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Professor James Fishwick

Professor James Fishwick

Head of Smart Sound Plymouth and Head of Operations and Technology, Western Channel Observatory

jrfi3/19/2024 7:08:16 AM@pml.ac.uk    |     +44 (0)1752 633100 (switchboard)

Professor James Fishwick is a highly regarded UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Senior Technologist/Scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) where he is Head of Technology and Operations for the Western Channel Observatory (WCO).

The WCO is a globally unique long-term monitoring programme and biodiversity reference site where James works with both academic and commercial organisations to deliver high quality scientific measurements; also developing and proving new innovative technologies across the marine sector. He has been instrumental in the technical development of the autonomous monitoring platforms and sensors and is currently leading on the delivery of an autonomous water column profiling buoy, a first for UK marine waters. These offshore monitoring platforms are complimented with a recently developed onshore ‘Smart Sound Laboratory’ at PML, designed for testing and development of pioneering scientific sensors and platforms.

In addition, to his role at PML, James heads up Smart Sound Plymouth, an academic and commercial consortium facilitating a 350 square mile, fully instrumented proving ground for innovative marine technologies; within the Marine Business Technology Centre, Plymouth of which PML is a delivery partner. He chairs the Future Autonomous at Sea Technologies (FAST – Southwest) cluster, a group of industry leading companies and organisations working towards the delivery of autonomous at sea solutions. James also sits on the national Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group (MASRWG), which focuses on developing the code of practice for autonomous operations at sea.

James is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and has gained chartered status as both a Marine Technologist and Scientist. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers, NASA technical reports, conference proceedings and magazine articles. He also attends conferences and workshops internationally, giving oral presentations of his work, including conferences such as Oceanology International.

James started his career at PML as a Bio-Optical Oceanographer and participated in several field campaigns contributing to the calibration and validation of both NASA and ESA satellites. Whilst at PML he successfully completed a PhD at the University of Plymouth; investigating the biological and photo-physiological interactions between phytoplankton functional types. Prior to joining PML in August 2000 he studied Marine Biology and Oceanography at the University of Wales, Bangor.

When James isn’t busy he enjoys spending time with his family cycling, walking and visiting numerous places of interest including National Trust properties. When at home he can often be found in his workshop where he is building a replica AC Cobra car.

  • Kitidis, V., Hardman-Mountford, N.J., Litt, E., Brown, I., Cummings, D., Hartman, S., Hydes, D., Fishwick, J.R., Harris, C., Martinez-Vicente, V., Woodward, E.M.S.,  Smyth, T.J., (2012). Seasonal dynamics of the carbonate system in the Western English Channel.  Continental Shelf Research, 42, 30-40.
  • Fishwick, J.R., Mason, P. and Gallienne, C., (2011).  Long-Term Autonomous Data Buoys for Monitoring the English Channel.  Recently Overhauled Buoy Systems Measure Parameters Missed by Boat Surveys, Enhance Collection of Biogeochemical Data.  Sea Technology, 52(10), 17-22.
  • Smyth, T.J., Fishwick, J.R., Al-Moosawi, L., Cummings, D.G., Harris, C., Kitidis, V., Rees, A., Martinez-Vicente, V., Woodward, E.M.S., (2010).  A broad spatio-temporal view of the Western English Channel observatory.  Journal of Plankton Research, 32(5), 585-601.
  • Fishwick,J.R., Smyth, T.J., Gallienne, C., (2010) Data Buoyed.  International Ocean Systems March/April 2010.
  • Martinez-Vicente, V., Land, P.E., Tilstone, G.H., Widdicombe, C., and Fishwick, J.R., (2010).  Particulate scattering and backscattering related to water constituents and seasonal changes in the Western English Channel.  Journal of Plankton Research, 32(5), 603-619.
  • Smyth, T.J., Fishwick, J.R., Gallienne, C., Stephens, J.A., and Bale, J.A., (2010).  Technology, Design, and Operation of an Autonomous Buoy System in the Western English Channel.  Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 27, 2056-2064.
  • Archer, S.D., Cummings, D.G., Llewellyn, C.A., Fishwick, J.R., (2009) Phytoplankton taxa, irradiance and nutrient availability determine the seasonal cycle of DMSP in temperate shelf seas.  Marine Ecology Progress Series, 394, 111-124
  • Groom, S., Martinez-Vicente, V., Fishwick, J.R., Tilstone, G., Moore, G., Smyth, T.J. & Harbour, D., (2009).  The western English Channel observatory: Optical characteristics of station L4.  Journal of Marine Systems. 15, 20-50
  • Robinson, C., Tilstone, G.H., Rees, A.P., Smyth, T.J., Fishwick, J.R., Tarran, G.A., Luz, B., Barkan, E. and  Efrat, D., 2009.  Comparison of in vitro and in situ plankton production determinations.  Aquatic Microbial Ecology.  54 (1), 13-34
  • Fishwick, J.R.,Smyth, T.J., Gallienne, C., (2010).  Autonomous scientific data buoys enhance a century of scientific monitoring in the Western English Channel Observatory (WCO).  Oceanology conference proceedings. March 2010
  • Fishwick, J.R., Aiken, J., Barlow, R., Sessions, H., Bernard, S. and Ras, J. (2006). Functional relationships and bio-optical traits derived from phytoplankton pigments, optical and photosynthetic parameters; a case study of the Benguela ecosystem. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom86,1267-1280.

Recent publications

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