PhD Candidate, School of Geography, Queen Mary University London

NERC-Funded CSaP Policy Intern (May 2014 - July 2014)

Michelle is a final year PhD student at the School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London. Her research focuses on the biogeochemical cycling of mercury in restored coastal wetlands. The aim of coastal restoration is to restore saltmarshes so that they function as both flood defences and ecological conservation areas. However, in anaerobic conditions, inorganic mercury can be converted to methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin that biomagnifies to dangerous concentrations in food webs. Even low levels of methylmercury in surface water can bioaccumulate to high levels of methylmercury concentrations in fish. This PhD aims to understand the controls upon mercury dynamics in restored coastal wetlands, with specific emphasis on the effects of ecosystem restoration on methylmercury production.

Michelle was a Policy Intern at the Centre of Science and Policy from May 2014 to July 2014. She gained experience working within policy and regulation, learning how to promote knowledge exchange between researchers and policy professionals.