Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Richard is a Lecturer in the School of Environmental Sciences, specialising in a wide variety of catchment science research. Richard worked for 10 years on the DEFRA funded River Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC) project which aimed to evaluate the extent to which on-farm mitigation measures could cost effectively reduce the impact of agricultural pollution on river ecology whilst maintaining food production capacity. His current research projects focus on landscape recovery, integrated constructed wetlands, beaver reintroduction, and riverine microplastic pollution.
Richard is also Course Director for the Environmental Sciences degree programme.
Areas of Expertise
Richard's research has included work on nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment, pesticides, biobeds, cover crops, reduced tillage regimes, indirect nitrous oxide emissions, invasive signal crayfish, integrated constructed wetlands, sewage treatment works, sediment fingerprinting, microplastics and dendroclimatology.
Research Group or Lab Membership
Water Security Research Centre
Teaching Interests
ENV-4002A Our World
ENV-4004Y Slapton Field Course (module organiser)
ENV-6018B Catchment Management (module organiser)
ENV-7043B Catchment Management (module organiser)
ENV-6021A Independent Project
ENV-7018A Earth Science Research Topics
ENV-7026Y Research Training Project
ENV-7119Y MSc Dissertation
Administrative Posts
Course Director for Environmental Sciences (2023 - )
Deputy Admissions Director for Environmental Sciences (2024 - )
UG Staff Student Liaison Committee (2019 - )
School Library Liaison Officer (2018 - )
Career
2018 - Lecturer in Environmental Sciences, UEA
2015 - 2017 Postdoctoral Researcher, UEA
2011 - 2015 PhD Researcher, UEA + British Geological Survey
2007 - 2011 MSci Environmental Sciences, UEA
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Practice, University of East Anglia
1 Oct 2018 → 30 Aug 2021
Award Date: 31 Jul 2022
Doctor of Science, Advancing methods for apportioning the sources of sediment in rivers: combining spectroscopy and stable isotopes with Bayesian mixng models, University of East Anglia
1 Oct 2011 → 31 Mar 2015
Award Date: 31 Mar 2015
Master of Environmental Science, A tree-ring reconstruction of East Anglian (UK) hydroclimate variability over the last millennium, University of East Anglia
25 Sept 2007 → 31 Aug 2011
Award Date: 29 Jul 2011
External positions
River Wensum Catchment Partnership, Norfolk River Trust
1 Feb 2022 → …
Broadland Catchment Partnership Steering Group, Broads Authority
2015 → …
Keywords
- Science (General)
- Environmental Sciences
- Sediment Fingerprinting
- Catchment Science
- Dendroclimatology
- Soil Science
- Agronomy
- Rivers
- Microplastics
My gallery
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Future Agricultural Resource Management and Water Innovations for a Sustainable Europe
Hiscock, K., Cooper, R., He, H. & Lovett, A.
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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Assessing impacts on water quality in future British rivers due to environmental changes
He, H., Cooper, R. & Hiscock, K.
1/10/23 → 30/09/27
Project: Training
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Combined Sewer Overflows: A Hotspot for Riverine Plastic Pollution?
1/10/22 → 31/03/26
Project: Training
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Alternative FRESH water resources for saline Coastal Areas
European Regional Development Fund
24/01/19 → 31/03/23
Project: Research
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Eurasian beaver (Castor Fiber) reintroduction: A nutrient mitigation solution for lowland chalk streams?
Cooper, R. J., Cabrales, S., Freeman, E., Holroyd, E., Wyatt, J. & Tosney, J., 8 Jan 2025, In: Wetlands. 45, 14 p., 10.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile37 Downloads (Pure) -
Groundwater resources: Challenges & solutions
Cooper, R. J. & Hiscock, K. M., 2025, In: Cambridge Prisms Water. 3, 16 p., e1.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile20 Downloads (Pure) -
Developing managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to augment irrigation water resources in the sand and gravel (Crag) aquifer of coastal Suffolk, UK
Hiscock, K. M., Balashova, N., Cooper, R. J., Bradford, P., Patrick, J. & Hullis, M., Feb 2024, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 351, 119639.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)19 Downloads (Pure) -
Influence of Pleistocene glacial deposits on the transport of agricultural nitrate in the river Wensum catchment, UK
Hiscock, K. M., Cooper, R. J., Lewis, M. A., Gooddy, D. C., Howson, T. J. & Wexler, S. K., Apr 2024, In: Journal of Hydrology. 633, 130982.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Sewage derived microplastic and anthropogenic fibre retention by integrated constructed wetlands
Warren, R. J., Cooper, R. J., Mayes, A. G., Nolte, S., Hiscock, K. M. & Tosney, J., Jun 2024, In: Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 235, 6, 361.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile17 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICW): Water Quality Data for the River Ingol and River Mun ICWs
Cooper, R. (Creator), School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, 2020
Dataset
File -
River Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC): Meteorological Data for the Blackwater Drain (WS1 - Salle Park Estate)
Cooper, R. (Creator), School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, 2020
Dataset
File -
Water quality data from the River Wensum, UK, 2010-2016
Cooper, R. (Creator) & Hiscock, K. (Creator), Environmental Information Data Centre, 26 Mar 2021
DOI: 10.5285/71ddb087-59e6-432a-8d3e-72cbce251ee9
Dataset
File -
River Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC): Borehole Groundwater Data for the Blackwater Drain (Merrisons Lane)
Cooper, R. (Creator), School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, 2020
Dataset
File -
River Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC): Water Quality Data for the Blackwater Drain Outlet (Site F)
Cooper, R. (Creator), University of East Anglia, 23 Nov 2020
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32753.51046
Dataset
File
Prizes
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Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Cooper, Richard (Recipient), 26 Jan 2021
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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Innovation and Impact Awards 2019 Finalist
Cooper, Richard (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Norfolk River Trust (External organisation)
Richard Cooper (Trustee)
2023 → …Activity: Membership › Network, Working Group or Professional Association
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Frontiers in Water (Journal)
Richard Cooper (Editorial board member)
28 Feb 2022 → …Activity: Editorial work › Publication editorial role
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Norfolk River Trust (External organisation)
Richard Cooper (Member)
1 Feb 2022 → …Activity: Membership › Public/government panel or group
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Frontiers in Water (Journal)
Richard Cooper (Editorial board member)
2022 → …Activity: Editorial work › Publication editorial role
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River Wensum Catchment Partnership (External organisation)
Richard Cooper (Member)
2022 → …Activity: Membership › Network, Working Group or Professional Association
Press/Media
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Could beavers really rescue Norfolk’s threatened chalk streams?
20/01/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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WWF Documentary: 'Bringing Rivers Back to Life'
28/04/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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We tested the Wensum for human waste - this is what we found
18/12/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Norfolk study shows new ditches could help improve rivers
27/01/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution