Tara Williams

I am a 2nd year PhD Researcher, working on the Convex Seascape Survey (Homepage - Convex Seascape Survey), a 5-year (2022 - 2027), multi-disciplinary, collaborative and global-reaching project seeking to understand the 'blue' carbon stored in the world's continental shelf seabed habitats. My research falls under the 'Marine Life' investigation of the project; what is the role of life and biodiversity in altering seascape carbon stores, and what is the impact of protecting these areas from activities such as trawling and dredging? 

In the field, my research relies on the use of sediment coring equipment, grab samplers for extracting infaunal seabed communities, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS), on scuba or from boats, to build an image of seabed communities around the world and across gradients of disturbance from bottom trawling and dredging. These data are then analysed in the laboratory, after processing via a range of methods including grain size analysis; carbon, lead and caesium dating; image and video analysis; isotopic analysis; eDNA; and the measuring of organic and inorganic carbon.  

Prior to this, I completed a BSc in Marine Biology with Study Abroad (University of Western Australia) and an MSc in Marine Environmental Management at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus.