PROTEUS – Impacts of harvesting on biodiversity and resilience of Norwegian kelp forests.
Seaweeds are an incredible marine resource that have provided for humans for centuries as food, fertilisers and, more recently, as diverse products such as bioplastics, cosmetics and medicines. The seaweed industry continues to expand, supporting millions of livelihoods worldwide through aquaculture and wild harvesting while holding deep cultural, social and economic importance to many coastal communities. My research examines the environmental impacts of this rapidly growing sector to inform responsible practices and legislation. Through this work, I aim to support the sustainable growth of the seaweed industry while safeguarding the marine ecosystems on which it depends.
My work on the PROTEUS project investigates the effects of kelp harvesting on marine biodiversity in Norway, focusing on benthic communities and fish populations. I will also examine the resilience of kelp forests to current harvesting practices in relation to other environmental stressors.
Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, where I developed strategies to align conservation of wild seaweeds with the long-term resilience of the global seaweed industry. I completed my PhD at the University of Exeter and the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, where I studied how seaweed and shellfish farms affect local biodiversity and wider marine ecosystem functioning. Before I worked with seaweeds, I researched air-sea carbon dioxide fluxes in estuaries and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the impacts of climate change and conservation efforts on sea turtles in the Mediterranean.
Qualifications:
- 2024: PhD, University of Exeter, UK – Evaluating the environmental impacts of seaweed and shellfish farming in southwest UK
- 2019: MSci Marine Biology, University of Exeter, UK – Masters dissertation: Quantifying the strength and variability of estuarine-atmosphere carbon dioxide fluxes using low-cost sensors.
Selected Peer Reviewed Publications:
Full list: Google Scholar
Corrigan S, Smale DA, Tyler CR, Brown AR (In press). Assessing the influence of seaweed and shellfish aquaculture on benthic communities in the western English Channel. Aquaculture Environment Interactions. https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00504.
Corrigan S, Smale DA, Tyler CR, Brown AR (2024). Quantification of finfish assemblages associated with mussel and seaweed farms in southwest UK provides evidence of potential benefits to fisheries. Aquaculture Environment Interactions, 11(16): 145-62. https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00478
Corrigan, S, Brown, AR, Tyler, CR, Wilding, C, Daniels, C, Ashton, IGC, & Smale, DA (2023a). Development and Diversity of Epibiont Assemblages on Cultivated Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) in Relation to Farming Schedules and Harvesting Techniques. Life, 13(1): 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13010209
Corrigan S, Brown AR, Tyler CR, Wilding C, Daniels C, Ashton IG, Smale DA (2023b). Home sweet home: Comparison of epibiont assemblages associated with cultivated and wild sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), co-cultivated blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and farm infrastructure. Journal of Applied Phycology, 36(2): 611-625.
Corrigan S, Brown AR, Ashton IG, Smale DA, Tyler CR (2022). Quantifying habitat provisioning at macroalgal cultivation sites. Reviews in Aquaculture, 14(3): 1671-1694. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12669
Other Publications:
Corrigan S, Cottier-Cook EJ, Lim PE., Brodie J (2025). The State of the World’s Seaweeds. The Natural History Museum, London. https://doi.org/10.5519/4ln9oqk7.
Beattie S, Brodie J, Lim PE, Corrigan S, Kambey CSB, Poong SW, Cottier-Cook, EJ (2025). Recognising seaweeds: addressing gaps in international biodiversity frameworks for global seaweed protection. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3497.
Ford DJ, Shutler JD, Blanco-Sacristán J, Corrigan S, Bell TG, Yang M, Kitidis V, Nightingale PD, Brown I, Wimmer W and Woolf DK (2024). Enhanced ocean CO2 uptake due to near-surface temperature gradients. Nature Geoscience, 17(11): 1135-1140. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01570-7.
Walker, C, Corrigan, S, Daniels, C, Wilding, C, Woodward, EMS, Widdicombe, CE, Smale, DA, Ashton, IGC and Brown, AR (2023). Field assessment of the potential for small scale co-cultivation of seaweed and shellfish to regulate nutrients and plankton dynamics. Aquaculture Reports, 33, p.101789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2023.101789.
Wilding C, Tillin H, Corrigan S, Stuart E, Ashton IGC, Felstead P, Lubelski A, Burrows M, Smale DA. (2021). Seaweed aquaculture and mechanical harvesting: an evidence review to support sustainable management. Natural England Commissioned Reports. Natural England Report NECR378.
Achievements and Awards:
- 2024: Irene Manton prize – British Phycological Society
- 2022: Devon Environment Fund – contributed to BIOME Algae winning £25k funding for sustainable farming
- 2022: Grant winner, Conference travel Award, British Phycological Society
- 2022: Runner Up Bright Future Award: Student Innovation – University of Exeter
- 2021: Best Talk & People’s Choice Poster – Marine Biological Association Postgraduate conference
- 2019: Highest MSci Project Mark – University of Exeter
- 2017 & 2019: Dean’s Commendation – University of Exeter
- 2019: College of Life and Environmental Science School’s Commendation– University of Exeter
- 2018: Students as Agents of Change Award for contribution to science communication – University of Exeter
Links: Google Scholar ResearchGate
Wernberg & Filbee-Dexter Labs 