- A401 PSQ, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584629
- jhall-spencer@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Professor Jason Hall-Spencer
Professor of Marine Biology
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
- Climate change
- Diving
- Fishing
- Ocean acidification
- Marine biology
- Government policy
- Oceans
- Carbon dioxide
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
Professor of Marine Biology
School of Biological and Marine Sciences
Professor, University of Tsukuba, Japan. (教授 )
Chair of the British Phycological Society Awards and Training Committee
Editor, Regional Studies in Marine Science
Review Editor, Frontiers in Marine Biology
Qualifications
PhD University of London, based at Millport Marine Biological Station
BSc Marine Biology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
Health & Safety Executive Part IV Professional Air Diver
Awards
Honorary Lecturer, University of Glasgow.
British Association Charles Lyell Award.
University of Plymouth World Class Researcher Award.
University of Washington Paul Illg Distinguished Lectureship.
Previous positions
2003–2008 Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Plymouth.
2000–2002 Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Glasgow.
1996–1999 PDRA at University of London and University of Glasgow.
1992–1997 Firefighter with Strathclyde Firebrigade.
1992 Marine Nature Conservation Review Team, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK.
1991 Benthic Ecologist. Institute of Offshore Engineering, Edinburgh, UK.
Professional membership
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Marine Biological Association, UK
Roles on external bodies
UK Delegate to the United Nations World Ocean Assessment, (2018–present).
Immediate Past President, British Phycological Society (2022-2023).
School Academic Liason Coordinator between Plymouth University and Newquay's Cornwall College (2014–present).
Ocean Acidification international Reference User Group (2013–present).
Highlights
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I lead four second year undergraduate modules and teach on the BSc Marine Biology, BSC Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology, BSc Marine Biology and Oceanography, BSc Conservation Biology, MRes Marine Biology, MSc Aquaculture, MSc Marine Conservation MSc Applied Marine Science Programmes.
Current Research Group
Dr Lucia Porzio, Ass Prof macroalgae.
Dr Lina Rassmusson PDRA effects of Arctic melting on algae
Periklis Kleitou RA & PhD candidate: Mediterranean lionfish invasion
Lucas Nunes PhD candidate: fish trophic groups in Brazil
Antony Scales ResM candidate: the microbiology of maerl beds
Daniel Grove ResM Biofilm
Callum Hudsom MRes coastal resilience in Japan
Recent BSc Student dissertations supervised
1) Lewis Ashton: invasive polychaetes in Plymouth Sound
2) Patrick Adkins: response of mussels to predatory crabs off Chile
3) Jake Jefford: sand-blast effects of severe storms on intertidal life off Devon
4) Abi Miller: non-native and native kelp epiphytes
5) Ben Peace-Herbert: invasive mussels around London
6) Toby Russell: effects of TBT on shipwreck fauna
7) Nicholas Shell: as seaweeds take over coral reefs are toxic algal blooms more likely?
8) James Thomas: Using Callionymus lyra to investigate changes in diet with fish size and habitat
9) Melisa Vural: The ecology of a common intertidal starfish of Chile.
10) Livia Sinagaglia: copepod parasites of Osilinus spp.
11) Giulia La Bianca: deep-sea crinoids of the NE Atlantic
12) Neil Thorp: modelling the distribution of Undaria off SW England
13) Marios Papapgeorgiou: polychaete predation on corals off Cyprus
14) Nathalie Thompson: filtration rates in Crepidula fornicata
15) Cameron Clark: bryozoans in Plymouth Sound
16) Christopher Taylor: the effects of ocean acidification on Japanese microgastropods
17) Eleanor Picard: Effects of tourism on the marine ecology of a north Cornwall beach
18) Xavier Stow: disturbance effects of a tropical cyclone
19) Emily-Beth Millett: Effects of CO2 on coral symbionts
20) Felix de Wattipont: Turitella communis shell ecology
21) Rob Van Ree: Holkam Nature Reserve salt marsh carbon stores
22) Emily Stevenson: fauna found on strandline macroplastics
23) Suse Rolfe: extent on invasive seaweed spread in North Devon
24) James O'Williams: Oxybenzone on tropical coral reefs
25) Holly Morgan working on sea urchins in Japan
26) Phoebe Baker working on ocean acidification in Japan
27) Honey Bowker: metals in fauna around CO2 seeps in Dominica
28) Emily Murphy-Gray: lionfish in Cyprus
29) Barry Pettifor: seaweed irridesence
30) Jacques Swain: lionfish otolith analyses
31) Meg Atkinson: Plymouth Sound zooplankton dynamics
32) Maddy Entrekin: coral ecology
33) Vicky Goodier: photoquadrats off Cyprus
34) Daisy Jauncy: lionfish diet
35) Amy Linscott: anemone spatial distribution
36) Jess Miller: Drupella coral infection in the Philippines
37) Chris rogers: coral disease in the Caribbean
Placement Students
Alexander Holdgate: Sustainable fisheries management in Norway
Ho Jiaxuan working on phytoplankton in Taiwan
Emily Millet working on corals in Australia
Emma Cox working on lionfish invasion in Honduras
Lucy Dunlop: climate gasses PML
Kyra Walton: placement with MER, Cyprus
Conferences, workshops & external teaching events
Invited lecture ‘Effects of CO2 on seabed habitats’ an international monthly Seabed Habitats Seminar Series 26 Jan 2021 www.seabedhabitats.org https://youtu.be/qFNgsZyG7ME
Online lecture to the Biology Society of India ‘Ocean acidification in Asia’ 15 Jan 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUzWu4H87Z4
World Fisheries Day interview 21 Nov 2020 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=655765895112714
The ecological effects of ocean acidification. Invited Public Lecture. The Linnaean Society of London, 27 Feb 2020. https://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/the-ecological-effects-of-ocean-acidification
Beyond Capturing Our Coast. Invited Public Lecture. Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth 13 Feb 2020.
Staff serving as external examiners
External examiner of MSc and BSc courses at the School of Biology, University of Malta 2015-2018 . Examiner of PhD candidates at Universities in Adelaide, Alicante, Brest (2018), Bristol (2017), Coruna, Edinburgh (2019), Hong Kong (2018), Iceland (2020) Palermo, Paris (x2), Marseille, Newcastle, Stockholm (2018), Swansea (2020) Western Australia and York.
Research
Research
Research interests
Current research spans seamount ecology , fisheries , ocean acidification, aquaculture and conservation. My fieldwork sites are currently at volcanic CO2 vents in the Mediterranean and off Japan.
'Jacuzzi vents' model CO2 future
Metabolomics - ocean acidification
Falmouth sailors' concern for marine conservation plans
Scottish Seas resilient against CO2 acidification
Census discovers 5,000 marine species.
'Coral lab' offers acidity insight.
Natural lab shows sea's acid path.
Scientists explore coldwater reef.
Napoli sea fans appear undamaged.
Cold water coral Material World
Other research
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/ocean-acidification-could-have-consequences-for-millions
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/moving-fish-farms-enables-seagrass-meadows-to-thrive-study-shows
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/time-for-total-rethink-on-the-management-of-alien-species
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/scientific-experts-call-for-eight-urgent-measures-to-preserve-life-supporting-ocean-function-amid-fears-that-changes-could-be-irreversible
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/expert-backs-international-call-for-action-to-safeguard-our-oceans
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=655765895112714
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
MRes 2006 Hayley Miles, Effects of ocean acidification on the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris.
MRes 2008 Emma Ransome, Effects of ocean acidification on intertidal organisms.
Diploma Thesis 2008 Tina Kerby, Seamount fisheries (Erasmus from Kiel,Germany).
MSc 2008 Katie Wanner-Halder, Gorgonian calcification.
MRes 2008 Gemma Veneruso, Gorgonian genetics.
MRes 2008 Amanda Hopes, Transformation systems in coccolithophores.
PhD 2008 Jayme Lohr, Viral disease in corals.
MRes 2009 Samantha Ottolangui, Calcification in coccolithophores.
MRes 2009 Rebecca Lumbis, Effects of marine fisheries closures in SW England 1990-2007.
MRes 2009 Maria Rousou, Seasonality in fisheries discards in Cyprus.
MRes 2010 Thomas Hinman, Ecological niche modelling of seagrass in the UK.
MRes 2012 Matthew Keys, Coccolithophore culture experiments.
MRes 2012 Sarah Heath, pH homeostasis in marine phytoplankton.
MRes 2012 Giuseppe Sauria, Amphipods along pCO2 gradients (Erasmus from Ancona, Italy).
PhD 2012 Vivienne Johnson, Effects of increasing CO2 on microalgae.
PhD 2014 Grazyna Durak: silification mechanisms in algae.
MRes 2015 Ro Allen: marine invertebrate settlement and recruitment on a tropical coral reef.
PhD 2015 Cecilia Baggini: benthic ecology of volcanic seeps off Methana, Greece.
MRes 2016 Alessandra Washbourn: how to control crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
PhD 2016 Laura Pettit: effects of CO2 on foraminifera.
MRes 2017 Mariano Peruzzo: a new species of Southern Ocean diatom.
PhD 2017 Joy Smith, demersal coral reef zooplankton, Papua New Guinea.
PhD 2017 Maria Campbell: fisheries, marine conservation, marine renewable energy and displacement.
PhD 2017 Bryony Pearce: The ecology of Sabellariaspinulosa reefs
MRes 2018 James Scott: zooplankton along CO2 gradients off Sicily
PhD 2018 Anaelle Lemasson:Ocean acidification and warming impacts on native andnon-native shellfish
PhD 2018 Amrit Kumar Mishra: Global change effects on seagrass ecosystems
PhD 2019 Demetris Kletou: Human impacts on oligotrophic marine ecosystems, case studies from Cyprus.
Grants & contracts
Recent grants
2011 EU FP7 MedSeA (£180000) 2011-15. (PI)
Creative practice & artistic projects
I produce underwater videos using SCUBA for teaching and TV, e.g. www.conservancy.co.uk/page/Marine-Life/372/
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Inaba K & Hall-Spencer J.M. (2020) Japanese Marine Life: A Practical Training Guide in Marine Biology. Springer 367pp.
Hernandez-Kantun, J.J., Hall-Spencer, J.M., Grall, J., Adey, W., Rindi,F., Maggs, C.A., Bárbara, I., Peña, V. (2017) North Atlantic rhodolith/maerl beds. In: Rhodolith/maerl beds: A Global Perspective. (eds. Riosmena-Rodriguez, R., Nelson W. and Aguirre J.). Springer.
Martin, S. & Hall-Spencer, J.M. (2017) Effects of ocean warming and acidification on rhodolith/maerl beds. In: Rhodolith/maerl beds: A Global Perspective (eds. Riosmena-Rodriguez, R., Nelson W. and Aguirre J.) Springer.Personal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
Reports, published conference proceedings and policy documents
Gubbay, S. et al., inc. Hall-Spencer, J.M. (2016) European Red List of Habitats, Part 1 Marine habitats. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 52pp. ISBN 978-92-79-61586-3 doi: 10.2779/032638
Hall-Spencer J., Grall J., Gerovasileiou V., Mavraki D., Paranou P., Baily N., Nikolopoulou S. (2018) BIOMAERL. Maerl biodiversity. Functional structure and anthropogenic Impacts (1996-1998). Hellenic Center for Marine Research http: //ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=biomaerl
MCCIP (2018) Climate change and marine conservation: Coral Gardens (Eds. Rush S, Carr H, Henry L-A, Neat F, Hall-Spencer J, Jesus A and Pettit L) MCCIP, Lowestoft, 8pp. doi:10.14465.2018.ccmco.001-cga
Conferences organised
Conferences and workshops organised
https://brphycsoc.org/annual-meeting-plymouth-2020/
Assessing the effects of ocean acidification on SE Asian ecosystems, Shimoda, Japan 25-27 July 2017.
Using natural analogues to investigate the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on northern ecosystems, ESSAS Open Science Meeting, Tromso, Norway 11-15 June 2017.
Scientific Steering Committee member for the 11th Baltic Sea Science Congress 12-16 June 2017.
Other academic activities
Reviewer of international grant applications for the EU (FP7, SEAS-ERA) and national funding councils in Australia (CSIRO), Austria (Austrian Science Foundation), France (French National Research Agency), Israel (the German-Israeli Foundation), Italy (Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca), Norway (Norwegian Research Council), Portugal (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia) the UK (Natural Environment Research Council) and the USA (National Undersea Research Centre, NOAA Sea Grants and the National Science Foundation, PG Allen Family Foundation). Reviewer of scientific papers for ACS Earch and Space Chemistry, AIMS Environmental Science, Aquaculture Environment Interactions, the American Fisheries Society, Aquatic Conservation, Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Biological Conservation, Biology Letters, Biogeoscience, Botanica Marina, Bulletin of Marine Science, Climatic Change, Current Biology, Deep -Sea Research Part I, Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science, Ecology, Ecology Letters, European Journal of Phycology, Fish and Fisheries, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Frontiers in Marine Science, Geophysical Research Letters, Global Change Biology, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Journal of Coastal Research, Journal of Ecology, Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Journal of Experimental Biology and Ecology, Journal of the Marine Biological Association, UK, Journal of the Royal Society Interface,, Journal of Volcanology Geothermal Research, Limnology & Oceanography, Marine Biology, Marine Ecology, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Environmental Research, Marine and Freshwater Systems, Nature, Nature Climate Change, Nature Geoscience, Naturwissenschaften, New Phytologist, Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review, Oikos, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Phycologia, PLoS One, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Regional Studies in Marine Science, Royal Society Open Science, Science of the Total Environment and Water.
Additional information
Royal Society MP-Scientist pairing scheme participant 2004-5 (paired with David George Lib. Dem. MP covering fisheries)
Links
Ocean acidification: a National Geographic article
Mount Vesuvious and the Island of Ischia
Thriving Seagrass, Reduced Biodiversity
Guardians of the oceans - Euronews documentary my first go at presenting
News feature in Nature Magazine
Sea mounts and changing sea ecosystems - Australian radio interview
Naked Scientist Interview: Coral Reefs and Creatures of the Deep Sea
Ocean Acidification in Google Earth Tour at High CO2 Conference