RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Ocean-shelf exchange, mixing processes
  • Coastal oceanography
  • Ocean-atmosphere interaction, particularly wind-driven processes
  • Synthesis of large datasets
  • Application of novel sensors and techniques
  • High latitude oceanography
  • Data visualisation

EDUCATION

  • 2012 – 2016    Ph.D. Marine Science. University of Aberdeen / Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Oban, UK.
  • 2009    M.Sc. Oceanography. University of Southampton / National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton, UK.
  • 2004    B.Sc. (Hons) Mechanical Design & Manufacture.  University of Plymouth,  Plymouth, UK.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Postdoctoral Research

PDRA Physical Oceanographer, SAMS, Oban, UK, January 2019 – present

I lead on scientific investigations supporting OSNAP (Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program), a network of moorings spanning the North Atlantic Ocean.  I am responsible for delivering high quality data from UK moorings to the international program, and recently coordinated the successful implementation of a new processing software for moorings and robotic gliders.  I contribute to deep ocean mooring design, and lead on mooring and lander deployment and recovery on research cruises.  I am a field leader in the visualisation of complex environmental datasets, and this work has generated considerable impact both for myself and other researchers.  I regularly provide data visualisation guidance to international collaborators.  I teach and supervise the subjects of programming, physics, robotics and marine science, and am a chair-invited member of the ICES Working Group on Oceanic Hydrography.  I also contribute to:

  • iAtlantic: Generating timeseries from model and observation data, and calculation of statistics. We aim to develop two papers from this work.
  • HECLA: Project aimed at improving the Navy’s ability to collect and exploit hydrographic and oceanographic information using autonomous platforms.

Translational Ocean Data Analyst, SAMS, Oban, UK, May 2016 – January 2019

In this role, my research focussed on the role of slope current instability in mediating exchange between the abyssal ocean and shallow seas.  In this role, I also contributed to:

  • Oceanids C2 (command and control): Development of a unified and consistent infrastructure for the control of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles. I worked on the ocean data synthesis and autonomous piloting work packages.
  • MASSMO (Marine Autonomous Systems in Support of Marine Observations): Pioneering multi-partner series of trials and demonstrator missions that aimed to explore and expand the use of marine robots. I contributed near real-time data products using glider data, glider-historical data syntheses, 3D data visualisation for mission planning.
  • SOLSTICE (Sustainable Oceans, Livelihoods and food Security Through Increased Capacity in Ecosystem research): 3D data visualisation and model data analysis in Pemba Channel region, Tanzania.
  • ODaT (Ocean Data Tool): Development of an online GIS data tool which translates the output of NERC oceanographic programmes into products which can be used by the wider marine community. Work with Marine Scotland, Navy (DSTL) and BP to improve the scientific contribution to environmental monitoring.  Resulted in a significant contribution to: Hughes, S.L., Hindson, J., Berx, B., Gallego, A. and Turrell, W.R. (2018) Scottish Ocean Climate Status Report 2016. Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 9 No 4, 167pp. DOI: 10.7489/12086-1

Doctoral Research

Graduate Research Assistant, SAMS, Oban, UK, 2012 – 2016

Thesis title: Shelf edge exchange and the influence on coastal oceanography.  Supervisors: Dr. Finlo Cottier, Prof. Mark Inall.

  • Investigated the impacts of shelf edge exchange processes on coastal waters, using a combination of historical data and contemporary observations.
  • Collaborated with members of the FASTNEt (Fluxes Across Sloping Topography of the North East Atlantic) consortium to provide a historical basis to observations and model studies during the 4-year project.
  • Combined historical observations to construct a high quality multi-decadal time series of salinity between the Scottish coastline and the continental shelf edge.
  • Demonstrated a causal link between wind forcing and the advection of oceanic waters towards the Scottish coastline using a statistical model of the European Shelf.

Masters Research

Graduate Student, University of Southampton / NOC, Southampton, UK, 2008 – 2009.

Thesis title: On the formation and variability of Antarctic Bottom Water.  Supervisors: Dr. Loic Jullion, Prof. Alberto Naveira Garabato.

  • Investigated a potential link between wind forcing over the Weddell Sea and export of Antarctic Bottom Water into the Southern Ocean.  Resulted in a publication (Jullion et al., 2010).

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

2009-2012:     Marine Data Scientist, British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), Liverpool, UK.

  • Responsible for the real-time data systems for the UK Argo profiling float project.
  • Ensured delivery of Argo data to Global Data Assembly Centres and the Met Office.
  • Screened floats for engineering and oceanographic anomalies prior to distribution.
  • Developed software in Matlab and SQL to update the UK Argo data system.
  • Represented BODC and the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) at international conferences.
  • Maintained the Southern Ocean Argo Regional Centre.

2007-2008:       Design Engineer, Finetubes, Plymouth, UK.

  • Design and development of in-house machinery and test equipment, supplying the aerospace, nuclear and marine industries.

PUBLICATIONS

Refereed publications

Berthou, S., Renshaw, R., Smyth, T., Tinker, J., Grist, J., Wihsgott, J.U., Jones, S.C., Inall, M., Nolan, G., Arnold, A., Blunn, L., Manuel, J., Gomez, B., Fraser-Leonhard, V., Hirschi, J., Lewis, H., Mahmood, S., Worsford, M., 2024. Exceptional atmospheric conditions in June 2023 generated a northwest European marine heatwave which contributed to breaking land temperature records. Nature Communications Eath & Environment, 5(1), p.287. doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01413-8.

Johnson, C., Fraser, N., Cunningham, S.A., Burmeister, K., Jones, S.C., Drysdale, L., Abell, R., Brown, P., Dumont, E., Fox, A., N. Holliday, N.P., Inall, M.A. and Reed, S., 2024. Biogeochemical properties and transports in the North East Atlantic. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 129(4), p.e2023JC020427. doi:10.1029/2023JC020427.

Yao Fu, M. Lozier, S., Carrilho Biló, T., Bower, A., Cunningham, S., Cyr, F., de Jong, F., deYoung, B., Drysdale, L., Fraser, N., Fried, N., Furey, H.H., Han, G., Handmann, P., Holliday, N.P., Holte, J., Inall, M., Johns, W.E., Jones, S.C., Karstensen, J., Li, F., Pacini, A., Pickart, R., Rayner, D., Straneo, F., Yashayaev, I., 2023. Seasonality of the Meridional Overturning Circulation in the subpolar North Atlantic. Nature Communications Earth & Environment 4, 181, doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00848-9.

Jones, S.C., Fraser, N.J., Cunningham, S.A., Fox, A.D., Inall, M.E., 2023. Observation-based estimates of volume, heat and freshwater exchanges between the subpolar North Atlantic interior, its boundary currents and the atmosphere.  Ocean Science, 19(1), pp.169–192, doi:10.5194/os-19-169-2023.

Fraser, N.J., Cunningham, S.A., Drysdale, L.A., Inall, M.E., Johnson, C. Jones, S.C., Burmeister, K., Fox, A.D., Porter, M., Holliday, N.P., 2022. North Atlantic Current and European Slope Current circulation in the Rockall Trough observed using moorings and gliders.  Journal of Geophysical Research, e2022JC019291, doi:10.1029/2022JC019291.

Huthnance, J., Hopkins, J., Berx, B., Dale, A., Holt, J., Hosegood, P., Inall, M., Jones, S.C., Loveday, B.R., Miller, P.I. and Polton, J., 2022. Ocean shelf exchange, NW European shelf seas: Measurements, estimates and comparisons. Progress in Oceanography, p.102760.

Li, F., Lozier, M. S., Bacon, S., Cunningham, S., de Jong, M. F., deYoung, B., Fraser, N., Fried, N., Han, G., Holliday, N. P., Holte, J., Houpert, L., Inall, M., Johns, W., Jones, S., Johnson, C. L., Karstensen, J., Le Bras, I. A., Lherminier, P., Lin, X. & 11 others, Mercier, H., Oltmanns, M., Pacini, A., Petit, T., Pickart, R. S., Rayner, D., Straneo, F., Thierry, V., visbeck, M., Yashayaev, I. & Zhou, C. (2021). Subpolar North Atlantic western boundary density anomalies and the Meridional Overturning Circulation. Nature communications, 12(1), pp.1-9.

Houpert, L., Cunningham, S., Fraser, N., Holliday, N.P., Johnson, C., Jones, S., Moat, B., Rayner, D. Observed variability of the North Atlantic Current in the Rockall Trough from four years of mooring measurements. (2020).  Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, doi:10.1029/2020JC016403.

Jones, S.C., Inall, M.E., Porter, M., Graham, J.A., Cottier, F. Storm-driven across-shelf oceanic flows into coastal waters. (2020).  Ocean Science, 16, pp.389-403. doi:10.5194/os-16-389-2020.

Fraser, N., Inall, M.E., Magaldi,M.G., Haine, T.W.N., Jones, S.C. (2018). Wintertime Fjord-Shelf Interaction and Ice Sheet Melting in Southeast Greenland.  Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, doi:10.1029/2018JC014435.

Porter, M., Dale, A., Jones, S.C., Siemering, B., Inall, M.E. (2018). Cross-slope flow in the Atlantic Inflow Current driven by the on shelf deflection of a slope current. Deep-Sea Research Part I,  doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2018.09.002.

Jones, S.C., Cottier, F., Inall, M., & Griffiths, C. (2018). Decadal variability on the Northwest European continental shelf. Progress in Oceanography, doi: 10.1016/j.pocean.2018.01.012

Jones, S.C. (2016). Shelf edge exchange and the influence on coastal oceanography (Doctoral dissertation, University of Aberdeen).

Painter, S.C., Hartman, S.E., Kivimäe, C., Salt, L., Clargo, N.M., Bozec, Y., Daniels, C.J., Jones, S.C., Hemsely, V.S., Munns, L., Allen, S. (2016).  Carbon exchange on the Hebrides Shelf, west of Scotland. Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1002/2015JC011599

Jullion, L., Jones, S.C., Naveira Garabato, A.C., Meredith, M.P. (2010). Wind-controlled export of Antarctic Bottom Water out of the Weddell Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L09609, doi:10.1029/2010GL042822

COMMUNICATIONS

Selected oral presentations

Jones, S. C., (2022). Invited guest speaker for Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) Certificate Programs within the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering (online).

Jones, S. C., Cunningham, S., Fraser, N., Inall, M., Fox, A. (2021).  A climatology of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre boundary. vEGU 2021 (online).

Fraser, N., Inall, M., Magaldi, M., Haine, T., Jones, S. C. (2018).  Wintertime Fjord-Shelf Interaction in Southeast Greenland, EGU 2018, Vienna, Austria.

Jones, S. C., Cottier, F., Inall, M. (2016). Shelf edge exchange and its influence on coastal oceanography, Challenger Society AGM, Liverpool, UK.

Jones, S. C., Cottier, F., Inall, M. (2014). Charting the pathways and inter-annual variability of a shelf edge current, AGU Ocean Sciences 2014, Honolulu, Hawaii (USA).

Selected poster presentations

Jones,S.C., Fraser, N., Drysdale, L., Burmeister, K., Inall, M.A., Cunningham, S.A. (2024). Novel boundary current dynamics characterised by sustained glider observations, AGU Ocean Sciences 2024, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.  Link to poster

Jones S. C., Cunningham S., Houpert, L., Fraser, N. (2019). Circulation around a North Atlantic Plateau, MASTS Annual Science Meeting, Glasgow, UK.  Link to poster

Jones, S. C., Inall, M., Toberman, M., Berx, B. (2018). From historical climatology to near-real time: mapping ocean physics using scattered observations and robotic gliders. Challenger Society AGM, Newcastle, UK. Link to poster

Berx, B., Inall, M., Jones, S. C., Hopkins, J., Huthnance, J. (2016). Exchange between the Slope Current and the West Shetland Shelf, AGU Ocean Sciences 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Huthnance, J.M., Guihou, K., Hopkins, J., Inall, M.E., Jones, S.C.,  Loveday, B., Miller, P., Porter, M.,  Simpson, J., Springys, C., Stashchuk, N., Vlasenko, V., Xu, W. (2016). Transport along and across the north-west European shelf edge, AGU Ocean Sciences 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Link to poster

Jones, S.C., Cottier, F., Inall, M., Porter, M. (2014). The inter-annual behaviour of a coastal current, Challenger Society AGM, Plymouth, UK. Link to poster

Jullion, L., Jones, S.C., Naveira Garabato, A.C., Meredith, M.P. (2010). Inter-annual variability of Antarctic Bottom Water exported from the Weddell Sea, AGU Ocean Sciences, Portland, Oregon, USA. Link to poster

Reports

Burmeister, K., Johnson, C., Jones, S., Inall, M., Cunningham, S., Biastoch, A., Brandt, P., Getzlaff, K., Handmann, P., Herrford, J., Hummels, R., Ivanciu, I., Schwarzkopf, F., Wahl, S. Ecosystem relevant variation and oceanographic trends from present day to 2070, iAtlantic 2024, in prep.

Gonzalez-Pola, C., Larsen, K.M., Fratantoni, P. and Beszczynska-Möller, A. (Eds.). 2023. ICES Report on Ocean Climate 2021. ICES Cooperative Research Reports (CRR). https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.24755574

ICES. 2021. Working Group on Oceanic Hydrography (WGOH; outputs from 2020 meeting). ICES Scientific Reports. 3:91. 12 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8562

NERC, 2021. Report of the NERC Environmental Data Service (EDS) Strategic Need Advisory Group, August 2021. Internal document.

González-Pola, C., Larsen, K. M. H., Fratantoni, P., and Beszczynska-Möller, A. (Eds.). 2020. ICES Report on Ocean Climate 2019. ICES Cooperative Research Reports No. 350. 136 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.7537

González-Pola, C., Larsen, K. M. H., Fratantoni, P., and Beszczynska-Möller, A. (Eds.) 2019. ICES Report on Ocean Climate 2018. ICES Cooperative Research Report No. 349. 122 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.5461

Conference papers

Macdonald, F., Weeks, R.J., Houpert, L., Howe, J A., Jones, S.C. (2016). The Scottish Marine Robotics Facility: use of unmanned vehicles for environmental measurement, monitoring and decision making. Invited paper, 10th IFAC Conference on Control Applications in Marine Systems (CAMS 2016), Trondheim, Norway.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Programming languages: 15 years’ experience of programming and data handling, primarily using MATLAB and Python. I also have experience using Linux, R, SQL, LaTeX, and Git version control (github.com/sjones1000).
  • Environmental data handling: Hydrobase oceanographic database in a linux environment. Acquisition and processing of large observational datasets, including ICES, WOD, BODC, Argo. Climate reanalysis data (ECMWF).  ANDRO trajectory atlas.  AVISO gridded and along-track altimetry.
  • Data visualisation: Use of Paraview visualisation software to generate 3D animations of complex datasets.  ARCHER supercomputing resource overall competition winner – October 2017.  See samcjones.com/data-visualisation/ for more information.
  • Numerical model output: FLAME, AMM7, AMM15, FVCOM, ROMS, VIKING20X.
  • GIS (Geographic Information System): ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap.
  • Image analysis: Automated identification of benthic species using the YOLO machine learning model.
  • Statistical analysis: Advanced statistical modelling techniques using R; Generalised linear modelling, Generalised Additive Mixed Models and Functional Data Analysis.
  • Oceanographic instruments: Sonardyne FETCH pressure sensor preparation, programming and deployment, seabed corer operation, benthic survey using tiled imagery and video from Autonomous Underwater Vehicle platform,  Sea-Bird Microcat, Anderaa current meter, Sea-Bird CTD operation and data processing, RD Instruments ADCP operation, VMDas software operation and data processing, coastal and deep ocean mooring design and deployment.
  • Autonomous Underwater Vehicles: Seaglider pilot, deploy / recovery and data processing.

TEACHING AND SUPERVISION

  • Supervisor for Janne Bruhns, undergraduate dissertation: “Temporal variability in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation driven by density changes at the eastern boundary of the subpolar gyre”, 2022.
  • Teaching: H2 Advanced Mathematics and Programming, H1 Fundamentals of Marine Physics, H3 Ocean Circulation and Climate, H3 Marine Robotics

Nominated for Above and Beyond – Staff category in the Highlands and Islands Student Association Awards 2020.  

Teaching interests include Programming and data handling, physical oceanography, oceanographic instrumentation, robotics in oceanography, statistics for physical oceanography.

SEAGOING EXPERIENCE

  • DY181, RRS Discovery. July 2024. PI: Kristin Burmeister. Sonardyne AZA FETCH pressure sensor deployment, Mooring and CTD operations.
  • M184, R/V Meteor.  August / September 2022.  PI: Dr. Johannes Karstensen (GEOMAR). Sonardyne AZA FETCH pressure sensor deployment, Mooring and CTD operations.
  • DY120, RRS Discovery.  October 2020, PI: Prof. Stuart Cunningham (SAMS). Mooring and CTD operations.
  • DY108, RRS Discovery.  September / October 2019, PI: Dr. Veerle Huvenne (NOC-S). Seabed coring, seabed imagery and topography mapping, mooring and CTD operations.
  • DY017, RRS Discovery.  October / November 2014, PI: Dr. Stuart Painter (NOC-S). Vessel-Mounted ADCP, Sea-Bird CTD processing.
  • JC88, RRS James Cook.   June / July 2013, Hebridean shelf-edge. PI: Prof. Mark Inall (SAMS).  Vessel-Mounted ADCP.
  • D376, RRS Discovery.  June / July 2012, Celtic Sea.  PI: Prof. Mark Inall (SAMS).  Vessel-Mounted ADCP.
  • RV Calanus. March 2013. Coastal mooring refurbishment.
  • RV Calanus. August 2013. Coastal mooring refurbishment.

In addition, numerous shorter coastal surveys / sampling campaigns, and robotic glider deployment and retrieval.

UNIVERSITY SERVICE

  • Co-convener for AMOC session, Challenger Society Conference, September 2022.
  • Tutor on POGO workshop “Best Practices in biogeochemical ocean observation: instrumentation, operation and quality control”, 14 international collaborators, 30 international participants. June 2022. 
  • Co-convener for ICES 4th Decadal symposium, Bergen, June 2022.
  • Reviewer for Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, Progress in Oceanography, Sensors.
  • Construction of ocean-fjord simulation tank for teaching and outreach, May 2016.
  • Seaglider model exhibit for the SAMS Ocean Explorer Centre, Oban, May 2013. Subsequent use in numerous conferences and events showcasing SAMS marine robotics capability.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH

  • Interview for BBC Scotland on AMOC slowdown, March 2024
  • Animation of OSNAP glider occupation. Formed the basis for a news segment on BBC Scotland radio and BBC Scotland evening news with other SAMS staff members interviewed, February 2022
  • Dynamic Earth (Edinburgh) ‘meet the scientists’ outreach event as part of COP26, November 2021
  • Animation on Whittard Canyon internal tides with NOC and SAERI (Falklands) for CLASS
  • Full-page article in Oban Times on AMOC history and SAMS contribution, November 2020
  • Article on melting Greenland glaciers in BBC Scotland, December 2018
  • Organised marine robotics exhibition for open day at SAMS Ocean Explorer Centre, May 2017
  • Science demonstrator at NERC 50th Anniversary event, RRS Discovery, London, October 2015
  • Data visualisation for documentary on the JC-088 cruise
  • Argyll and Bute Astronomical Club Science Festival, October 2013
  • Delivery of interactive physics demonstration to 57 high school students, August 2012
  • SAMS open day science demonstrator, May 2012

WORKING GROUP AND ORGANISATION MEMBERSHIP

NERC Environmental Data Service (EDS) Strategic Need Advisory Working Group (SNAG). Committee advising on the direction and funding priorities for the NERC environmental data centres, January to August 2021

ICES WGOH (Working Group on Oceanic Hydrography) chair-invited member, 2019 – present

SAGES                                  2016 – present

Challenger Society            2014 – present

IMarEST                              2014 – present

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