- 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)
Biography
Biography
- 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
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
Join me at Research Festival 2022
Key publications
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
- Physical Oceanography (shelf sea, coastal and estuarine)
- Optical Oceanography (underwater optics and imaging)
- Data Analysis methods
Research
Research
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)
Grants & contracts
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.
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsPersonal
Personal
Links
For further details of my research interests, please go to:
http://www.marinephysics.org/