Gemma Kulk

Background

About Gemma Kulk

I am a senior scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, where I lead novel research on the role of phytoplankton in the ocean carbon cycle using ocean-colour remote sensing. I have contributed to the first remote-sensing-based budget of the ocean biological carbon pump and am currently leading research to establish a full ocean carbon budget from satellite observations through the European Space Agency-funded project ‘Satellite-based observations of Carbon in the Ocean: Pools, Fluxes and Exchanges’ (SCOPE). I am a member of the working group on Primary Production of the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG) and a contributing author the Aquatic Carbon Roadmap of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). In addition, I co-develops new, innovative research on the environmental controls of waterborne diseases and have regional expertise on water quality in relation to human health in the southwest of India. I currently co-lead the Wellcome Trust-funded project ‘Water-Associated infectious Diseases in India’ (WADIM), that aims to reduce the burden of water-associated diseases in two locations in the north and southwest of India through the development of digital technologies. I am a member of the Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) thematic group on Public Health and Climate Change and have co-authored policy briefs on the impact of climate change on water quality and human health that contributed to the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change I hold a PhD in Mathematics and Natural Sciences from the University of Groningen and before joining PML in 2018 I worked in the Netherlands and overseas on various research projects. During this time, I built over 10 years of interdisciplinary research experience combining laboratory experiments with field measurements in the North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, the Artic Ocean and the western Antarctic Peninsula, studying the response or marine phytoplankton to changing environmental conditions. I am an established project manager and educator. I have 2 years of full time experience in project management and have scientifically managed two projects funded by the European Space Agency. I have also supervised and mentored BSc and MSc students and have been involved in outreach activities at secondary schools, both at national and international level.