Dr Kirsty Kemp

Curriculum Vitae:

• Feb 2008-ongoing: Leverhulme Postdoctoral Researcher (Deep-sea Fauna of Oceanic Islands), Institute of Zoology.
• 2006-2007: NERC Postdoctoral Researcher, Polychaete Research Group, Natural History Museum, London.
• 2001-2006: University of Aberdeen (PhD), Zoology.
• 2000-2001: University of Aberdeen, Scotland (MSc), Marine and Fisheries Science.
• 1994-1998: University of St Andrews, Scotland (BSc), Animal Biology.
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Research Interests:

Symposium: High Seas Marine Protected Areas symposium
High Seas Marine Protected Areas symposium
Wild Science blog: 09 Leagues Under the Sea

I specialise in the study of deep ocean ecology. My main research focus is in understanding ecosystem function in the context of developing realistic management practices in the marine environment. My current work is an investigation of the structure and species diversity of benthic communities, including cold-water coral communities of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and sponge-dominated communities of the Arctic, and the species assemblages associated with them, particularly on and around seamounts and ridge systems.

My current work in the North Atlantic is part of the EU consortium project CoralFISH. This project aims to understand how coral reefs and gardens are established and the role they play in maintaining species diversity in the deep sea.

Seafloor communities are extremely vulnerable to human impacts, primarily destructive fishing practices and changes in ocean chemistry that are resutling from shifts in global climate. Deep-ocean reef habitats are formed by extremely slow-growing animals. They are structurally complex and highly productive ocean environments which are presumed to serve as feeding grounds and sites of reproduction/nurseries for many ocean-going fish. At present these are very poorly studied habitats.An understanding of the functional role of these communities in the deep ocean ecosystem is critical to conservation efforts in the marine environment.
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Expeditions:

• EUROFLEETS, Sept 2011 (14 days), Research Vessel L'Atalante, Azores, ROV and geological sampling
• Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Annual Shrimp Stock Assessment Survey, June 2010 (10 days), M/T Paamiut (trawler), drop-camera benthic survey
• CE10014 Apr-May 2010 (24 days), Research Vessel Celtic Explorer, Rockall Trough-Belgica Mounds-Porcupine Seabight, ROV surveys and coral collection within the EU CoralFISH project Coralfish.net
• 2009 Seamounts Cruise 410, Nov-Dec 2009 (40 days), IUCN, ASCLME, EAF-Nansen, ACEP, ZSL and ECOMAR RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, Pelagic sampling and physical oceanography of the seamounts of the South West Indian Ocean Ridge. BBC Earthwatch Seamounts expedition blogspot
• Ongoing: Faial Channel, Azores, Portugal, survey and sampling dives with the manned submersible Lula, owned and operated by the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation.
• 2006-2008: Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, Sweden, ROV collection dives.
• SWEDARP Nov-Jan 2007/8 (42 days), Icebreaker Oden, Southern Ocean/Antarctica, Oceanographic observations and deployment of bone packages. Polartrec Antarctic Expedition
• M2005 May-June 2005 (31 days), RV Pelagia, Bay of Cadiz to Rockall Trough, Recovery of mooring, benthic landers, box and piston cores, seismic survey.
• 02/09/04–09/09/04: D284-T, RRS Discovery, Porcupine Abyssal Plain and Bay of Biscay, Test deployments of long-term lander.
• 27/09/02–24/10/02: D266, RRS Discovery, Porcupine Seabight and Abyssal Plain, Demersal trawling, benthic landers, food-fall deployment.
• 06/03/02–24/03/02: D260, RRS Discovery, Porcupine Seabight and Abyssal Plain, Demersal trawling, benthic landers, food-fall deployment.
• 13/04/01–30/04/01: D252, RRS Discovery, Porcupine Seabight and Abyssal Plain, Demersal trawling, benthic landers, food-fall deployment.
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Funding:

Leverhulme Trust
Lighthouse Foundation
EU CoralFISH project ( EU CoralFISH )

Certifications:

ENG 1 Seafarer's Medical
Current Personal Survival at Sea Certificate
HSE SCUBA Commercial/Professional Diver

Links to previous research pages:

Oceanlab: Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen
Natural History Museum: Natural History Museum, London

Publications:

Glover, A.G., Higgs, N.D., Bagley, P.M., Carlsson, R., Davies, A.J., Kemp, K.M., Last, K.S., Norling, K., Rosenberg, R., Wallin, K-A., Källström, B., Dahlgren, T.G. (2010). A live video observatory reveals temporal processes at a shelf-depth whale-fall.Cahiers Biologie Marine 51: 375-381.

Dahlgren, T. G., Kemp, K. M., Jamieson, A. J., Smith, C.R., Glover, A.G. (2009). First record of Antarctic whale-fall species. 4th International Symposium on Chemosynthesis-Based Ecosystems (4th CBE). Okinawa June 28 - July 3 2009

Kemp, K.M., Fraser, K.P.P., Collins, M.A., Priede, I.G. (2008). Seasonal variation in white muscle biochemical composition of deep-sea macrourids in the North-east Atlantic. Marine Biology 155: 37-49.

Kemp, K.M., Jamieson, A.J., Bagley, P.M., Collins, M.A., Priede, I.G. (2008). A new technique for sequential periodic bait-release at a camera platform in the deep sea; trial at 3664m depth in the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Deep Sea Research II 55: 218-228.

Glover, A.G., Kemp, K.M., Smith, C.R., Dahlgren, T.G. (2008).On the role of bone-eating worms in the degradation of marine vertebrate remains.Proceedings of the Royal Society B275: 1959-1961

Wagner H-J., Kemp, K.M., Mattheus, U., Priede, I.G. (2007). Rhythms on the bottom of the deep sea: Cyclic current flow changes, and melatonin patterns in two species of demersal fish. Deep Sea Research I 54: 1944-1956.

Kemp, K.M., Jamieson, A.J., Bagley, P.M., McGrath, H., Bailey, D.M., Collins, M.A., and Priede, I.G. (2006). Consumption of a large bathyal food fall, a six month study in the north-east Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series 310: 65-76.

Yancey, P.H., Rhea, M.D., Kemp, K.M., and Bailey, D.M. (2004). Trimethylamine oxide, betaine and scyllo-inositol in deep-sea animals: depth trends and effects on enzymes under hydrostatic pressure. Cellular and Molecular Biology 50: 371-376.

Bagley, P.M., Priede, I.G., Jamieson, A.J., Bailey, D.M., Battle, E.G., Henriques, C., and Kemp, K.M. (2004). Lander techniques for deep ocean biological research. Underwater Technology 26: 3-11.

Wakeling, J.M., Cole, N.J., Kemp, K.M. & Johnston, I.A. (2000). The biomechanics and evolutionary significance of thermal acclimation in the common carp Cyprinus carpio. American Journal of Physiology, Regulatory, Integrative logy 279: R657 - R665.

Wakeling, J.M., Kemp, K.M. & Johnston, I.A. (1999). The biomechanics of fast-starts during ontogeny in the common carp Cyrinus carpio. Journal of Experimental Biology 202: 3057-3067.

Navas, C.A., James, R.S., Wakeling, J.M., Kemp, K.M. & Johnston, I.A. (1999). An integrative study of the temperature dependence of whole animal and muscle performance during jumping and swimming in the frog Rana temporaria. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 169(8): 588-596.