Dr James Clark

I lead a portfolio of marine science research at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) that focusses on applying ocean modelling, novel technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to understand how human activities are changing our ocean – and what that means for the ecosystems that depend on it.

As head of PML’s Fine Scale Ocean Modelling team, I lead the development and application of coupled ocean-biogeochemical models that are tailored to problems demanding high spatial resolution. This includes leading PML’s fine scale modelling contribution to EQUIFy, a project examining how floating offshore wind expansion affects the physical and ecological functioning of the marine environment in the Celtic Sea. At the European level, I serve as PML’s institute lead and work package lead on NECCTON, a large EU project developing next-generation biogeochemical products for the Copernicus Marine Service. I also apply modelling approaches to the study of ocean plastic pollution, developing and applying models to track the transport of plastic through the ocean. This work contributes to PML’s Marine Pollution Challenge Area, through which we offer the modelling capability and scientific expertise needed to support efforts to understand and address marine pollution.

Alongside this modelling work, I lead two projects that are bringing new technology to the problem of plankton monitoring: APICS, which involved designing, building, and deploying an in situ dual-camera plankton imaging system capable of high-frequency autonomous sampling; and DEAL, which is developing a decentralised AI-powered classifier to enable research groups worldwide to collaborate on plankton image classification. This work supports PML’s Big Data to Protect Marine Biodiversity solution portfolio, which I lead as part of PML’s Biodiversity Loss Challenge Area. Drawing on PML’s interdisciplinary strengths – from autonomous monitoring and environmental DNA research to observing marine biodiversity from space – the portfolio brings together the tools, data, and scientific expertise to deliver credible, actionable insight for those working to address marine biodiversity loss.

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Key Projects

PML PI and Work Package 5 Lead for the Horizon Europe New Copernicus Capability for Trophic Ocean Networks (NECCTON) project (2023 – 2027).

PI for the NERC Automated Plankton Imaging and Classification System (APICS) project (2022 – 2024),

PML PI for UK Regional Environmental Prediction project (2017 – ).

PI for the Copernicus Climate Change Marine, Coastal and Fisheries Sectoral Information System project (2018 – 2019).

PML PI for the Economics of Marine Plastic Pollution: What are the benefits of International Cooperation project (2019 – 2023)

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Selected Publications

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