Dr Rupert Perkins
RG
Senior Lecturer in Marine Biosciences
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- perkinsr@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5026
- Fax:
- +44(0) 29 2087 5026
- 1.33A, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT
- Media commentator
Overview
Interests
- algal photophysiology
- algal productivity
- variable chlorophyll floursecence
- ecosystem function
- marine geography
Biography
- Senior Lecturer – School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2004 – current)
- Senior Research Fellow - University of St. Andrews (June 2001 – July 200)
- Senior PDRA – Department of Biology, University of Essex (January 1999 – January 2001)
- Ph.D. - Department of Biology, University of Essex (October 1994 – October 1997)
- BSc. (Hons) Department of Biology University of Essex (October 1991 – July 1994)
Research background
My previous work included using chlorophyll fluoresecence and radiolabelled carbon to investigate estuarine microphytobenthic photophysiology and primary production; a NERC funded project working with Prof. Graham Underwood at Essex University. A high resolution imaging system, enabled analysis of individual algal cell photophysiology, in combination with conventional PAM-fluorescence methods. Patterns in primary production were investigated in Essex and in the Tagus Estuary, Portugal (in collaboration with Prof. Vanda Brotas, Lisbon).
I have also worked on estuarine sediment erosion using In-line Laser Holography, high-speed video, csm and microcosm measurements of critical stress and LTSEM; a NERC funded post doc at St Andrews University with Prof. David Paterson. This work extends upon previous studies by investigating the nature of eroded sediment using laser holography. A ruby red laser is passed through a microcosm erosion chamber in which artificial and natural sediments are eroded. The fine scale structure of the sediments is investigated using LTSEM. This combined approach gives new information on mechanisms of biogenic stabilisation by polymer secretions. This was a joint NERC project, working with Prof. Dave Paterson at St Andrews and Prof. John Watson at Aberdeen University.
I obtained a 1st class degree in Environmental Biology at Essex University and was then funded by Anglian Water to do my PhD with Dr. Graham Underwood also at Essex. Cyanobacterial blooms occurred in Alton Water reservoir, Suffolk until 1992, when the reservoir switched to a macrophyte-dominated system. Top-down (growth of Elodea, fish kill) and bottom-up (phosphorus limitation) control, were both identified as contributing to this switch.
Professional memberships
- British Phycological Society
Academic positions
- Cardiff University Sept 2004 – Current. Senior Lecturer in Marine Biosciences.
- University of St. Andrews, June 2001 – July 2004. Senior Research Fellow
- University of Essex, January 1999 – January 2001. Senior PDRA
Publications
2020
- Williamson, C. J.et al. 2020. Algal photophysiology drives darkening and melt of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117(11), pp. 5694-5707. (10.1073/pnas.1918412117)
2019
- Gore, S., Renforth, P. and Perkins, R. 2019. The potential environmental response to increasing ocean alkalinity for negative emissions. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 24(7), pp. 1191-1211. (10.1007/s11027-018-9830-z)
- Hendry, K. R.et al. 2019. The biogeochemical impact of glacial meltwater from Southwest Greenland. Progress in Oceanography 176, article number: 102126. (10.1016/j.pocean.2019.102126)
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2019. Managing taste and odour metabolite production in drinking water reservoirs: The importance of ammonium as a key nutrient trigger. Journal of Environmental Management 244, pp. 276-284. (10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.123)
2018
- Perkins, R.et al. 2018. Time-dependent upregulation of electron transport with concomitant induction of regulated excitation dissipation in Haslea diatoms. Photosynthesis Research 137, pp. 377-388. (10.1007/s11120-018-0508-x)
- Xu, K.et al. 2018. Phytoplankton σPSII and excitation dissipation; implications for estimates of primary productivity. Frontiers in Marine Science 5, article number: 281. (10.3389/fmars.2018.00281)
- Williamson, C. J.et al. 2018. Photoacclimation and photoregulation strategies of Corallina (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) across the NE Atlantic. European Journal of Phycology 53(3), pp. 290-306. (10.1080/09670262.2018.1442586)
2017
- Williamson, C. J.et al. 2017. The regulation of coralline algal physiology, an in situ study of Corallina officinalis (Corallinales, Rhodophyta). Biogeosciences 14(19), pp. 4485-4498. (10.5194/bg-14-4485-2017)
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2017. Photoacclimation by Arctic cryoconite phototrophs. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 93(5), article number: fix018. (10.1093/femsec/fix018)
2016
- Welsby, H. J., Hendry, K. R. and Perkins, R. 2016. The role of benthic biofilm production in the mediation of silicon cycling in the Severn Estuary, UK. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 176, pp. 124-134. (10.1016/j.ecss.2016.04.008)
- Bagshaw, E.et al. 2016. Response of Antarctic cryoconite microbial communities to light. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 92(6), article number: fiw076. (10.1093/femsec/fiw076)
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2016. Microspatial variability in community structure and photophysiology of calcified macroalgal microbiomes revealed by coupling of hyperspectral and high-resolution fluorescence imaging. Scientific Reports 6, article number: 22343. (10.1038/srep22343)
2014
- Kessel, S. T.et al. 2014. Predictable temperature regulated residency, movement and migration in a large, highly-mobile marine predator (Negaprion brevirostris). Marine ecology progress series 514, pp. 175-190. (10.3354/meps10966)
- Williamson, C. J.et al. 2014. Skeletal mineralogy of geniculate corallines: providing context for climate change and ocean acidification research. Marine Ecology Progress Series 513, pp. 71-84. (10.3354/meps10929)
- Williamson, C. J.et al. 2014. Corallina and Ellisolandia (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) photophysiology over daylight tidal emersion: interactions with irradiance, temperature and carbonate chemistry. Marine Biology 161(9), pp. 2057-2068. (10.1007/s00227-014-2485-8)
- Gastineau, R.et al. 2014. Chapter fifteen - Haslea ostrearia-like Diatoms: biodiversity out of the blue. Advances in Botanical Research 71, pp. 441-465. (10.1016/B978-0-12-408062-1.00015-9)
2013
- Meis, S.et al. 2013. Assessing the mode of action of Phoslock® in the control of phosphorus release from the bed sediments in a shallow lake (Loch Flemington, UK). Water Research 47(13), pp. 4460-4473. (10.1016/j.watres.2013.05.017)
- Jellali, R.et al. 2013. Antifouling action of polyisoprene-based coatings by inhibition of photosynthesis in microalgae. Environmental Science & Technology 47(12), pp. 6573-6581. (10.1021/es400161t)
- Kessel, S. T.et al. 2013. Aerial survey as a tool to estimate abundance and describe distribution of a carcharhinid species, the lemon shark, negaprion brevirostris. Journal of Marine Biology 2013, article number: 597383. (10.1155/2013/597383)
2012
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2012. Modern stromatolite phototrophic communities: a comparative study of procaryote and eucaryote phototrophs using variable chlorophyll fluorescence. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 82(3), pp. 584-596. (10.1111/j.1574-6941.2012.01421.x)
- Yallop, M. L.et al. 2012. Photophysiology and albedo-changing potential of the ice algal community on the surface of the Greenland ice sheet. The ISME Journal 6(12), pp. 2302-2313. (10.1038/ismej.2012.107)
- Meis, S.et al. 2012. Sediment amendment with Phoslock® in Clatto Reservoir (Dundee, UK): Investigating changes in sediment elemental composition and phosphorus fractionation. Journal of Environmental Management 93(1), pp. 185-193. (10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.09.015)
2011
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2011. The application of variable chlorophyll fluorescence to microphytobenthic biofilms. In: Suggett, D. J., Borowitzka, M. A. and Prášil, O. eds. Chlorophyll a Fluorescence in Aquatic Sciences: Methods and Applications. Developments in Applied Phycology Vol. 4. London: Springer, pp. 237-275.
- Spears, B. M.et al. 2011. Long-term variation and regulation of internal phosphorus loading in Loch Leven. Hydrobiologia 681(1), pp. 23-33. (10.1007/s10750-011-0921-z)
2010
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2010. Vertical cell movement is a primary response of intertidal benthic biofilms to increasing light dose. Marine Ecology Progress Series 416, pp. 93-103. (10.3354/meps08787)
- De Raedemaecker, F., Miliou, A. and Perkins, R. G. 2010. Fish community structure on littoral rocky shores in the Eastern Aegean Sea: effects of exposure and substratum. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 90(1), pp. 35-44. (10.1016/j.ecss.2010.08.007)
- Spears, B. M.et al. 2010. The contribution of epipelon to total sediment microalgae in a shallow temperate eutrophic loch (Loch Leven, Scotland). Hydrobiologia 646(1), pp. 281-293. (10.1007/s10750-010-0187-x)
2008
- Hennige, S. J.et al. 2008. Photoacclimation, growth and distribution of massive coral species in clear and turbid waters. Marine ecology progress series 369, pp. 77-88. (10.3354/meps07612)
- Spears, B. M.et al. 2008. Effects of light on sediment nutrient flux and water column nutrient stoichiometry in a shallow lake. Water Research 42(4-5), pp. 977-986. (10.1016/j.watres.2007.09.012)
- Jesus, B., Mouget, J. and Perkins, R. G. 2008. Detection of diatom xanthophyll cycle using spectral reflectance. Journal of Phycology 44(5), pp. 1349-1359. (10.1111/j.1529-8817.2008.00583.x)
- Mouget, J.et al. 2008. Migration or photoacclimation to prevent high irradiance and UV-B damage in marine microphytobenthic communities. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 52(3), pp. 223-232. (10.3354/ame01218)
2007
- Perkins, R. G., Kromkamp, J. C. and Reid, R. P. 2007. Importance of light and oxygen for photochemical reactivation in photosynthetic stromatolite communities after natural sand burial. Marine ecology progress series 349, pp. 23-32. (10.3354/meps07087)
2006
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2006. Light response curve methodology and possible implications in the application of chlorophyll fluorescence to benthic diatoms. Marine Biology 149(4), pp. 703-712. (10.1007/s00227-005-0222-z)
2005
- Underwood, G. J. C.et al. 2005. Patterns in microphytobenthic primary productivity: Species-specific variation in migratory rhythms and photosynthesis efficiency in mixed-species biofilms. Limnology and Oceanography 50(3), pp. 755-767. (10.4319/lo.2005.50.3.0755)
2004
- Perkins, R. G.et al. 2004. In-line laser holography and video analysis of eroded floc from engineered and estuarine sediments. Environmental Science & Technology 38(17), pp. 4640-4648. (10.1021/es040011i)
Teaching
I am a Senior Lecturer in Marine Biosciences and am Director of the Marine Geography Degree Programme. I teach year 1 modules in Environmental Chemistry and Biology and Marine Geography Data Analysis. In year 2, I focus on Marine Ecosystems and in year 3 Marine Conservation Science.
I also run three residential field courses in Pembrokeshire, Malta and Greece. I organise and supervise marine biology placements in destinations such as Spain, Greece and the Bahamas, during which students gain research experience and acquire data for their final year projects.
My research focusses on algal photobiology using variable chlorophyll fluorescence.
I was one of the first researchers to develop fluorescence methodology applied to benthic algal biofilms, with important methodological work on the effects of cell movement, light curve methodology and physiological down regulation, including high resolution imaging work at the single cell level to determine the drivers in periodicity of benthic microalgal productivity.
I have also worked on the photophysiology of prokaryote and eukaryote phototrophs in stromatolites, including novel work which identified the importance of combined light and oxygen in photochemical reactivation. Current work investigates the photophysiology of ice algae, identifying a photophysiological mechanistic role in mediation of ice sheet albedo, as well as determination of novel photosynthetic down regulation in diatoms and single cell photophysiology of macroalgae and seagrasses.
Collaborations
- Dr Bruno Jesus, Institute of Oceanography, Lisbon, Portugal - coastal microalgal photophysiology
- Prof. P Reid, RSMAS, Miami University - RIBS stromatolite survey project.Dr J-L. Mouget, Université du Maine, Dr S. Lefebvre, Université du Caen –-microalgal photophysiology.
- Prof. G. Gust, TUHH, Germany coastal sediment dynamicsCCW -coastal sediment dynamics small project (CCW/Cardiff Univ. funding)
- Dr Martin Skov, Dr Patrick Doncaster, Southampton University -rocky shore algal photophysiology and ecology.
- Dr Bryan Spears, CEH, Edinburgh - freshwater nutrient dynamics
- Prof. Sonny Gruber, Bimini Biological Field Station - Lemon Shark population dynamics and ecology
I am the Director of Research at Archipelagos, Institute of Marine & Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea. Leonardo and Erasmus funding has been used to fund 14 students from Cardiff University to carry out work on coastal habitat biodiversity and conservation quality for establishment of a Natura 2000 site.
Funding
- National Environment Research Council March 2010 – 77.4K GBP approx. PI supervising a NERC Ocean Acidification Directed PhD studentship in collaboration with Bristol University and Natural History Museum, London.
- FP7 – International Research FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IRSES: BIOVADIA (269294) – 185K EURO (10.7K to Cardiff). Co-I, work package leader regarding cell photophysiology.
- CEFAS January 2010 – 29.3K GBP. PI supervising research on Corallina temperature response.
- CEFAS July 2010 – 10.7K GBP. PI researching ecotoxicological effects of chlorine on Corallina macroalgae.
- Leonardo Mobility Grant from the British Council to fund 14 student placements with Archipelagos, Institute for marine and ecological research, Aegean Sea, Greece. 54,220 Euros.
- CEH Edinburgh PhD grant. Investigating forced recovery from eutrophication in shallow lakes. 25K GBP plus student stipend.
- CEH Edinburgh PhD grant. Photophysiology of rocky shoreepilithic biofilms. 10K GBP (plus School NERC funding).
