling to identify mechanisms of species response. I am the principal investigator for the Marine Biodiversity & Climate Change Project (MarClim), which has the most spatio-temporally extensive time-series of rocky intertidal systems globally. MarClim has shown some of the fastest biogeographic range shifts in response to climate change in any natural system. I have also been involved with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) in various capacities for more than a decade. My science-policy knowledge exchange work includes provision of field survey and monitoring data and assessments of ecosystem status, contributions to national and international policy drivers, authorship on national reports including the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership Annual Report Cards, and presenting to UK government and EU bodies. I have developed indicators of Good Environmental Status for implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in intertidal and subtidal habitats around the UK.

Research Group: Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change

Patrick Adkins

Patrick Adkins, MRes

Samples Collections Officer.

Patrick Adkins, MRes

Samples Collections Officer.

Patrick Adkins

patadk@mba.ac.uk

I’m a research assistant on the Darwin Tree of Life project who specialises in marine invertebrate identification and collection. Primarily crustacea, echinodermata and various vermiform phyla. I take part in fieldwork and offshore boat work most of the year as well as the processing and preservation of tissues in preparation for genomic work. I am a graduate of Plymouth University courses in Marine Biology and Oceanography (BSc) and Applied Marine science (MRes). The main focus for my MRes thesis was looking at the epifaunal communities living on macroalgae and how they differ between native species and the non-native Sargassum muticum. Before coming to the Marine Biological Association I worked for a year in a benthic laboratory for a consultancy company. My next major goal is to undertake a PhD, potentially to look at the evolution of introduced species in their new ranges when compared to their native ranges, but as someone who is interested in pretty much everything that may change!

Belle Heaton smiling on the rocky shore

Belle Heaton MRes

Research Technician

Belle Heaton MRes

Research Technician

Belle Heaton smiling on the rocky shore

belhea@mba.ac.uk

I am a research technician working mainly with the Coastal Ecology research groups. I work mainly on Nova Mieszkowska’s team, helping with both fieldwork surveys and the processing and identification of marine organisms. I also work as part of the aquarist team to help maintain the condition of the Research Aquarium and ensure good health of the resident marine organisms.

I have previously been on a placement year (2018-2019) during my undergraduate degree (Marine Biology and Oceanography) within the MBA working within the Outreach Team. I was subsequently employed briefly by the MBA (2019) to help promote the opening of the National Marine Park.

I now have an MRes in Applied Marine Science, which focused on the effects of Magallana gigas (Pacific Oysters) on macrobenthic biodiversity within estuaries of the Southwest, UK. I feel extremely lucky to work at the MBA and I wish to further build upon my coastal ecology and taxonomic knowledge. I am intrigued to see how the Pacific Oyster story unfolds within the UK and in the future would potentially pursue further research into the species.

I love going gym, swimming, snorkelling, climbing and hiking so Plymouth has been kind of perfect for me the past few years. I look forward to the new opportunities and surprises that await me within this new job role.

Rebekkah Uhl standing in lab coat with research equipment

Rebekka Uhl BSc MRes

Research Assistant

Rebekka Uhl BSc MRes

Research Assistant

Rebekkah Uhl standing in lab coat with research equipment

rebuhl@mba.ac.uk

I am a research technician for the Darwin Tree of Life project and am responsible for collecting, identifying and sometimes culturing marine specimen, as well as carrying out DNA barcoding for molecular identification. I completed my BSc in Biology at the University of St Andrews, where I worked on my dissertation with Prof David Paterson, studying benthic diatom locomotion and how their speed and extracellular polymeric substance composition is influenced by external stressors. Subsequently I completed an MRes where I was working on identifying the function of a carbohydrate processing enzyme, HexD. I moved to Plymouth to satiate my interests in marine biology, working for the husbandry team at the National Marine Aquarium before the MBA. I have a big interest in marine life, in particular the smaller easily missed things that are often spectacular. In my free time, I am also a keen climber and sea swimmer!