Addressing the impacts of climate change on inland water ecosystems using satellite remote sensing and spatial data science.
Inland waters, including wetlands, rivers and lakes, are some of our most vital resources. They support human populations through drinking water, fisheries, irrigation and other essential ecosystem services and sustain both freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity. However, these ecosystems are being degraded quicker than both terrestrial and marine habitats. Climate change, land-use intensification and pollution threaten these ecosystems and the biodiversity that depends on them.
A key challenge when protecting freshwater habitats is a lack of ground data, particularly for key tropical freshwater regions such as the African Great Lakes or the swamp forests of the Congo River Basin. These ecosystems are huge and often inaccessible, making it extremely challenging to monitor large-scale changes in water quality and hydrology in response to environmental pressures.
Aidan's research aims to address these challenges by using satellite remote sensing and spatial data science. Using decades of satellite data, Aidan monitors changing lake and river levels, wetland extents and water storage, as well as key water quality indicators such as harmful algal blooms and sediment concentrations. He then links these freshwater ecosystem changes with historic climate and land-use trends to help predict future changes in these habitats, biodiversity surveys to prioritise conservation interventions (e.g. lesser flamingos in East African lakes) and wetland emissions data to improve global carbon modelling.
To find out more about Aidan's work, or to discuss collaboration, get in touch.
Professional history
Education
2020-2024: PhD – ““The drivers and impacts of changing lake hydrology and water quality across the East African Rift System”, King’s College London
2014-2018: MSci Zoology, University of Bristol
Previous roles
2021-2024: Graduate Teaching Assistant, King’s College London
2023-2024: Research Assistant, King’s College London/Cornell University
2023-2023: Research Assistant, Natural History Museum
2018-2019: Water Quality Permitting Officer, Natural Resources Wales
Publications
Research articles:
Byrne, A.; Norris, K.; Chadwick, M. A.; Avery, S.; Olaka, L.; Tebbs, E. J. Rising lake levels in central East Africa are driven by increasing rainfall and land-use intensification. (2024) Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.101999
Byrne, A.; Lomeo, D.; Owoko, W.; Aura, C. M.; Nyakeya, K.; Odoli, C.; Mugo, J.; Barongo, C.; Kiplagat, J.; Mwirigi, N.; Avery, S.; Chadwick, M. A.; Norris, K.; Chadwick, Tebbs, E. J.; NSF-IRES Lake Victoria Research Consortium. LAQUA: a LAndsat water QUality retrieval tool for east African lakes. (2024) Remote Sensing. 6, 16, 2903, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16162903
Byrne, A.; Tebbs, E.J.; Njoroge, P.; Nkwabi, A.; Chadwick, M.A.; Freeman, R.; Harper, D.; Norris, K. Productivity Declines Threaten East African Soda Lakes and the Iconic Lesser Flamingo. (2024) Current Biology, 34, 1786-1793.e4, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.006
Drouillard KG, Campbell L, Otieno D et al. (2024) Increasing mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification rates of Nile perch (Lates niloticus L.) in Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya. Sci Total Environ 916:170059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170059
Policy briefs:
Byrne, A.; Tebbs, E.; Olaka, L.; Norris, K.; Lomeo, D.; Owoko, W.; Chadwick, M.; Everitt, L. Rising Water, Declining Productivity: Monitoring and Managing Challenges Facing East African Lakes. (2025) King's College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-226
Byrne, A. & Brice, C. Recommendations for the Inclusion of Aquaculture Data in the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption (GEIC) Indicator. (2024) JNCC Report 772 (Guidance report), JNCC, Peterborough, ISSN 0963-8091.
Tebbs, E.; Byrne, A.; Lomeo, D.; Thompson, H.; Owoko, W.; Nyaga, J.; Ongore, C.; Last, J.; Migeni, Z.; Everitt, L. Satellite Earth Observation for the Sustainable Management of the African Great Lakes. (2023) King’s College London. https://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-121
Blogs
Byrne, A. East Africa’s soda lakes are rising, threatening their iconic flamingos. (2024) The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/east-africas-soda-lakes-are-rising-threatening-their-iconic-flamingos-227810