Dr Keith Davidson

Telephone: +44-1631-559256

E-mail: kda@sams.ac.uk

Job Title: Head of Department



Scientific interests

• Coastal phytoplankton ecology
• Harmful algal blooms
• Dissolved organic matter
• Mathematical modelling of marine microbial food webs
• Phytoplankton/protozoan interactions

Current & recent projects

• Senior Scientist of the Monitoring Programme for the presence of toxin producing plankton in Shellfish production areas in Scotland (2005-10, Food Standards Agency)
• Warning of Algal Toxin Events to support aquaculture in the NPP coastal zone Region. WATER.  (2009-11 Interreg IV)
• The competitive dynamics of toxic and non toxic ribotypes of the harmful dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense. PhD studentship (Lisa Eckford-Soper) with Marine Scotland (2009-12 NERC CASE)
• Harmful algae, nuisance blooms and anthropogenic enrichment (2008-10 DEFRA)
• Developing the capacity to monitor the spatial and temporal distributions of jellyfish in western Scottish waters (2009-10 Crown Estate)
• Characterisation of mixed Alexandrium populations in Scottish waters using whole cell fluorescent in situ hybridisation. (2008-9, Food Standards Agency)
• Monitoring the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi in western Scottish waters and determination of key parameters related to its growth and metabolism. (2008-9, Crown Estate)
  
• Forecasting the INitiation of Harmful ALgal blooms "FINAL"  (2006-8, EU Interreg IIIB)
• Predicting the progression of the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi along the Scottish coast and the potential impact for fish farming (2007, Crown Estate)
• Harmful Algae and Human Health (2007-8 NERC)
• Impacts of Organic Nutrient Perturbations on Microbial Community Dynamics (2006-9, PhD Christian Lonborg, EU Ecosummer)

Teaching / supervising activities

Postgraduate

• Supervision of four completed and one current (Lisa Eckford-Soper) PhD students
• External examiner for MSc Aquatic Ecosystem Management at Edinburgh Napier University
• External examiner for two PhD candidates

Undergraduate

• Subject Network leader for Marine Science within UHI (2005-2009)
• Programme leader for the BSc(Hons) in Marine Science at SAMS (2000-2009)
• Module leader for H1 Basic Mathematics
• Module leader for H3 Microbial Ecology
• Lecture on H1 Mathematics & statistics, H1 Field course,  H2 Marine & Estuarine Sytems, H4 Carbon Cycling

Selected Recent Publications

Lønborg C, Álvarez-Salgado XA, Davidson  K, Teira E (2010) Assessing the bioavailability and degradation rates of marine dissolved organic matter by fluorescence spectroscopy In press: Marine Chemistry

Davidson K, Touzet N, McCoy GR, Chapelle A,  Pete R, McNeill S, Raine R (2010) Spatial and temporal distribution of Alexandrium tamarense in Shetland waters In press: Aquatic Living Resources

Touzet N, Davidson K, Pete R, Flanagan K, McCoy GR, Amzil Z, Maher M, Chapelle A, Raine R (2010) Co-occurrence of the West European (Gr. III) and North American (Gr. I) ribotypes of Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) in Shetland, Scotland  In press: Protist

Davidson K & Bresnan E (2009) Shellfish toxicity in UK waters: a threat to human health? Environmental Health 8(Suppl 1):S12 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-S1-S12

Lønborg C, Álvarez–Salgado XA, Davidson K, Miller AEJ (2009)Production of bioavailable and refractory dissolved organic matter by coastal heterotrophic microbial populations. Estuarine Coastal & Shelf Science 82:682-688

Lønborg C, Davidson K, Álvarez-Salgado, XA, Miller AEJ (2009) Bioavailability and bacterial degradiation rates of dissolved organic matter in a temperate coastal area during an annual cycle. Marine Chemistry 113: 219-226

Davidson K, Miller PI, Wilding T, Shutler J, Bresnan E, Kennington K, Swan S (2009) A large and prolonged bloom of Karenia mikimotoi in Scottish waters in 2006. Harmful Algae 8:349-361  doi:10.1016/j.hal.2008.07.007

Montagnes DJS, Barbosa AB, Boenigk J, Davidson K, Jürgens K, Macek M, Parry J, Roberts EC, Šimek K (2008) Selective feeding behaviour of free-living protists: views on, and avenues for, continued study. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 53:83-98

Davidson K, Gilpin LC, Hart M, Fouillard E, Mitchell E, Alvarez-Calleja C, Laurent C, Miller AEJ & Leakey RJ (2007) The influence of the balance of inorganic and organic nitrogen on microbial food web dynamics. Limnology & Oceanography 52:2147-2163

Davidson, K & Fehling J (2006) Modelling the influence of silicon and phosphorus limitation on the growth and toxicity of Pseudo-nitzschia seriata. In: Harmful Algae 2004. Eds Pitcher GC, Probyn TA, Verheye HM. African J. Mar Sci 28:357-360

Fehling J., Davidson K., Bolch C.J., Tett P. (2006) Seasonality of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. (Bacillariophyceae) in western Scottish waters.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 323:91-105

Davidson K., Roberts E.C., Wilson A.M., Mitchell E. (2005) The role of prey nutritional status in governing protozoan nitrogen regeneration efficiency. Protist 156: 45-62

Fehling J., Davidson K., Bates S.S. (2005) Growth dynamics of non-toxic Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima and toxic P. seriata (Bacillariophyceae) under simulated spring and summer photoperiods. Harmful Algae 4: 763-769

Fehling J., Davidson K., Bolch C.J.,  Bates S.S. (2004) Growth and domoic acid production of Pseudo-nitzschia seriata (P.T. Cleve) H. Peragallo  (Bacillariophyceae) under  Phosphate and Silicate limitation.  J. Phycology 40: 674-683

Fehling J., Green D.H., Davidson K, Bolch C.J., Bates S.S. (2004) Domoic acid production by Pseudo-nitzschia seriata (bacillariophyceae) in scottish waters.  J. Phycology 40: 622-630

Gilpin L.C.., Davidson K.,, Roberts E.C. (2004) The influence of changes in nitrogen:silicon ratios on diatom growth dynamics. J Sea Research 51:21-35

Roberts E.C., Davidson K., Gilpin L.C. (2003) Responses of Microplankton communities to N:Si ratio perturbations. J. Plankton Res 25:1485-1495

full publication list


Educational and career history

• 2009 Appointed head of Microbial and Molecular Biology Department, SAMS
• 2006 Promoted Senior Lecturer in Microbial Ecology SAMS
• 1998 Appointed Lecturer in Microbial Ecology SAMS
• 1998 Appointed NERC Research Fellow Plymouth Marine Laboratory
• 1995 Appointed PDRA U. Wales Swansea / U. Strathclyde
• 1993 Appointed PDRA U. Wales, Swansea
• 1993 Awarded PhD Mathematical modelling of phytoplankton/protozoan interactions, U. Strathclyde
• 1989 Awarded BSc(Hons) 1st Class in Applied Physics, U. Strathclyde

Other

• Member of NERC peer college
• Member of ICES Working Group on Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics