"My scientific interests surround the importance of the surface ocean and overlying atmosphere within the global climate system. I enjoy working on a variety of theoretical and experimental (lab and field) problems. More generally, I love knowing about how and why “things’ operate, including equipment, natural systems, and people! "
Prof. Bell’s research addresses a broad range of the chemical, physical and biological processes that influence climate-relevant gases and their exchange between air and sea. He has recently expanded his focus to address human activities in/on the ocean surface. Specifically, he is interested in the potential role the ocean could play in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the influence of ship emissions on the marine environment.
After a BSc in Environmental Science, Prof. Bell gained his PhD from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2006. He then undertook research at UEA, after which he spent some years in the USA at the University of California, Irvine. Throughout this period, he worked closely with Gill Malin, Peter Liss, Tim Jickells and Eric Saltzman. He came to work at PML in 2013, where he co-led the establishment of Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory at the mouth of Plymouth Sound. He is the PML air-sea exchange (ASE) team lead and has played an instrumental role in a number of international initiatives linked to the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS).
Prof. Bell has worked on projects funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the European Union, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. He has collaborated with scientists in multiple countries, and published >50 research papers focussed on: