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Professor Mark Brandon
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Professional biography
Professor Mark Brandon
Associate Dean (Enterprise and External Engagement) STEM Faculty.
I am a polar oceanographer committed to research and education not only to university undergraduates, but in the widest possible sense. Ultimately, my main ambitions are around helping as many people as possible understand our planet and the importance of the relatively remote polar regions to our climate and life.
My research is mostly based around the way the oceans interact with the frozen parts of our planet in Antarctica and the High Arctic. But of course, that affects us through most obviously sea level rise, and by affecting our weather. Some recent work I contributed to on sea level rise was highlighted on the cover of Nature. You can find this on my publications page.
Edwards, T. L., Brandon, M. A., Durand, G., Edwards, N. R., Golledge, N. R., Holden, P. B., et al. (2019). Revisiting Antarctic ice loss due to marine ice-cliff instability. Nature, 566(7742), 58–64.
Award Winning Teaching
I have won many awards leading complex multi stakeholder projects that change how people understand our environment, people and planet.
With a PhD in polar oceanography and 25 years’ experience I have a track record of leading successful large projects in research and teaching. As an expert communicator, I have shaped and developed the narrative of geographic knowledge in broadcast projects watched by more than 200 million people worldwide, and in 2012 I was awarded the honour of Times Higher Education Most Innovative Teacher of the Year.
I have an international research reputation and by embedding my research in television series like BBC Frozen Planet I have created a world class research impact (Public debate, engagement and participation associated with the BBC documentary series, Frozen Planet).
To date I have published more than 40 peer reviewed research articles. If you are interested citation metrics you could look at Google Scholar (h index 31 Feb 2020) or Scopus (h index 28 Feb 2020).
As well as the Times Higher Education Award for "Most Innovative Teacher of the year" (official citation). I have won three Open University Teaching Awards.
I am responsible for co‐ordinating and leading free learning and broadcast across the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Faculty. Unfortunately, due to embargoes I cannot list the series and programs I am working on. I can tell you they will be good
However, I can tell you I have been have been:
Lead Academic Advisor BBC Frozen Planet (7 hours BBC Prime time) in 2012.
Member of Open University Academic team on Blue Planet 2 (7 hours BBC Prime time) in 2017.
The two Sir David Attenborough Documentaries: Are We Changing Planet Earth? and Can We Save Planet Earth? both in 2006.
Coast Series 1-5 (45 hours BBC 2 2004-9)
Credited Academic on two episodes of BBC One Planet Earth. Ice Worlds (6.37 million viewers (24% audience share) on first viewing). Shallow Seas (7.32 million viewers (28% audience share) on first viewing) in 2007.
Academic Consultant for the BBC Two programme The Iceberg that sank the Titanic. Part of the Natural World Series in 2005.
Academic Consultant for two episodes of the BBC One Series Blue Planet. The Episodes were: Frozen Seas and Seasonal Seas in 2001.
Research interests
I am very interested in polar oceans and the physical processes that happen in them, and to collect data for my research I have spent years working in the high latitudes; often in winter. My particular strengths have been cross disciplinary work and use of robotic and remote sensing technologies, and I am very interested in talking about polar science wherever I can.
I am the current chair of the Program Advisory Group (PAG) for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) programmes RoSES and ORCHESTRA that comprise the bulk of UK ship based Antarctic Oceanographic research to 2022. I was also an International Member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grants Panel “1506 Geosciences”, and have served on panels for The Research Council of Norway.
I am a core member of the NERC Peer Review College, and have sat on many grant panels. I have chaired the NERC Highlights topic in 2018 and 2019, and have acted as Vice Chair on many occasions. I was also co-chair of the NERC Ice Sheet Stability Expert Group with Professor Tony Payne (Bristol).
I am media friendly and over the last decade I have provided many interviews. In 2017, I have appeared on BBC 1 News, BBC News 24, Channel 5, BBC Radio 5, and The World Service. In print, I have been quoted in New Scientist, Sydney Morning Herald, Die Zeit, the BBC News website, International Business Times, and the Business Spectator (Australia). I have written for Geographical (2016), The Conversation (When an Antarctic iceberg the size of a country breaks away, what happens next? 2014, 610k reads) and The Times (2003). I have also appeared on Radio 4 in: Saving Species as a panel member in a 30-minute live broadcast about BBC Frozen Planet, on Making History about icebergs and the sinking of RRS Titanic (both 2012) and More or Less giving expert commentary about the date the Arctic will finally be sea ice “free” (2017).
One aspect of my research was reported by the BBC in 2010 as Giant icebergs head to watery end at island graveyard here - and for a couple of days the story was one of the most popular on the BBC website.
Teaching interests
I have been a leading member of the Open University environment curriculum development team with major contributions to module direction, block/unit chairing leadership, and writing for the production modules:
S175 The Frozen Planet (10 CATS points),
S111 Questions in Science (60 CATS points),
U116 Environment: journeys through a changing world (60 CATS points),
S206 Environmental Science (60 CATS points),
S216 Environmental Science (60 CATS points),
U216 Environment (60 CATS points),
U316 The Environmental Web (60 CATS points), and
S808 Earth science: a systems approach (60 CATS points).
External to the Open University
In 2012 I was also a member of the Module team which put together the FutureLearn course Exploring our oceans.
In 2005 and 2007 I lectured about The Cryosphere at the NERC funded QUEST Earth Systems Science Summer School with Professor Martin Siegert and Dr Finlo Cottier.
Impact and engagement
You will find some videos of me lecturing on my external web site mallemaroking.org.
Research Activity
Research groups
| Name | Type | Parent Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR) | Centre | Faculty of Science |
Publications
Journal articles
Edwards, Tamsin L.; Brandon, Mark A.; Durand, Gael; Edwards, Neil R.; Golledge, Nicholas R.; Holden, Philip; Payne, Antony J.; Ritz, Catherine and Wernecke, Andreas
Nature, 566 (pp. 58-64)
The Antarctic Peninsula Under a 1.5°C Global Warming Scenario (2019)
Siegert, Martin; Atkinson, Angus; Banwell, Alison; Brandon, Mark; Convey, Peter; Davies, Bethan; Downie, Rod; Edwards, Tamsin; Hubbard, Bryn; Marshall, Gareth; Rogelj, Joeri; Rumble, Jane; Stroeve, Julienne and Vaughan, David
Frontiers in Environmental Science, 7, Article 102
Multiple melt plumes observed at the Breiðamerkurjökull ice face in the upper waters of Jökulsárlón lagoon, Iceland (2017-04)
Brandon, Mark; Hodgkins, Richard; Björnsson, Helgi and Ólafsson, Jón
Annals of Glaciology, 58(74) (pp. 131-143)
Pre-melt-season sediment plume variability at Jökulsárlón, Iceland, a preliminary evaluation using in-situ spectroradiometry and satellite imagery (2016-09)
Hodgkins, Richard; Bryant, Robert; Darlington, Eleanor and Brandon, Mark
Annals of Glaciology, 57(73) (pp. 39-46)
Oceanographic observations at the shelf break of the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica (2013-06-13)
Walker, Dziga P.; Jenkins, Adrian; Assmann, Karen M.; Shoosmith, Deborah R. and Brandon, Mark A.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 118(6) (pp. 2906-2918)
Primary production export flux in Marguerite Bay (Antarctic Peninsula): linking upper water-column production to sediment trap flux (2013-05)
Weston, Keith; Jickells, Timothy D.; Carson, Damien S.; Clarke, Andrew; Meredith, Michael P.; Brandon, Mark A.; Wallace, Margaret I.; Ussher, Simon J. and Hendry, Katherine R.
Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 75 (pp. 52-66)
On the characteristics of internal tides and coastal upwelling behaviour in Marguerite Bay, west Antarctic Peninsula (2008-10)
Wallace, Margaret I.; Meredith, Michael P.; Brandon, Mark A.; Sherwin, Toby J.; Dale, Andrew and Clarke, Andrew
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 55(18-19) (pp. 2023-2040)
Seasonal and interannual variability in temperature, chlorophyll and macronutrients in northern Marguerite Bay, Antarctica (2008-10)
Clarke, Andrew; Meredith, Michael P.; Wallace, Margaret I.; Brandon, Mark A. and Thomas, David N.
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 55(18-19) (pp. 1988-2006)
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and investigations of the ice-ocean interface: deploying the Autosub AUV in Antarctic and Arctic waters (2008-05-22)
Dowdeswell, J. A.; Evans, J.; Mugford, R.; Griffiths, G.; McPhail, S.; Millard, N.; Stevenson, P.; Brandon, M. A.; Banks, C.; Heywood, K. J.; Price, M. R.; Dodd, P. A.; Jenkins, A.; Nicholls, K. W.; Hayes, D.; Abrahamsen, E. P; Tyler, P.; Bett, B.; Jones, D.; Wadhams, P.; Wilkinson, J. P.; Stansfield, K. and Ackley, S.
Journal of Glaciology, 54(187) (pp. 661-672)
Variability in the freshwater balance of northern Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula: results from δ18O (2008-02)
Meredith, Michael P.; Brandon, Mark A.; Wallace, Margaret I.; Clarke, Andrew; Leng, Melanie J.; Renfrew, Ian A.; van Lipzig, Nicole P.M. and King, John C.
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 55(3-4) (pp. 309-322)
Oceanic heat transport onto the Amundsen Sea shelf through a submarine glacial trough (2007-01-16)
Walker,, Dziga P.; Brandon, Mark A.; Jenkins, Adrian; Allen, John T.; Dowdeswell, Julian A. and Evans, Jeff
Geophysical Research Letters, 34(L02602) (pp. 1-4)
Measurement of sea-ice draft using upward-looking ADCP on an autonomous underwater vehicle (2006-11)
Banks, C. J.; Brandon, M. A. and Garthwaite, P. H.
Annals of Glaciology, 44(1) (pp. 211-216)
Variability in hydrographic conditions to the east and northwest of South Georgia, 1996-2001 (2005-01)
Meredith, Michael P.; Brandon, Mark A.; Murphy, Eugene J.; Trathan, Philip N.; Thorpe, Sally E.; Bone, Douglas G.; Chemyshkov, Pavel P. and Sushin, Viacheslav A.
Journal of Marine Systems, 53(1-4) (pp. 143-167)
Impact of the 1997/98 ENSO on upper ocean characteristics in Marguerite Bay, western Antarctic Peninsula (2004-09-24)
Meredith, Meredith P.; Renfrew, Ian A.; Clarke, Andrew; King, John C. and Brandon, Mark A.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 109(C9) (C09013)
Tracking passive drifters in a high resolution ocean model: implications for interannual variability of larval krill transport to South Georgia (2004-07-29)
Thorpe, S. E.; Heywood, K. J.; Stevens, D. P. and Brandon, M. A.
Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 51(7) (pp. 909-920)
Physical oceanography in the Scotia Sea during the CCAMLR 2000 survey, austral summer 2000 (2004-06)
Brandon, Mark A.; Naganobu, Mikio; Demer, David A.; Chemyshkov, Pavel; Trathan, Phillip N.; Thorpe, Sally E.; Kameda, Takahiko; Berezhinskiy, Oleg A.; Hawker, Elizabeth J. and Grant, Sharon
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 51(12-13) (pp. 1301-1321)
Biomass of Antarctic krill in the Scotia Sea in January/February 2000 and its use in revising an estimate of precautionary yield (2004-06)
Hewitt, R. P.; Watkins, J.; Naganobu, M.; Sushin, V.; Brierley, A. S.; Demer, D.; Kasatkina, S.; Takao, Y.; Goss, C.; Malyshko, A.; Brandon, M.; Kawaguchi, S.; Siegel, V.; Trathan, P.; Emery, J.; Everson, I. and Miller, D.
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 51(12-13) (pp. 1215-1236)
Factors influencing the distribution, biomass, and productivity of phytoplankton in the Scotia Sea and adjoining waters (2004-06)
Holm-Hansen, O.; Naganobu, M.; Kawaguchi, S.; Kameda, T.; Krasovski, I.; Tchernyshkov, P.; Priddle, J.; Korb, R.; Brandon, M.; Demer, D.; Hewitt, R .P.; Kahru, M. and Hewes, C. D.
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 51(12-13) (pp. 1333-1350)
Mesozooplankton community structure in the Scotia Sea during the CCAMLR 2000 Survey: January-February 2000 (2004-06)
Ward, Peter; Grant, Sharon; Brandon, Mark; Siegel, Volker; Sushin, Vyacheslav; Loeb, Valerie and Griffiths, Huw
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 51(12-13) (pp. 1351-1367)
Oceanographic variability and changes in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) abundance at South Georgia (2003-11)
Trathan, P. N.; Brierley, A. S.; Brandon, M. A.; Bone, D.G.; Goss, C.; Grant, S. A.; Murphy, E. J. and Watkins, J. L.
Fisheries Oceanography, 12(6) (pp. 569-583)
Mesozooplankton community structure across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to the north of South Georgia: Southern Ocean (2003-07)
Ward, P.; Whitehouse, M.; Brandon, M.; Shreeve, R. and Woodd-Walker, R.
Marine Biology, 143(1) (pp. 121-130)
Transport and variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Drake Passage (2003-05-31)
Cunningham, S. A.; Alderson, S. G.; King, B. A. and Brandon, M. A.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 108(C5) (pp. 1-17)
Biogeochemistry of a Southern Ocean plankton ecosystem: Using natural variability in community composition to study the role of metazooplankton in carbon and nitrogen cycles (2003-04-30)
Priddle, Julian; Whitehouse, Michael J.; Ward, Peter; Shreeve, Rachael S.; Brierley, Andrew S.; Atkinson, Angus; Watkins, Jonathan L.; Brandon, Mark A. and Cripps, Geoffrey C.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 108(C4) (pp. 1-13)
An investigation of avoidance by Antarctic krill of RRS James Clark Ross using the Autosub-2 autonomous underwater vehicle (2003-02)
Brierley, A.S; Fernandes, P.G; Brandon, M. A.; Armstrong, F.; Millard, N. W.; McPhail, S. D.; Stevenson, P.; Pebody, M.; Perrett, J.; Squires, M.; Bone, D.G. and Griffiths, G.
Fisheries Research, 60(2-3) (pp. 569-576)
Variability of the southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current front north of South Georgia (2002-11)
Thorpe, Sally E.; Heywood, Karen J.; Brandon, Mark A. and Stevens, David P.
Journal of Marine Systems, 37(1-3) (pp. 87-105)
Setting a precautionary catch limit for Antarctic krill (2002-10)
Hewitt, R. P.; Watkins, J. L.; Naganobu, M.; Tshernyshkov, P.; Brierley, A. S.; Demer, D. A.; Kasatkina, S.; Takao, Y.; Goss, C.; Malyshko, A.; Brandon, M. A.; Kawaguchi, S.; Siegel, V.; Trathan, P. N.; Emery, J. H.; Everson, I. and Miller, D. G. M.
Oceanography, 15(3) (pp. 26-33)
Antarctic krill under sea ice: Elevated abundance in a narrow band just south of ice edge (2002-03-08)
Brierley, Andrew S.; Fernandes, Paul G.; Brandon, Mark A.; Armstrong, Frederick; Millard, Nicholas W.; McPhail, Steven D.; Stevenson, Peter; Pebody, Miles; Perrett, James; Squires, Mark; Bone, Douglas G. and Griffiths, Gwyn
Science, 295(5561) (pp. 1890-1892)
South Georgia, Antarctica: a productive, cold water, pelagic ecosystem (2001-07-06)
Atkinson, A.; Whitehouse, M. J.; Priddle, J.; Cripps, G. C.; Ward, P. and Brandon, M. A.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 216 (pp. 279-308)
Measurement of ocean temperatures using instruments carried by Antarctic fur seals (2001-01)
Boyd, I. L.; Hawker, E. J.; Brandon, M. A. and Staniland, I. J.
Journal of Marine Systems, 27(4) (pp. 277-288)
Chlorophyll/nutrient characteristics in the water masses to the north of South Georgia, Southern Ocean (2000-06)
Whitehouse, M. J.; Priddle, J. and Brandon, Mark
Polar Biology, 23(6) (pp. 373-372)
Living probes into the marine environment: apex predators as oceanographic platforms (2000-04)
Hooker, Sascha K.; Boyd, Ian L.; Brandon, Mark A. and Hawker, Elizabeth J.
Ocean Challenge, 10(2) (pp. 25-32)
Physical oceanographic conditions to the northwest of the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia (2000)
Brandon, M. A.; Murphy, E. J.; Trathan, P. N. and Bone, D. G.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 105(C10) (pp. 23983-23996)
Transport and Structure within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to the North of South Georgia (2000)
Trathan, P. N.; Brandon, M. A.; Murphy, E. J. and Thorpe, S. E.
Geophysical Research Letters, 27(12) (pp. 1727-1730)
The shelf break front to the east of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia (1999)
Brandon, Mark A.; Murphy, Eugene J.; Whitehouse, Michael J.; Trathan, Philip N.; Murray, Alistair W. A.; Bone, Douglas G. and Priddle, Julian
Continental Shelf Research, 19(6) (pp. 799-819)
The near surface hydrography beneath the Odden ice tongue (1999)
Brandon, M. A. and Wadhams, P.
Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 46(6-7) (pp. 1301-1318)
Potential for long-distance dispersal of Euphausia crystallorophias in fast current jets (1999)
Brierley, A. S. and Brandon, M. A.
Marine Biology, 135(1) (pp. 77-82)
A comparison of chlorophyll/nutrient dynamics at two survey sites near South Georgia, and the potential role of planktonic nitrogen recycled by land-based predators (1999)
Whitehouse, M. J.; Priddle, J.; Brandon, M. A. and Swanson, C.
Limnology and Oceanography, 44(6) (pp. 1498-1508)
An assessment of the utility of an acoustic Doppler current profiler for biomass estimation (1998)
Brierley, Andrew S.; Brandon, Mark A. and Watkins, Jonathan L.
Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 45(9) (pp. 1555-1573)
Interannual variability of the South Georgia marine ecosystem: biological and physical sources of variation in the abundance of krill (1998)
Murphy, E. J.; Watkins, J. L.; Reid, K.; Trathan, P. N.; Everson, I.; Croxall, J. P.; Priddle, J.; Brandon, M. A.; Brierley, A. S. and Hofmann, E.
Fisheries Oceanography, 7(3-4) (pp. 381-390)
Characterization of the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone to the north of South Georgia in summer 1994 (1997)
Trathan, P. N.; Brandon, M. A. and Murphy, E. J.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 102(C5) (pp. 10483-10497)
The development of the Odden ice tongue in the Greenland Sea during winter 1993 from remote sensing and field observations (1996)
Wadhams, P.; Comiso, J. C.; Prussen, E.; Wells, S.; Brandon, M.; Aldworth, E.; Viehoff, T.; Allegrino, R. and Crane, D. R.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 101(C8) (pp. 18213-18235)
Substantial open-ocean phytoplankton blooms to the north of South Georgia, South Atlantic, during summer (1996)
Whitehouse, M. J.; Priddle, J.; Trathan, P. N. and Brandon, M. A.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 140(1-3) (pp. 187-197)
Book chapters
Thomas, David N.; Cottier, Finlo R. and Brandon, Mark A.
In: Richardson, Douglas; Castree, Noel; Goodchild, Michael F.; Kobayashi, Audrey; Liu, Weidong and Marston, Richard A. eds. The International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology
ISBN : 9781118786352 | Publisher : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd | Published : Oxford, UK
Oceanography and sea ice in the Southern Ocean (2017-02-08)
Meredith, Michael P. and Brandon, Mark
In: Thomas, David N. ed. Sea Ice (3rd ed) (pp. 216-238)
ISBN : 978-1-118-77838-8 | Publisher : John Wiley & Sons | Published : Chichester
Sea ice and oceanography (2009-10)
Brandon, Mark A.; Cottier, Finlo R. and Nilsen, Frank
In: Thomas, David N. and Dieckmann, Gerhard S. eds. Sea Ice
ISBN : 978-1-4051-8580-6 | Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell | Published : UK
Water (2003-03)
Brandon, Mark and Smith, Sandy
In: Morris, Dick; Freeland, Joanna R.; Hinchliffe, Steve and Smith, Sandy eds. Changing Environments. Wiley Environment Series (pp. 185-230)
ISBN : 470849991 | Publisher : John Wiley and Sons | Published : Chichester, UK
Edited book
Brandon, Mark A. and Clark, N. H. eds.
ISBN : 749256788 | Publisher : Open University Worldwide | Published : Milton Keynes, UK
Conference items
Brandon, Mark; Smith, Joe; Garrow, Kat and Law, Andrew
In : American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2013. (9-13 Dec 2013, San Francisco)
Hydrographic measurements in Jökulsárlón lagoon, Iceland (2013-12-09)
Brandon, Mark; Hodgkins, Richard; Björnsson, Helgi and Ólaffson, Jón
In : American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2013 (9-13 Dec 2013, San Francisco, CA, USA)
Oceanographic observations at the shelf break of the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica (2012-04)
Walker, D. P.; Jenkins, A.; Brandon, M.; Assmann, K. and Shoosmith, D.
In : EGU General Assembly 2012 (22-27 Apr 2012, Vienna) (p 11070)
Creative climate: a global ten-year communications, research and learning project about environmental change (2010-12)
Brandon, Mark and Smith, Jonathan
In : Fall Meeting American Geophysical Union (13-17 Dec 2010, San Francisco, California, USA.)
The far field effect of ice shelf calving: the oceanographic effect of the decay of large tabular icebergs at South Georgia (2010-10-13)
Brandon, M. A.; Enderlien, P. and Murphy, E.J.
In : Abstract C23C-0648 presented at AGU Fall Meeting (13-17 Dec 2010, San Francisco, CA, USA)
Oceanographic observations at the Amundsen sea shelf break (2004)
Jenkins, Adrian; Hayes, Dan; Brandon, Mark; Pozzi-Walker, Ziggy; Hardy, Sarah and Banks, Christopher
In : 17th International Workshop of the Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes (FRISP) (17-18 Jun 2003, Cambridge, England, UK)
Other
Feltham, Daniel; Bacon, Sheldon; Brandon, Mark and Hunt, Julian
The Royal Society
Discussion meeting issue 'Arctic sea ice reduction: the evidence, models and impacts (Part 1)'. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (373) 2045 (2015-07-13)
Feltham, Daniel; Bacon, Sheldon; Brandon, Mark and Hunt, Julian
The Royal Society
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