Professor Matthew Palmer
Head of Group - Environmental Intelligence
mpa@pml.ac.uk |"I thrive on developing new ways to explore and understand the ocean, from advancing autonomous technologies to shaping integrated observing systems that better connect science with society. My goal is to ensure that PML’s creativity and rigour delivers lasting impact for ocean sustainability and the people who depend on it. "
Matthew is head of the Environmental Intelligence group at PML, providing strategic leadership towards transformative solutions that better understand, predict and communicate marine environmental change. As an oceanographer, his research focused initially on coastal and shelf-sea dynamics, developing world leading expertise and establishing new methods to understand the impacts of turbulence and mixing on biogeochemical pathways.
Over 20 years, Matthew has strived to improve partnerships between research, governments, industry, defence and international bodies to improve the sustainability, impact and influence of UK marine science and technology. He previously chaired the UK Integrated Marine Observing Network, regularly supports government evidence and advisory groups, and provides review and advice to various international partner programmes and funding bodies.
Before joining PML in 2022, Matthew was the Chief Scientist of the UK National Marine Facility MARS , providing strategic and thought leadership to ensure the marine research transition to autonomy was trustworthy, equitable and fit-for-purpose. He has led and contributed to numerous flagship UK & EU programmes, including as PI of the UK National Capability Liverpool Bay Coastal Observatory, strategic initiatives including SSB, AlterEco, ECOwind and ECOFlow, and co-authored widely cited studies on shelf-sea mixing, best-practice and ocean health.
Key Projects
- 2022-2025 co-PI Physics-to-Ecosystem Level Assessment of Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms (PELAgIO) NERC-TCE
- 2020-24 co-PI, GROOMII Gliders for Research, Ocean Observations and Management: Infrastructure and Innovation. EU H2020
- 2019-22 co-PI, BLUE Bayesian Localisation in the Underwater Environment. UDRC
- 2019-22 co-I HECLA. DSTL Progeny Task 39
- 2018-21 co-I, CAMPUS. NERC-DEFRA-WWF
- 2018-21 co-PI, EU Marine Robots. EU H2020
- 2017-20 Lead PI, AlterEco. NERC-DEFRA-WWF
- 2017-21 Workpackage leader. SOLSTICE-WIO GCRF
- 2015-19 co-I & Task Leader (4.2), AtlantOS. EU H2020
Selected Publications
- MCCIP Science Review. Impacts of climate change on dissolved oxygen concentration relevant to the coastal and marine environment around the UK. (2020) Mahaffey, C.; Palmer, M.; Greenwood, N.; Sharples, J. (2020), https://doi.org/10.14465/2020.arc02.oxy
- OceanGliders: a component of the integrated GOOS (2019) P Testor et al. Frontiers in Marine Science 6, 422
- Fish behaviour in response to tidal variability and internal waves over a shelf sea bank (2013). CB Embling, J Sharples, E Armstrong, MR Palmer, BE Scott. Progress in Oceanography 117, 106-117
- The physical oceanography of Jones Bank: A mixing hotspot in the Celtic Sea (2013) MR Palmer, ME Inall, J Sharples. Progress in oceanography 117, 9-24
- In situ mussel feeding behavior in relation to multiple environmental factors: regulation through food concentration and tidal conditions (2007) C Saurel, JC Gascoigne, MR Palmer, MJ Kaiser. Limnology and Oceanography 52 (5), 1919-1929
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