2021: Challenger Society for Marine Science Fellow

2018–present: Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer in Physical Oceanography, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

2012–2018: Lecturer in Shelf Sea Oceanography, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

2009–2011: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‛i at Mānoa

2009: PhD in Physical Oceanography, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory and University of Liverpool

2005: MOcean (first class) in Oceanography, University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre

My research covers shelf sea and deep ocean fluid dynamics, diagnosed from both observations and numerical model simulations. I have a specific interest in flow-topographic interactions (including internal wave generation, breaking, and the resulting turbulent mixing), particularly at the continental shelf break and in areas of complex bathymetry such as submarine canyons and seamounts. My interest in these hydrodynamic processes is motivated by their interdisciplinary impacts, including biogeochemical fluxes, sediment resuspension, and ecosystem response. In addition to conventional ship-borne instrumentation and oceanographic moorings, I use a variety of cutting-edge autonomous platforms and sensor systems, including microstructure and Lab-On-Chip sensor equipped gliders. As a leading member of the UEA Glider Group, I have led numerous Seaglider missions worldwide as well as multi-platform observational campaigns in challenging environments.

Current Research Grants

• A MISSING LINK between continental shelves and the deep sea: addressing the overlooked role of land-detached submarine canyons (MISSING LINK; NERC; PI)
• Enabling Sustainable Wind Energy Expansion in Seasonal Stratified Seas (eSWEETS3; NERC; PI)
• Processes drIving Submarine Canyon fluxES (PISCES; NERC; PI)
• Thwaites-Amundsen Regional Survey and Network Integrating Atmosphere-Ice-Ocean Processes affecting the Sub-Ice-Shelf Environment (TARSAN; NSF-NERC; Co-I)
• Processes Influencing Carbon Cycling: Observations of the Lower limb of the Antarctic Overturning (PICCOLO; NERC; Co-I)

Fieldwork Highlights

• Vertical Reefs of the Galápagos (FKt230918): RV Falkor (too), September–October 2023
• CLASS/iATLANTIC (JC237): RSS James Cook, August–September 2022
• TARSAN/ARTEMIS/THOR (NBP22-02): RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, January–March 2022, Co-Chief Scientist
• MeRMEED (WS1705): RV F. G. Walton Smith, October–November 2017
• Bay of Bengal Boundary Layer Experiment (BoBBLE): RV Sindhu Sadhana, June–July 2016
• Experiment on Internal Tide Scattering (ExITS): RV Thomas G. Thompson, November–December 2010; RV Kilo Moana, January 2011; April–May 2011
• The Internal Tide and Mixing in Monterey and Ascension Canyons: RV Wecoma, April 2009

Recent Publications

Wåhlin, A., K. E. Alley, C. Begeman, Ø. Hegrenæs, X. Yuan, A. G. C. Graham, K. Hogan, P. E. D. Davis, T. S. Dotto, C. Eayrs, R. A. Hall, D. M. Holland, T. W. Kim, R. D. Larter, L. Ling, A. Muto, E. C. Pettit, B. E. Schmidt, T. Snow, F. Stedt, P. M. Washam, S. Wahlgren, C. Wild, J. Wellner, Y. Zheng, and K. J. Heywood, 2024: Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf. Science Advances, 10, eadn9188, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn9188.

Azaneu, M. V. C., A. J. Matthews, K. J. Heywood, R. A. Hall, and D. B. Baranowski, 2024: Impact of a fresh-core mesoscale eddy in modulating oceanic response to a Madden-Julian Oscillation. Deep-Sea Research Part II, 216, 105396, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2024.105396.

Mustafa, J. M., A. J. Matthews, R. A. Hall, K. J. Heywood, and M. V. C. Azaneu, 2024: Characterisation of the observed diurnal cycle of precipitation over the Maritime Continent. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 150, 2602–2624, doi:10.1002/qj.4725.

Joshi, M., R. A. Hall, D. P. Stevens, and E. Hawkins, 2023: The modelled climatic response to the 18.6-year lunar nodal cycle and its role in decadal temperature trends. Earth System Dynamics, 14, 443–455, doi:10.5194/esd-14-443-2023.

Pearman, T. R. R., K. Robert, A. Callaway, R. A. Hall, F. Mienis, and V. A. I. Huvenne, 2023: Spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity induced by internal tides influences faunal patterns on vertical walls within a submarine canyon. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1091855, doi:10.3389/fmars.2023.1091855.

Sheehan, P. M. F., G. M. Damerell, P. J. Leadbitter, K. J. Heywood, and R. A. Hall, 2023: Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and associated fluxes in the western tropical Atlantic estimated from ocean glider observations. Ocean Science, 19, 77–92, doi:10.5194/os-19-77-2023.

Current Postdoctoral Research Associates

• Peter Sheehan - PISCES
• Maren Richter - TARSAN/PICCOLO

Current PhD Students

• Shiqiang Hu – Internal tide focusing in submarine canyons 
• Viktoria Nikolaus – Physical drivers of carbon cycling in the Weddell Sea
• Morgan Wolfe – Turbidity currents in land-detached submarine canyons
• Brendon Yuri Damini – Antarctic Circumpolar Current frontal system dynamics
• Eilean MacDonald – Internal waves and turbidity currents in submarine canyons

Previous Postdoctoral Research Associates

• Connor Robbins – TerraMaris
• Yixi Zheng – ARTEMIS/PICCOLO
• Marina Azaneu – TerraMaris
• Tiago Dotto – TARSAN

Previous PhD Students

• Jack Mustafa – The diurnal cycle of of precipitation over the Maritime Continent
• Philip Leadbitter – Investigating turbulent mixing processes using high-resolution temperature sensors on autonomous ocean gliders
• Callum Rollo – Shelf, shear and staircases: Glider observations in the North Atlantic
• David Price – Multi-scale investigations of cold-water coral habitat using novel technology and advanced image analysis
• Tabitha Pearman – Cold-water coral habitat mapping in submarine canyons
• Ryan Gilchrist – Dynamics and impacts of oil spills from seabed releases in the Faroe-Shetland Channel
• Peter Sheehan – Forcing and variability of northwestern inflows into the northern North Sea
• Tahmeena Aslam – Internal tides in Whittard Canyon

• The Ocean System (Module Organiser; ENV-5047A)
• Earth Systems (ENV-4010B)
• Marine Sciences Fieldcourse (ENV-5020K/7030K)

• Marine Sciences Course Director
• Natural Sciences Director of Admissions (2017–2021)
• Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas (CCSUS) Deputy Director
• NERC Next Generation Unmanned Systems Science (NEXUSS) Centre for Doctoral Training Steering Committee (2017–2019)

• Ocean Science Editor
• International Network for submarine Canyon Investigation and Scientific Exchange (INCISE) Steering Committee
• NOC Association (NOCA) Upscaling of Autonomy Working Group
• Challenger Society for Marine Science Council (2017–2020)
• Challenger Society Coastal and Shelf Seas (CaSS) Special Interest Group Lead (2018–2023)
• Challenger Society UEA Institutional Representative