Philip Boyd is Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. Philip's in-depth research interests range from ecology to biogeochemistry and include the joint development of decision support tools (such as for climate change, geoengineering) with economists and policy analysts. He has helped to develop (with these collaborators) and structure interactive workshops, for a range of policy makers, to introduce and employ the decision-making tools to assist with implementation of uptake of this science.

Career summary

Qualifications

Biography

Philip commenced his career as a postdoctoral researcher at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK) where he was a part of the seminal Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). This led to a four year postdoctoral position at the School of Oceanography (University of British Columbia, Canada), followed by an appointment as a Phytoplankton Ecologist with the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA, New Zealand). In New Zealand, he established the NIWA Centre for Chemical and Physical Oceanography – based at the Chemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin.  In 2013, he took up his current appointment as a Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania.

Research Themes

Over the last two decades Philip's research has been characterised by international transdisciplinary research across the broad themes of ocean biogeochemistry, biological oceanography, phytoplankton processes, and open ocean ecosystems. Each of these themes comprises many disciplines – for example marine chemistry, satellite oceanography, carbon sequestration. His research trajectory has been further broadened by the need to better understand the influence of oceanic processes on Earth's climate (and vice-versa).  For example can certain oceanic processes – such as ocean's biological carbon pump – be strengthened to 'geoengineer' the climate to mitigate rising carbon dioxide emissions?  Philip has also linked this research into policy by examining the wider societal ramifications of geoengineering. A further example of the breadth of this research is his current investigations into how climate change is altering marine productivity and hence the flows of energy to foodwebs. Nationally, Philip is currently a theme leader (Under-ice and open water foodwebs) in the ARC-funded Antarctic Gateway, and a project leader (Biological responses to environmental change) in the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems (ACE) CRC. Philip's research has formed a coherent body of ground-breaking transformative studies over two decades in ocean sciences.

Administrative expertise

Philip's career has featured a range of highly successful leadership roles working with large transdisciplinary teams from multiple institutes than span national and international communities.  His research has been characterised by field-leading transdisciplinary studies many of which have had an explicit outreach component. The Coasts and Oceans centre in New Zealand that Philip successfully ran for almost a decade had over 40 staff, annual workshops and reviews, and an annual budget of >3 million $ NZ.

Philip has also led more than 20 international scientific voyages constituting teams of around 30 scientists per voyage. Philip's leadership has spanned the preparation of science plans, securing the multi-million dollar funding for each expedition, assembling integrated teams of leading national and international participants, promoting training and mentorship, and successfully executing the voyage plan and subsequent co-ordination of publications.

Teaching

Oceanography, Marine Sciences, Biogeochemistry, Phytoplankton, Climate Change

Teaching expertise

Teaching responsibility

Marine and Antarctic Ecosystems KSM202

Research Appointments

• 2011: Appointed to the Scientific Council on Oceanographic Research (SCOR) Working Group on Trace metal binding ligands (ongoing)
• 2009: Elected as a Fellow of the New Zealand Royal Society (ongoing)
• 2008: Adjunct faculty at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (foremost US ocean science institute, ongoing)
• 2007: Appointed as chair of SCOR Working Group on Large scale ocean iron fertilisation (2007-2011).1998 (IRPE Prize, the Ecology Institute, Germany 1998)

Research Invitations

Philip has been a plenary or keynote (i.e. fully-funded) speaker at over 40 international conferences. He has been an invited mentor at 11 international summer schools (including the international SOLAS (Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study) and Aguron Microbial Oceanography school (University of Hawaii). Philip has chaired, co-ordinated and co-organised 17 international workshops (some leading to prestigious publications), and 12 invited thematic sessions (mainly at Ocean Sciences, the foremost ocean meeting worldwide with ~5000 participants) on topics relevant to the proposed Centre of Excellence -  in 2009 (Nice); 2010 (Portland); 2012 (Salt Lake City); 2014 (Hawaii). 

Recent examples of such plenary invitations include:

• 2015: 'Southern Ocean Dynamics and Biogeochemistry Workshop', California Institute of Technology (February) 
• 2014: 'Human Impacts on the Oceanic Environment, Ecosystem, and Fisheries' in Nagasaki (November); 'New Ocean Paradigm on its Biogeochemistry, Ecosystems and Sustainable use' Tokyo (October) 
• 2012: 'Effect of multiple environmental stressors on ocean biota' at the US Ocean Carbon Biology (OCB) workshop in Woods Hole (July)

In 2009, Philip was Invited as Lead Author for IPCC Working Group II chapter on 'Ocean Systems' (2008-2013). He is one of only a few scientists outside North America to be repeatedly invited (2009 to 2015) to present at OCB, the principal 'think-tank' for US Ocean Biogeochemistry. He is also an invited Discussion Leader at the 2016 Gordon Research Conference on Ocean Biogeochemistry in Hong Kong.