
Profiles
Dr Tim Scott
Associate Professor of Ocean Exploration
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
Biography
Biography
- Associate Professor in Ocean Exploration
- Programme lead for MSc Hydrography
- Coastal Marine Applied Research (CMAR) consultancy
I am an Associate Professor in Ocean Exploration and have been actively contributing to internationally recognised research in fields of beach and submarine geomorphology, rip current dynamics and coastal hazards. My recent research has focused on storm impacts, rip current circulation and coastal hazards in Europe, and has been published in high-quality international journals. I have more than 20 years experience in the collection and analysis of coastal morphological, hydrodynamic and hydrographic data. I have been actively involved in national and international collaborations with external partners (e.g., RNLI, UK Met Office, Environment Agency, Natural England, Royal Navy local and regional councils and external universities). My academic research has resulted >80 peer-reviewed international journal articles and numerous conference papers, technical reports, invited lectures, workshops and media outputs. In addition to academic research I have conducted a number of consultancy projects, including working closely with the RNLI for over a decade, improving understanding of physical coastal hazards and developing operational risk assessment tools. I have several years of commercial offshore experience working in seismic and hydrographic industry and I have also acted as expert witness in rip current drowning cases.
I have been principal investigator or co-investigator on a number of successful field-based research and consultancy projects (see research). This work has involved intertidal, nearshore and inner shelf oceanographic instrument deployment (Eulerian and Lagrangian), surf zone circulation tracking (GPS surf-zone drifters), RTK-GNSS, total station, laser scanner and UAV SFM topographic/bathymetric surveying, nearshore single- and multi-beam bathymetric surveying, video remote sensing (surf zone and seabed ROV), as well as collection and processing of shallow water sidescan sonar, sub-bottom profile data. I have also been involved in various sediment analysis from particle size to geochemistry and mineralogy. More recently I have been involved in research utilising autonomous survey platforms for unique coastal data collection, including development of hydroacoustic techniques for autonomous SAV detection and rapid storm response sub-tidal morphological survey. My work in the commercial offshore surveying industry involved the acquisition of shelf- and deep sea seismic data, and ROV-based video, multibeam and sidescan sonar data processing. I now also act as programme lead for MSc Hydrography at the University, building on our successful track record of training the next generation of Hydrographers and developing industry links with the University.
Qualifications
2020 – present: Associate Professor in Ocean Exploration, University of Plymouth
2015 – 2019: Lecturer in Ocean Exploration, University of Plymouth
2013 – 2015: Research and Teaching Associate, University of Plymouth
2010 – 2013: Research and Knowledge Exchange Fellow, University of Plymouth (Website)
2006 – 2010: PhD Coastal Processes, University of Plymouth
2005 – 2006: Consultant Geophysicist, DeepOcean, Norway
2003 – 2004: MSc Applied Marine Science, University of Plymouth
2001 – 2003: Shelf Sea Seismic Acquisition, WesternGeco, Mexico
1999 – 2001: BSc Geological Oceanography, University of Wales, Bangor
1998 – 1999: National Diploma, Art and Design, Exeter College
Professional membership
Hydrographic Society UK and Ireland
Roles on external bodies
Working groups
2023 - Member of Executive Board for National Centre for Coastal Autonomy
2012 – Present: International Lifesaving Federation(ILS) – Rescue Commission: Rip Current Safety Alliance (RipSafe) Committee.
2012: Scientific committee: 2nd International Rip Current Symposium, Sydney,Australia, 2012.
2009: Steering committee for Plymouth Marine Science Partnership Conference.
2006 – 2009: PRE (Public RescueEquipment) working group (UoP, RNLI, ROSPA, UWI Cardiff, RLSS UK, SLSA GB,ENCAMS, SLSGB, MCA, NWSF).
2006 – Present: Beach Risk Assessment working group (RNLI, UoP, SLSGB, RLSS UK, SLSGB, ROSPA, SLSA).
2007: Coordinator for the Young Coastal Scientists & Engineers Conference ’07 (April 2007;Plymouth).
Highlights
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
Coastal hydrography, submarine geomorphology and coastal morphodynamics/evolution/hazards. I am particularly particularly passionate about field-based learning.
Research
Research
Research interests
Coastal Geomorphology and Hydrography
Beach morphodynamics and coastal evolution
Submarine geomorphology
Rip current dynamics and nearshore sediment transport
Coastal hazards and risk
Autonomous survey and habitat mapping
CMAR - Coastal Marine Applied Research
- Coastal consultancy
Research groups
- Centre for Coastal and Ocean Science and Engineering (CCOSE)
- Coastal Processes Research Group
- Marine Institute
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
2022-current Liane Brodie – Making Space for Sand: Coastal Dune Dynamics Across Cornwall and Future Predictions
2020-current Aikaterina Konstantinou – Coastal dynamics from space (DoS)
2020-current Emily Hunt - Predicting coastal resilience to climate change
2019–current Josie Alice-Kirby – Application of Coastal Change Management Areas (CCMAs) for coastal adaptation to climate change impacts in SW England
2017–2022 Anna Persson – Physical drivers of nursery function in juvenile flatfishes
2016–2020 Mark Wiggins – Coastal cell response to a changing wave climate using autonomous aerial surveying (DoS)
2015–2019 Nieves Garcia Valiente – Sediment exchange between beach and inner shelf
2014–2018 Olivier Burvingt – Beach response to extreme storms along the SW coast of England
Grants & contracts
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsPersonal
Personal
Conferences organised
Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference 2007, University of Plymouth, UK. Member of organising commitee.
Other academic activities
2018/19 - Editor for Journal of Marine Sciences and Engineering (JMSE), special issue 'Storm Erosion'.
Related articles on the University website
- Project assesses wider ecological benefits of UK’s first offshore mussel farm
- Developing autonomous technology to assess condition of seagrass beds
- Dynamics of rip currents and implications for beach safety (DRIBS)
- Sand dunes experience significant erosion due to sea-level rise and extreme storms
- Enabling North Devon to become the UK’s first World Surfing Reserve
- Extreme storms could help protect beaches from sea-level rise
- Physical impacts of climate change on coral reef islands
- The SARSA Project (Sustainable Abalone Ranching in South Africa)
- Vessel confirms University’s place at forefront of autonomous ocean science