Matt Davey
mpd39@cam.ac.uk
Department of Plant Sciences
SAMS, Scotland
Matt Davey is an algal physiologist and ecologist senior research associate at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge and a senior lecturer in algal biotechnology at SAMS, Scotland. His key interests are in understanding the diversity of metabolism in natural ecosystems and controlled environments and how such knowledge can be translated for innovation purposes by collaborating with industrial partners involved in biotechnology, bioenergy and natural high value products. He has carried out research and supervision on a wide range of algal topics from the ecology of snow algae in Antarctica, using algae for bioenergy, bioremediation, pigments and food production on earth across all continents to exploiting algae to help astronauts on long term space missions. Specifically, he uses remote sensing to detect polar algae blooms.
Recent Remote Sensing Publications:
Gray A, Krolikowski M, Fretwell P, Convey P, Peck LS, Mendelova M, Smith AG, Davey MP. 2020. Remote sensing reveals Antarctic green snow algae as important terrestrial carbon sink. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16018-w
Nunes M, Davey MP, Coomes D. 2017. On the challenges of using field spectroscopy to measure the impact of soil type on leaf traits. Biogeosciences. 14: 3371-3385
SAGA
The past, present and future of snow algae in Antarctica: a threatened terrestrial ecosystem?
SAGA aims to advance our understanding of the past, current and future distribution and physiology of snow algae blooms in Antarctica. This is an exciting collaboration between SAMS, University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey. The project, led by Dr Davey at SAMS, advances the research he and others in the team have made to map and understand the physiology of the algae that make up the blooms.
The team previously carried out studies to make the first-ever large-scale area and biomass distribution map of snow algae across the whole of the Antarctic Peninsula, recording for the first time the third largest terrestrial photosynthetic ecosystem on the Antarctic Peninsula after mosses and lichens. They found that these blooms were influenced by both temperature and nutrients with 60% of blooms being within 5km of a penguin colony. SAGA will map all locations of the blooms for the whole of Antarctica.
The project aims to
1) establish where snow algae are in the rest of Antarctica;
2) increase the detection sensitivity of the methods by using drones to detect the red as well as green blooms;
3) determine the range of temperatures, nutrients and light required for the snow algae to bloom;
4) find out how snow algae compare to other major plants in the region such as lichens and mosses and
5) identify whether the snow algae species across Antarctica are all the same and what are they made of.
To do this the team conducts a comprehensive survey of snow algae blooms from detected sites all the way along the Antarctic Peninsula and then studies one very large bloom for a whole growth season. Once all this information is available, they can construct detailed models to predict how the snow algae blooms will change in location, size, biomass and species in the coming years. Overall, this will be a significant advance in our understanding of the Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem.
Dr Matthew Davey is the lead Principal Investigator and will have overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the project. He will lead the algal biology work package and carry out field work.
Project details
Start date: February 1, 2021
Finish date: February 29, 2024
Project value: £797k
Funders
NERC Standard Grant
Partners
SAMS (Lead: Dr Matthew Davey); University of Edinburgh; University of Cambridge; British Antarctic Survey
Cambridge Centre for Earth Observation 