Dr Jennifer Watts

I am an oceanographer with an interest in the oceanic carbon cycle. In my research I use both computational and field techniques to integrate remote sensing (drones and satellites) and in situ data to answer questions about the pathways carbon takes within the ocean. Thie goal of this work is to enhance our ability to predict future climate patterns and inform better decision-making for policymakers. I am also committed to promoting sustainability within the scientific community.

My NERC GW4+ funded PhD focused on advancing the use of remote sensing to understand how sea ice influences air-sea gas exchange in polar oceans, with particular emphasis on eddy covariance techniques for measuring direct fluxes. This involved critically assessing the relationships between sea ice concentration and gas transfer velocity, developing drone-based methods to georectify data over water without ground control, and applying these techniques during a six-week field campaign at an eddy covariance tower in the Canadian Arctic during the spring melt season. The study highlighted the critical role of fine-resolution optical data for polar eddy covariance research.

I am part of Professor Jamie Shutler's research group (JamieLab) and my research code is deposited on JamieLab Github.