"Being a scientific researcher is not about knowing all the answers, it’s about knowing how to try to find the answer. This is what motivates me, the fact we don’t know everything yet; that what we are researching could help improve our interaction with the oceans, could lead us to sustainable solutions, or new innovations. "
Professor Helen Findlay first came to Plymouth Marine Laboratory in 2006 to do her PhD on ocean acidification and climate change impact on marine populations. She completed her PhD in 2009 and began a 2 year position at PML as the Lord Kingsland Fellow. She then continued on at PML after the fellowship and became senior scientist in 2013.
Helen is interested in understanding the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, and the application of this knowledge to maintain a healthy, sustainable ocean. She uses a combination of experimental, observational, and modelling tools to investigate the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on marine organisms and ecosystem functioning, with a particular focus on the Arctic.
She is a member of the Executive Council for the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) and lead coordinator for the North East Atlantic Ocean Acidification (NEA-OA) regional hub of GOA-ON, which aim to establish accurate global monitoring of acidification, share knowledge and build capacity, to underpin solutions. Helen also contributes to raising public awareness of ocean health and to training the next generation of scientists through school educational programmes, such as Encounter Edu’s “Arctic Live’; and to policy solutions through engagement with, for example, UNFCCC, the UK’s Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Arctic Council AMAP Working Group and the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification.