EXPERTISE

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Habitat modelling
• 4-Dimensional Visualisation
• Marine Policy
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Project Management & Business Development

QUALIFICATIONS

• MSc Physical Oceanography, University of North Wales, Bangor (1999)
• BSc (Hons) Environmental Sciences (2:1), University of East Anglia (UEA) (1997)

Caroline Chambers, Senior Consultant at Marine Ecological Surveys Limited (part of Gardline), has over 15 years experience in the fields of GIS, survey and marine policy in the UK and overseas. At MES, Caroline plays a strong role in business development in marine policy and marine assessments. She also is responsible for the technical applications of GIS, subsea visualisation (through time) and spatial modelling. Recent projects include habitat modelling for the Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC); 4D modelling of the South Coast REC showing fly throughs and linked media material; and (currently) review of confidence assessments applied in national habitat models for UKSeaMap2010 and MESH and recommendations for combining maps together.

KEY EXPERIENCE

• Review of confidence assessments applied in national habitat models for UKSeaMap2010 and MESH and recommendations for combining maps together, carried out for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) (in progress)
• Habitat suitability model for the Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) study funded by the MALSF, based on survey data and full coverage data such as UKSeaMap 2010 and oceanographic models.
• EUNIS model at levels 4 and 5 of the Humber REC, including proposed new EUNIS categories and symbology (MALSF)
• 4D presentation of the South Coast REC showing fly-throughs and linked media of seabed habitats, presented at the South Coast REC dissemination conference (MALSF)
• Water Framework Directive series of projects focused on setting flow standards for flows into transitional (estuarine) waters for the Environment Agency and SNIFFER (Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research), including the delineation of water bodies in GIS.
• WFD Coastal Monitoring, Government of Gibraltar (August 2009): Set up and implementation of the WFD coastal monitoring of water quality and phytoplankton, including GIS set up of baseline data and programme positions, monthly monitoring, training of staff, equipment sourcing and calibration, programme management.
• Seabed Currents and Prediction of Scour along an Offshore Cable Route, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Limited (SHETL) (June 2009): Assessment of the variation in seabed currents and impact on seabed sediments along the cable route using outputs from the POLCOMS shelf model assessed through GIS and standard sediment transport calculations. Marine SAC Characterisation, Natural England (May 2007): Assessment of UKSeaMap physical data for input to the GIS modelling which was used to determine habitats.
• Habitats Directive Review of Consents, Estuaries in Anglian Region, Environment Agency (December 2005): A Hydrological Impact Assessment for Stage 3 of the Review of Consents on the Wash Estuary including consideration of the Level Dependent Environment (Washes) and ecology, particularly sensitivity of birds to changes in freshwater flows to the estuaries. Analyses of freshwater extraction based in ArcGIS.
• Research coordinator for a large EU project, Monitoring and modelling coastal lagoons: making management tools for aquatic resources in North Africa. This included set up of a GIS database, coordination of partners and their training in field work for surveys of bathymetry hydrology, water quality, vegetation, sediments and biology; as well as developing MIKE 2D and 3D lagoon models with DHI.
• Contaminant Pathways in the North Sea (CEFAS): Survey and research to compare the tracks made by the drogued drifters at sea with calculated density driven flows, as well as with flows predicted form shelf sea models (POM). This resulted in a customised GIS tool which was displayed at the EU Conference (Nice).
• Caroline carried out correlation of SeaWiFS satellite measured and in-situ chlorophyll  for testing of existing and developing Environment Agency SeaWiFS chlorophyll algorithms. GIS and remote sensing was used to test SeaWiFS algorithms to measure chlorophyll, based on correlation with in-situ measurements. Existing algorithms developed by NASA were compared to a new algorithm developed at the EA which accounts for high suspended sediment, in particular for coastal waters.
• Flood Risk Mapping, Northumbria Region, Environment Agency: Hydraulic modelling using HEC-RAS and ArcGIS for prediction of river flood levels as part of the Environment Agency manipulation and assessment of data using MapInfo
• Production of summary environmental data at national scale and creation of maps and internet page editing for Environment Agency.
• Research of mesoscale ocean features using remote sensing (SAR / AVHRR) (October 1999): Masters thesis examining the success of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery to detect mesoscale (ocean features in the Faro-Shetland channel. Image geo-referencing and calibration, comparison of results against sea surface temperature (collected from AVHRR imagery) and in-situ measurements with cooperation from Fugro GEOS consultants.
• Research into temporal analysis of sea-ice coverage in Antarctica and detection of polynyas (May 1997): Research was undertaken to extract area coverage of ice in the Antarctic during a 10 year period. Images were assessed using Matlab coding to form a time series of area covered.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Chambers, C., Pitts, J., Pearce, B., Alexander, D., Goodchild, R., 2011, Review of Confidence Assessment Methods for use in the Marine Biodiversity Surveillance and Monitoring Programme. JNCC Internal report, Ref C10-0187-0381 [TECHNICAL REPORT]

Chambers, C., 2011, De-mystifying confidence assessments in habitat mapping. 1st Marine and Coastal Policy Forum, University of Plymouth, UK. [CONFERENCE ORAL PRESENTATION]

Chambers, C.; McCloghrie, P.; Fernand, L.; Brown, J. and Young, E. F., 2003, Sub-surface flows in the seasonally stratified central North Sea: Analysis of drifter tracks through observations and modelling. AGU/EUG Nice [CONFERENCE POSTER PRESENTATION]

Fernand, L., Raine, R., Brown, J., Chambers, C.E., McCloghrie, P., Cussack, C, Nolan, G., Lyons, S, Young, E.F.,Horsburgh, K.J., Carrillo, L., Hill, A.E., 2006, Bottom Front Driven Circulation: A plankton high way from Brittany to Scotland. Coastal and Shelf Seas, Bangor

Fernand, L. Nolan, G.D. Brown, J, Raine, R., Chambers, C.E., Dye. S.R and White, M., 2006, The Irish coastal current: a seasonal jet-like circulation. Continental Shelf Research, Volume 26, Issue 15, p. 1775-1793. [JOURNAL PUBLICATION]

Pearce, B., Chambers, C., Hill, J., Tappin, D. & Dove, D. (2011). Ecological Gymnastics - Combining a top-down and bottom-up approach to Biotope Modeling. 10th International Conference GEOHAB 2011 Marine Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping, Geological Society of Finland, Espoo, Helsinki. [CONFERENCE ORAL PRESENTATION]

Tappin,D.R., Pearce,B., Fitch,S., Dove,D., Geary,B., Hill,J.M., Chambers,C., Bates,R., Pinnion,J., Green,M., Gallyot,J., Georgiou,L., Brutto,D., Marzialetti,S., Hopla,E., Ramsay,E., Fielding,H. (2011). The Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation, Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF), British Geological Survey Open Report OR/10/54. 317pp. [TECHNICAL REPORT]