Dr Paul Somerfield

Dr Paul Somerfield is a Principal Investigator in the Marine ecology and biodiversity group at PML. His primary objectives are to undertake scientific research and to disseminate information through peer reviewed papers, reports, training, student supervision and other means. He has authored and co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and 10 books.  His primary research interests are the distribution and functioning of biodiversity.  His work integrates research across levels of biological organization from viruses to chordates to elucidate scales, causes and consequences of variability in space and time.  He is recognised as an international expert on the application of nonparametric multivariate analysis, and travels widely to provide training courses.

His work has been commissioned from a wide range of customers over the years, including Defra and its predecessors (statistical methods, meiofaunal ecology, pollution monitoring methods, effects of anthropogenic stressors such as dredging, disposal, aquaculture and fishing, biodiversity indicators, ecosystem functioning, mangrove and seagrass ecology, capacity-building), CCW (data analysis, general ecology, advice), NERC (statistical methods, community ecology of benthos, plankton and microbes, long-term monitoring, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, macroecology, ecosystem modelling, acidification), the European Commission (effects of demersal fishing, effects of MPAs, long-term large-scale ecology, effects of multiple stressors, development of indicators, plankton ecology, modelling, training), MoD (effects of dredging, wrecked ships and oil), National Rivers Authority and Environment Agency (effects of mine effluent, development of multimetrics for WFD), DTI (Strategic Environmental Assessment), Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (socioeconomics, effects of dredging, recovery and recoverability) and the Marine Management Organisation (Falmouth Harbour ISAP).