Dr. Daniel Jones

I completed a degree in Marine Biology in 2001 from the University of Wales in Bangor. After my degree I spent a year on the Orkney Islands in Scotland doing an MSc in Marine Resource Management through Heriot Watt University. I wrote my dissertation on the effects of sea temperature change on the marine fauna and flora of Orkney.

I completed my Ph.D. in 2005 in the DEEPSEAS group supervised by Dr Brian Bett and Professor Paul Tyler. My Ph.D. was on the ecological controls on density, diversity and community structure in polar megabenthos.

I am now the coordinator of the SERPENT project, a long-running collaboration between marine scientists and the offshore oil and gas industry.

Research interests

Benthic ecology

Previous research has focussed on the ecology of megabenthos from Antarctica (Weddell Sea) and the Arctic (Greenland). From AUTOSUB and WASP photographs I have investigated the ecology, biodiversity and standing stock of the fauna in these remote areas. This research has highlighted physical factors responsible for driving community patterns.

I have studied the megafaunal communities from 100-2000m depth in the Faroe-Shetland Channel. This area is very interesting as warm Atlantic water overlays cold Arctic water. These changes in temperature, along with a suite of other changing environmental parameters, result in highly diverse and spatially variable benthic fauna. I first started work in the Faroe-Shetland Channel investigating the variations in the deep-water communities along the channel axis using a towed camera platform. Through my work with the SERPENT project I have led many ROV studies and been involved in several other investigations of the megafauna of the west of Shetland oil fields, on the southern bank of the channel.

I have worked offshore Mauritania, where I led a SERPENT mission to investigate benthic community patterns in this understudied area. I am also part of an exciting project to study the geology and biology of a new Samoan volcanic island, Vailulu’u, in collaboration with the lead science teams from the USA and Australia. I have been examining the ecological patterns in this complex system through high resolution GIS habitat mapping.

Disturbance in the Deep Sea

Working with oil and gas companies as part of SERPENT has allowed me to investigate the effects of known disturbances on deep-water communities. Using high resolution video techniques and sampling we are aiming to publish a range of new papers into the recovery of sites from offshore exploration and to provide up-to-date advice on best practices for future EIA survey and baselines. This information will be made available through the DIEPS (Deepwater Industry, Environment, Policy and Science) knowledge transfer programme.

Photography and Video in Ecology

I am interested in the ecological information that can be gained from deep sea benthic photographs and video. As part of my PhD I investigated photographic and video data obtained using the WASP towed camera platform, both science and work class Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and the Autosub Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). I have developed and evaluated methodologies for image analysis from a variety of platforms to successfully investigate aspects of megafaunal communities throughout the world's oceans. I have been using Geographic Information Systems to investigate patterns in benthic communities at a range of scales, from patterns in individual organisms to habitats and communities.

Publications

Peer reviewed

Dowdeswell, J. A., Evans, J., Mugford, R., Griffiths, G., McPhail, S. D., Millard, N., Stevenson, P., Brandon, M. A., Banks, C., Heywood, K. J., Price, M. R., Dodd, P. A., Jenkins, A., Nicholls, K. W., Hayes, D., Abrahamsen, E. P., Tyler, P. A., Bett, B. J., Jones, D. O. B., Wadhams, P., Wilkinson, J. P., Stansfield, K., Ackley, S. (In press) Instruments and Methods: Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and investigations of the ice-ocean interface: deploying the Autosub AUV in Antarctic and Arctic waters. Journal of Glaciology

Jones, D. O. B. (in press) Using existing industrial remotely operated vehicles for deep-sea science. Zoologica Scripta.

Jones, D. O. B., Bett, B. J. and Tyler, P. A. (2007) Depth related changes to density, diversity and structure of benthic megafaunal assemblages in the Fimbul ice shelf region, Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Polar Biology. 30:1579-1592

Jones, D. O. B., Bett, B. J. and Tyler, P. A. (2007) Depth related changes in the arctic epibenthic megafaunal assemblages of Kangerdlugssuaq, East Greenland. Marine Biology Research. 3:191-204

Jones, D. O. B., Wigham, B. D., Hudson, I. R. and Bett, B. J. (2007) Anthropogenic disturbance of deep-sea megabenthic communities investigated using Remotely Operated Vehicles (Faroe-Shetland Channel, NE Atlantic). Marine Biology. 151: 1731-1741 Download

Jones, D. O. B., Bett, B. J. and Tyler, P. A. (2007) Megabenthic ecology of the deep Faroe-Shetland Channel: a photographic study. Deep-Sea Research Part I. 54: 1111-1128

Jones, D. O. B., Hudson, I. R. and Bett, B. J.(2006) Effects of physical disturbance on the cold-water megafaunal communities of the Faroe-Shetland Channel. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 319: 43-54 Download

Staudigel, H., Hart, S. R., Pile, A. J., Bailey, B. E., Baker, E. T., Brooke, S., Connelly, D. P., Haucke, L., German, C. R., Hudson, I. R., Jones, D. O. B., Koppers, A. A. P., Konter, J. G., Lee, R., Pietsch, T. W., Tebo, B. M., Templeton, A. S., Zierenberg, R., Young, C. M. (2006) Vailulu'u Seamount, Samoa: Life and death on an active submarine volcano. PNAS 103: 6448-6453

Jones, D. O. B., McPhail, S. D., Bett, B. J., Flewellen, C. and Conquer, M. (2005) Seabed photography from an autonomous underwater vehicle. Journal of Marine Science and Environment. C3: 29-36

Hudson, I. R., Jones, D. O. B. and Wigham, B. D. (2005) A review of the uses of work-class ROVs for the benefits of science: Lessons learned from the SERPENT project. International Journal of the Society for Underwater Technology. 26(3):51-56

Laurenson, C., Hudson, I. R., Jones, D. O. B., Priede, I. G. (2004) Deepwater observations of monkfish, Lophius piscatorius, in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean by means of a remotely operated vehicle. Journal of Fish Biology 65, 947-960.

Non peer reviewed

Jones, D. O. B. (2008) Exploration of the Deep Reefs of Bonaire. Explorers Club Flag Report. 44. Available online

Jones, D. O. B., Park, I. F. J. & Gates, A. R.(2008) Techniques for Monitoring the Recovery of Deep, Cold-Water Habitats Following Physical Disturbance From Drilling Discharges. Proceedings of the SPE International Conference on Health, Safety, and Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, 15-17 April 2008, Nice, France. 111629-MS.

Guerin, A. J., Jensen, A. C. & Jones, D. O. B. (2007) Artificial reef properties of North Sea oil and gas production platforms. Oceans '07 Proceedings, Aberdeen, Scotland. 18-21 June 2007.

Jones, D. O. B., Kaariainen, J. I., Maclaren, E. K., Robertson, K., Pile, A. J. and Hudson, I. R. (2007) SERPENT Cruise Reports July 2002 to December 2006. National Oceanography Centre, Southampton Cruise Report Series No. 17. 248 pp.

Hudson, I. R. and Jones, D. O. B. (2006) SERPENT: Video and Images from Global Oil and Gas Operations. In: Charlesworth, M. E.(Ed) Marine and Coastal Photographs and Videos: their availability, uses and curation. Marine Environmental Data Action Group of the Inter-Agency Committee on Marine Science and Technology. Liverpool. Download.

Jones, D. O. B., Bett, B. J. & Tyler, P. A. (2006). Ecological controls on density and diversity of polar megabenthos. 11th International Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 9-14 July 2006. Book of Abstracts. p 124.

Jones, D. O. B., Hudson, I. R. & Bett, B. J. (2006). Knowledge transfer between deep-sea science and industry: Case studies from the DIEPS project. 11th International Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 9-14 July 2006. Book of Abstracts. 124 pp.

Wigham, B. D., Hudson, I. R., Jamieson, A. J., Jones, D. O. B. & Bailey, D. M. (2006). Oxygen consumption of the abyssal urchin Echinocrepis rostrata: BICS field trials at station M, NE Pacific. 11th International Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 9-14 July 2006. Book of Abstracts. 124 pp.

Maclaren, E. K., Hudson, I. R. and Jones, D. O. B. (2005) What lies beneath? The oil and gas industry lets deep-sea biologists explore the deep, with captivating results. NERC Planet Earth Magazine. Winter 2005:16-18.

Jones, D. O. B. (2005) Ecological controls on density, diversity and community structure in polar megabenthos. Ph.D. Thesis, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton.

Jones, D. O. B., Bett, B. J., Tyler, P. A. and Clarke, A., (2005) Physical controls on diversity and standing stock of polar megabenthos. SOC Research and Consultancy report No. 101. 26pp.

Jones, D. O. B. and Hudson, I. R. (2005) In situ deepwater science onboard an offshore drilling installation. Marine Scientist.

Jones, D. O. B., Bett, B. J. and Tyler, P. A. (2005) Physical controls on diversity and abundance of polar megabenthos. 40th European Marine Biology Symposium 21-25 August 2005. Book of Abstracts. p 22.

Mustard, A. and Jones, D. O. B. (2004) Remotely Operated Photography. Underwater Photography. 19. Download.

Jones, D. O. B. (2004) Integration of ROV video survey with Geographical Information System Software. SOC Research and Consultancy report No. 86.

Jones, D. O. B. and Hudson, I. R. (2004) Industry helps science drill for knowledge.  Underwater Contractor International. Download.

Contact Daniel Jones