Professor Andrew K Sweetman

Professor and chair of Seafloor Ecology and Biogeochemistry

Andrew K. Sweetman is the leader of the Seafloor Ecology and Biogeochemistry research group at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), UK.  He holds a PhD in deep-sea ecology from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Germany).  Andrew is an expert on seafloor biodiversity and ecology and has a strong focus on the impact of anthropogenic stressors on shallow and deep-sea benthic ecosystems.  Over the last 12 years, he has generated > 10 million GBP of research funding and led/ co-led a total of 27 research projects (funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[USA], the Norwegian Research Council, the European Union, the Malaysia Research Council, UK Seabed Resources LTD/ Lockheed Martin, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation [USA], The Metals Company Inc, Natural Environment Research Council [UK], Engineering and Physical Science Research Council [UK], Global Challenges Research Fund [UK]) on diverse topics including assessing the effects of i) invasive species (and their removal) on benthic biogeochemistry and ecosystem functioning, ii) aquaculture on deep-sea fjord ecosystems, iii) carbon dioxide release from carbon capture and storage (CCS) reservoirs on continental shelf ecosystems, iv) mine-tailings deposition, massive sulfide and polymetallic nodule mining on deep-sea ecosystems, v) global warming on polar ecosystems and vi) synergistic climate change stressors on shallow and deep-ocean systems.  He has also been leading projects to assess the importance of jellyfish blooms in the biological C-pump, and the effect of dead jellyfish (from jellyfish blooms), wood and kelp material on deep-sea benthic environments.

Contact details:

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2023

ROBERTS JM, BIASTOCH A, CARREIRO-SILVA M, DEVEY C, DOHNA T, DORSCHEL B, GUNN V, HUVENNE VAI, JOHNSON D, JOLLIVET D, KENCHINGTON E, LARKIN K, MATABOS M, MORATO T, NAUMANN MS, OREJAS C, PEREZ JAA, RAGNARSSON SA, SMIT AJ, SWEETMAN AK, UNGER S, HENRY L-A.  “A blueprint for integrating scientific approaches and international communities to assess basin-wide ocean ecosystem status” Nature Communications Earth & Environment, 4: 12, 2023.

2). HIDDINK JG, VAN DE VELDE SJ, MCCONNAUGHEY RA, DE BORGER E, O’NEILL FG, TIANO J, KAISER MJ, SWEETMAN AK, SCIBERRAS M. “Quantifying the carbon benefits of ending bottom trawling.” Nature. In press

3). CECCHETTO, MM, MOSER, A, SMITH, CR, VAN OEVELEN, D, SWEETMAN AK.  “Abyssal seafloor response to fresh phytodetrital input in three Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) in the polymetallic nodule-rich Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).” Deep-Sea Research I, In press.

4). GORI A, OREJAS C, MIENIS F, FERRIER-PAGÈS C, BILAN M, FLÖTER S, REYNAUD S, SWEETMAN AK, ROBERTS JM, WIENBERG C, HEBBELN D. “Natural hypoxic conditions do not affect the respiration rates of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum (Lophelia pertusa) living in the Angola margin (South-eastern Atlantic Ocean)” Deep-Sea Research I. In press.

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