- Room 116, Reynolds, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584722
- alex.nimmo.smith@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Alex Nimmo Smith
Associate Professor in Marine Physics
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
- Associate Professor (Reader) in Marine Physics in the School of Marine Science and Engineering
- Member of the Marine Physics Research Group
- Member of the Centre for Coastal and Ocean Science and Engineering (CCOSE)
- Member of the Marine Institute
Alex is an Associate Professor (Reader) in Marine Physics at Plymouth, and is part of the Marine Physics Research Group (MPRG). His research interests are focussed around suspended particle dynamics, both in terms of how particles (plankton, sediment, bubbles, droplets) behave in a natural, turbulent environment, and also in the use of particles as tracers of turbulent flows. He has developed several in situ optical systems to directly image particles for measurement and identification, and visualise 3D turbulence structure.
Qualifications
- Feb 2005: Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Plymouth, UK
- 2010 - present: Associate Professor (Reader) in Marine Physics, University of Plymouth, UK
- 2003 - 2010: Lecturer in Marine Physics, School of Marine Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, UK
- 2000 - 2002: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA."PIV measurements in the bottom-boundary layer of the coastal ocean"
- 1996 - 2000: PhD, School of Ocean and Earth Science, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. "Dispersion of material by windand tide in shallow seas"
- 1993 - 1996: BSc (Hons), Marine Biology and Oceanography, School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, UK
Professional membership
- Member of the Challenger Society for Marine Science
- Member of the American Geophysical Union
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Key publications
2019 'Reverse engineering field-derived vertical distribution profiles to infer larval swimming behaviors' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 116, (24) 11818-11823 , DOI Open access
2019 'Localised anthropogenic wake generates a predictable foraging hotspot for top predators' Communications Biology 2, (1) 0-0 , DOI Open access
Teaching interests
- Physical Oceanography (shelf sea, coastal and estuarine)
- Optical Oceanography (underwater optics and imaging)
Research interests
- Suspended particle dynamics
- Turbulence, mixing and dispersion
- Breaking waves and Langmuir circulaton
- Boundary layers dynamics and coherent structures
- Flow visualisation, optical and acoustic measurement techniques
Research groups
- Centre for Coastal and Ocean Science and Engineering (CCOSE)
- Marine Institute
- Marine Physics Research Group
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
George Graham - "The effect of vegetation on sediment deposition in salt marshes" - NERC
Oct 2004 - Sept 2008 (Drs Russell (DoS), Nimmo Smith, Bass & Manning)
Susan Kay - "Sun-glint correction of marine satellite imagery by radiative transfer model inversion" - GWR
Sept 2008 - Dec 2011 (Dr Hedley (DoS, Univ Exeter), Drs Lavender (ARGANS) & Nimmo Smith)
Jaimie Cross - "Dynamics of suspended particles in seasonally stratified shelf seas" - NERC
Oct 2008 - Feb 2013 (Drs Nimmo Smith (DoS), Hosegood, Torres (PML) & Prof Huntley)
Emlyn Davies - "Scattering signatures of suspended sediments" - NERC (in collaboration with Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory & Sequoia Scientific Inc)
October 2009 - Mar 2013 (Drs Nimmo Smith (DoS), Souza (POL), Agrawal (Sequoia) & Prof Huntley)
Edward Steele - "3D turbulence structure in the ocean" - Univ Plymouth
Oct 2010 - Mar 2014 (Drs Hosegood, Nimmo Smith (DoS) & Vlasenko)
Rebecca Ross - "Investigating the applications of biophysical modelling in deep-sea dispersal studies" - NERC
Oct 2012 - (Drs Howell (DoS), Nimmo Smith & Vlasenko)
Grants & contracts
"FASTNEt: Fluxes Across Sloping Topography of the North East Atlantic" - NERC - £600,000
Plymouth team: Dr Phil Hosegood & Dr Vasiliy Vlasenko
In collaboration with Drs Bowers (PI) and Jago (Bangor University) & Dr McKee (University of Strathclyde)
"Turbulence, Sediment Stratification and Altered Resuspension under Waves (TSSAR Waves)" - NERC - £447,185
In collaboration with Dr Daniel Conley (PI)
"Dynamic response to Energy Extraction and Mixing (DREEM)" -SWRDA/PRIMaRE ~ £184,000
In collaboration with Dr Phil Hosegood (PI)
"Wave Hub Impacts on Seabed & Shoreline Processes (WHISSP)" - SWRDA/PRIMaRE ~ £550,000
"The application of remote sensing to the measurement of marine particle size and their relation to turbulence" - NERC - £307,434
In collaboration with Drs Bowers (PI) & Jago and Prof Simpson, University of Wales, Bangor
To provide high-quality in situ suspended particle size information using a submersible holographic particle imager.
"Form and dynamics of coherent vortical structures in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean" - NERC - £50,841
Provide detailed observations and analysis of coherent vortical structures in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean using an upgraded 3D-PTV system.
"Three-dimensional visualisation of coherent flow structures in the bottom boundary-layer of the coastal ocean" - The Nuffield Foundation - £3,500
Contribution for the field deployment of the 3D-PTV system.
"3-D Flow Visualisation in the Ocean" - The Royal Society - £14,247
Development of a 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) system to study the form and dynamics of coherent vortical structures in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean.
Key publications
2019 'Reverse engineering field-derived vertical distribution profiles to infer larval swimming behaviors' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 116, (24) 11818-11823 , DOI Open access
2019 'Localised anthropogenic wake generates a predictable foraging hotspot for top predators' Communications Biology 2, (1) 0-0 , DOI Open access
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2020 'Comparing Deep-Sea Larval Dispersal Models: A Cautionary Tale for Ecology and Conservation' Frontiers in Marine Science 7, , DOI Open access
2019 'Reverse engineering field-derived vertical distribution profiles to infer larval swimming behaviors' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 116, (24) 11818-11823 , DOI Open access
2019 'Localised anthropogenic wake generates a predictable foraging hotspot for top predators' Communications Biology 2, (1) 0-0 , DOI Open access
2019 'Internal lee waves and baroclinic bores over a tropical seamount shark ‘hot-spot’' Progress in Oceanography , DOI Open access
2018 'Advancing multi-vehicle deployments in oceanographic field experiments' Autonomous Robots , DOI Open access
2018 'Fine-scale hydrodynamic metrics underlying predator occupancy patterns in tidal stream environments' Ecological Indicators , DOI Open access
2018 'Three-dimensional dynamics of baroclinic tides over a seamount' Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans , DOI Open access
2017 'Towards ‘ecological coherence’: Assessing larval dispersal within a network of existing Marine Protected Areas' Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers , DOI Open access
2017 'Tidally induced residual current over the Malin Sea continental slope' CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH 139, 21-34 , DOI Open access
2017 'The area-to-mass ratio and fractal dimension of marine flocs' Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 189, 224-234 , DOI Open access
2016 'Increasing the Depth of Current Understanding: Sensitivity Testing of Deep-Sea Larval Dispersal Models for Ecologists' PLOS ONE 11, (8) , DOI Open access
2016 'Optical closure in marine waters from in situ inherent optical property measurements' Optics Express 24, (13) 14036-14036 , DOI Open access
2016 'Corrigendum: A physics-enabled flow restoration algorithm for sparse PIV and PTV measurements (2015 Meas. Sci. Technol . 26 065301)' Measurement Science and Technology 27, (6) 069502-069502 , DOI Open access
2016 'Direct measurement of hairpin‐like vortices in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean' Geophysical Research Letters 43, (3) 1175-1183 , DOI Open access
2015 'Evaluating Unsupervised Methods to Size and Classify Suspended Particles Using Digital In-Line Holography' Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 32, (6) 1241-1256 , DOI Open access
2015 'The role of advection in the distribution of plankton populations at a moored 1-D coastal observatory' PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY 137, 342-359 , DOI Open access
2015 'A physics-enabled flow restoration algorithm for sparse PIV and PTV measurements' Measurement Science and Technology 26, (6) 065301-065301 , DOI Open access
2014 'The dispersal of phytoplankton populations by enhanced turbulent mixing in a shallow coastal sea' JOURNAL OF MARINE SYSTEMS 136, 55-64 , DOI Open access
2014 'Optically significant particle sizes in seawater' APPLIED OPTICS 53, (6) 1067-1074 , DOI Open access
2014 'Vertical migration maintains phytoplankton position in a tidal channel with residual flow' MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 509, 113-126 , DOI
2013 'On the formation of tide-produced seiches and double high waters in coastal seas' ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE 134, 108-116 , DOI
2013 'Biological controls on resuspension and the relationship between particle size and the Kolmogorov length scale in a shallow coastal sea' Marine Geology 343, 29-38 , DOI
2012 'Interpreting LISST-100X measurements of particles with complex shape using digital in-line holography' JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS 117, , DOI
2012 'Controls on floc growth in an energetic tidal channel' JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS 117, , DOI
2011 'Scattering signatures of suspended particles: an integrated system for combining digital holography and laser diffraction' OPTICS EXPRESS 19, (25) 25488-25499 , DOI
2011 'Light transfer at the ocean surface modeled using high resolution sea surface realizations' OPTICS EXPRESS 19, (7) 6501-6512 , DOI
2011 'The optical efficiency of flocs in shelf seas and estuaries' ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE 91, 341-350 , DOI
2010 'Observations of particle density and scattering in the Tamar Estuary' MARINE GEOLOGY 277, 1-10-10 , DOI
2009 'Light scattering by particles suspended in the sea: The role of particle size and density' CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH 29, (14) 1748-1755 , DOI
2008 'Boils and turbulence in a weakly stratified shallow tidal sea' JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 38, (8) 1711-1730 , DOI
2008 'Observational and numerical modeling methods for quantifying coastal ocean turbulence and mixing' PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY 76, 399-442 , DOI
2007 'The effect of waves on subgrid-scale stresses, dissipation and model coefficients in the coastal ocean bottom boundary layer' JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS 583, 133-160 , DOI
2007 'Distribution of energy spectra, Reynolds stresses, turbulence production, and dissipation in a tidally driven bottom boundary layer' Journal of Physical Oceanography 37, (6) 1527-1550
2007 'Exploring Marsh Surface Canopy Dynamics - A Discussion of Laboratory Methods' JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH 778-783
2005 'On the structure of turbulence in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean' Journal of Physical Oceanography 35 (1), 72-93 , DOI
2002 'PIV measurements in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean' Experiments in Fluids 33, (6) 962-971
1999 'Dispersion of buoyant material by Langmuir circulation and a tidal current' MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 38, (9) 824-829 , DOI
1999 'Surface effects of bottom-generated turbulence in a shallow tidal sea' NATURE 400, (6741) 251-254
'A submersible three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry system for flow visualization in the coastal ocean' LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS 6, {96-104}-{96-104}
'The application of holography to the analysis of size and settling velocity of suspended cohesive sediments' LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS 8, {1-15}-{1-15}
'A bird’s eye view on turbulence: Seabird foraging associations with evolving surface flow features' Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Open access
'The structure of dissipation in the western Irish Sea front' JOURNAL OF MARINE SYSTEMS 77, {428-440}-{428-440} , DOI
Conference Papers
2012 'Use of digital holographic cameras to examine the measurement and understanding of sediment suspension in the nearshore'
2012 'USE OF DIGITAL HOLOGRAPHIC CAMERAS TO EXAMINE THE MEASUREMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF SEDIMENT SUSPENSION IN THE NEARSHORE' Coastal Engineering Research Council 73-73 , DOI
2007 '3D flow visualization in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean' 1202-1208
2005 'Wave phase based conditional sampling of Reynolds stresses in the coastal ocean bottom boundary layer' 367-372
2001 'PIV measurements in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean' 413-422
'3D flow visualization in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean' {1202-1208}-{1202-1208}
Links
For further details of my research interests, please go to:
http://www.marinephysics.org/