The Global Marine Environment, Paul Rodhouse

Thursday 11 February 2016  Morning meeting at the RHYC, Woolverstone

The Global Marine Environment, Paul Rodhouse

Coffee 1100, talk 1130, bar open 1230, lunch available 1300

We are very fortunate to have a distinguished and knowledgeable speaker for this meeting.

Paul writes:

“I am a biological oceanographer with a long record of research in the biology, ecology and sustainable management of living marine resources in the Antarctic, South Atlantic, Peru Current, USA, Ireland and the UK.  My most recent research has been concerned with the spatial dynamics of fishing fleets using US Defense Meteorological Satellite Programme imagery, and the interactions between commercial fisheries and higher predators. I have published about 130 papers in the primary scientific literature and I have also written and edited several books and special issues of scientific journals. During the last ten years of my career I was a Board Member and Head of the Biological Sciences Division at the British Antarctic Survey and Principal Scientist for the South Georgia Government’s Fisheries Research Laboratory at King Edward Point. I was also a member of the Natural Environment Research Council’s Science Innovation and Strategy Board. I am an honorary Professor in the Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen.  I retired from the British Antarctic Survey in 2013 and am now an emeritus fellow. I  misspent my youth crewing on racing yachts in the Solent, my middle years racing mostly dinghies and Flying Fifteens (with more enjoyment than success) and am now owner-skipper of Sadler 32 Pinstripe of Ore and a member of RHYC.  Several years ago I co-authored with Maldwin Drummond The Yachtsman’s Naturalist published by Angus and Robertson.

Global environmental issues in the world’s oceans

Global climate change, driven by human activities, fisheries and pollution are changing our seas beyond recognition. To date, fisheries have wrought the greatest change but in the future the three drivers acting together have the potential to bring destruction of the seas as we know them. My talk will be about the scientific evidence for the changes and how they are caused.  There won’t be any equations and yachtsmen and women who understand tidal curves will readily appreciate the graphical and other information presented.”