About

We are an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in tackling real-world challenges in coastal communities. We aim to improve understanding and capacity to adapt to these challenges by bringing together those researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders who are affected, interested and/or involved in coastal communities. Through creating a forum for discussion, sharing methods and best practice, and doing research together, we can improve understanding and management of the challenges that coastal communities face, ranging from the health impacts of air pollution to social effects of climate change-driven coastal change.  

On an annual basis, the Coastal Communities SIG will host three formal meetings to:

  • Bring together researchers from across all faculties and institutes at the University of Southampton to discuss coastal communities research and identify opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. This will support the sustainability of existing working relationships, create space to build new partnerships, and facilitate interdisciplinary coastal communities bid development.
  • Invite University of Southampton researchers and external stakeholders to participate in a methods/best practice workshop, focusing on a cross-cutting approach. This will provide opportunity for researchers and other stakeholders to meet and upskill in methods/best practice they may not have encountered within their own discipline or working practice.
  • Hold a lunchtime forum with academic, policy and practitioners invited both as guest speakers and participants to learn from and network with each other. This will enable researchers and other stakeholders to share leading-edge research and practice and facilitate new collaborative partners for future research.

The Coastal Communities SIG invites those from within and outside of the University of Southampton to join the group. We welcome new ideas for events, trainings, speakers.

To find out more about the Coastal Communities Special Interest Group and what we do, get in touch with group champions Sien Van Der Plank, Imali Manikarachchige, Freya Ivy Palmer, and Avanthika Kamath.

Join the SMMI Community to sign up to this group and our other special interest groups.

A school of blue and yellow fish swims above a seagrass meadow underwater.

Protecting marine biodiversity

Mapping seagrass in the Western Indian Ocean to boost conservation efforts

People, projects and publications

People

Mr Ian Coady

Deputy Director, Enterprise & Engagement
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Professor Ian Williams

Professor in Applied Environmental Scien

Research interests

  • Waste and Resource Management
  • Carbon management
  • Air Pollution

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Ms Imali Manikarachchige

Research interests

  • Oceans as Socio-ecological SystemsSystems thinking as a tool for resolving sustainability iss…
  •  
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Miss Irene Ruiz Espejo

Research interests

  • AI for Biodiversity
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Dr Isha Gupta

Lecturer

Research interests

  • Advanced materials for extreme aerospace environments
  • High-temperature oxidation of refractory metals and alloys
  • Thermal and environmental barrier coatings

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor Ivan Haigh

Professor

Research interests

  • I currently have 8 active research grants (4 as principle investigator (PI)) worth £4.8M. 
  • I am the PI on two international grants that started in 2019, both looking at compound floodi…
  • In 2021, I was awarded a 3-year (50% of my time) prestigious Knowledge Exchange Fellowship fu…

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor J. Andy Milton

Professor of Analytical Geochemistry
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Ms Jacqueline Nightingale LLB, BSc

Research interests

  • Ocean governance
  • Climate science
  • Social justice
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Professor Jadu Dash

Professor of Remote Sensing

Research interests

  • Satellite derived land surface phenology and its validation with ground data
  • Developing a chlorophyll content based production efficiency model to quantify terrestrial ca…
  • Impact of extreme climatic events on vegetation phenology
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Related research institutes, centres and groups

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Enquiries

If you're interested in joining us or collaborating, get in touch with the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute.