Dr Jenny Gales

I am a lecturer in Hydrography and Ocean Exploration and am actively involved in internationally recognised research surrounding continental slope processes and seafloor geomorphology. I have been involved in numerous international research expeditions including Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. The most recent expedition was the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 374 to the Ross Sea, Antarctica: https://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/ross_sea_ice_sheet_history.html. The expedition built on data we collected previously during a EUROFLEETS-funded expedition, in collaboration with OGS. My current research is focused on understanding the causes of large submarine landslides on the Antarctic continental margin by combining core-downhole-log and seismic data, with an upcoming Antarctic expedition scheduled.

Before joining the University of Plymouth, I worked at the National Oceanography Centre on the NERC-funded 'Coordinated Canyon Experiment' in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). The project aimed to understand what triggers underwater sediment flows, how fast they move, how far they travel and what influence they have on seafloor morphology. The project involved the use of marine robotics, including Remotely Operated Vehicles, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and Surface Autonomous Vehicles to map the seafloor and to provide communication. The 18-month experiment involved an array of moorings down the axis of the canyon housing a wide range of instruments, and a variety of novel 'smart sensors' to collect seafloor data. I have been involved in numerous research projects involving remotely operated and autonomous instruments for seafloor exploration, including expeditions around the UK, Canada and the US.

I completed my PhD at the British Antarctic Survey working to understand processes influencing the geomorphology of Antarctic continental slopes and spent two semesters at the Arctic University of Norway (University of Tromso) and Statoil ASA in Trondheim, Norway. Between 2013-2015 I worked as a Marine Geoscientist at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh on both commercial and research driven projects, including reconstructing the offshore glacial history of NW Scotland from seismic data. Prior to starting my PhD, I worked as a research assistant for the Dorset Wildlife Trust and University of Southampton compiling and processing backscatter data to assess the marine habitats off the Dorset coast.

2022 -       Programme Lead - BSc Ocean Exploration

2017 -       Lecturer in Hydrography and Ocean Exploration