The Global Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Tim's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About Tim
I am a coastal scientist with 20 years’ experience in coastal research, fieldwork and consultancy. I am a Senior Research Consultant with Coastal Marine Applied Research (CMAR) at the University of Plymouth, a research-informed consultancy providing specialist expertise to support the management of coastal, marine and estuarine environments.
My expertise is focused on coastal processes, wave transformation, storm impacts, sediment transport and coastal morphodynamics, with a particular interest in understanding how coastlines respond to extreme events and longer-term environmental and climate change. I work across research and consultancy projects, translating scientific evidence and field observations into practical information to support coastal management, adaptation and resilience.
I have extensive experience in coastal monitoring and field data collection, including measurements of waves, currents, water levels and sediment processes using in-situ instrumentation, as well as GPS, terrestrial LiDAR, bathymetric surveys, UAV surveys and video monitoring. I also have experience in the analysis and interpretation of large environmental datasets, coastal change assessment and the application of numerical and statistical approaches to coastal-process problems.
Through CMAR and the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Coastal and Ocean Processes and Engineering (C-COPE), I have worked with national and international organisations, government agencies, local authorities and research partners on applied coastal challenges. Recent work has included coastal-change and adaptation research, monitoring and modelling of beach and dune systems, storm impacts, shoreline change and international coastal projects. I have also worked with partners including the Environment Agency, Cornwall Council, South West Coastal Monitoring, Deltares and Bangor University, alongside international research collaborations in Europe, New Zealand and elsewhere.
A significant part of my current work involves bridging research and practice: developing robust evidence through field monitoring and analysis and communicating the implications for coastal management and adaptation. I have contributed to major research projects, international field programmes and large-scale laboratory experiments, and have published in peer-reviewed journals and presented research at national and international conferences.
I previously worked with the Channel Coastal Observatory, giving me a combination of academic research, long-term coastal monitoring and applied consultancy experience. This enables me to approach coastal-management challenges from both a scientific and practical perspective.
