Rebecca Ross

EXPERIENCE

2021 - present, Researcher, Institute of Marine Research, Norway

• Leading methods development projects within Mareano including researching new sampling and analysis methods, includes deep sea survey design, AUV surveys, biotope classification, "big data" handling and analysis, defining vulnerable marine ecosystems and similar

2018 - 2021 PostDoc, Institute of Marine Research, Norway

• Habitat mapping with the MAREANO project, defining and assessing conservation species and habitats, methods development

2016 - 2018 PostDocs, University of Plymouth

• Various larval dispersal modelling studies, species identification and conservation assessments for the SEAROVER project. Working with Kerry Howell and Anthony Knights.

2012 - 2016 PhD, Universirty of Plymouth

• Title: "Investigating the role of larval dispersal models in the development of an 'ecologically coherent' network of deep sea marine protected areas". Methods development and applications to deep sea corals. Supervised by Kerry Howell, Alex Nimmo Smith and Vasyl Vlasenko.

2009 - 2012 Research Assistant, University of Plymouth

• Various tasks including benthic habitat mapping, species identification from images, leading inshore surveys, participating in offshore surveys, species distribution modelling. Worked with Kerry Howell and Emma Sheehan.

EDUCATION

2012 – 2016 PhD Marine Science, Plymouth University, UK.

2006 – 2007 MSc Science Media Production. Imperial College, London, UK.

2002 – 2005 BSc (Hons) Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology. University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK

PUBLICATIONS

- Baco, A., Ross, R.E., Althaus, F., Amon, D., Bridges, A., Brix, S., Buhl-Mortensen, P., Colaco, A., Carreiro-Silva, M., Clark, M., Du Preez, C., Franken, M.-L., Gianni, M., Gonzalez-Mirelis, G., Hourigan, T., Howel, K., Levin, L.A., Lindsay, D.J., Molodtsova, T.N., Morgan, N., Morato, T., Mejia-Mercado, O’Sullivan, D., Pearman, T., Price, D., Robert, K., Robson, L., Rowden, A.A., Taylor, J., Tylor, M., Victorero L., Watling, L., Williams, A., Xavier, J.R., Yesson, C. (2023) Towards a scientific community consensus on designating Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems from imagery. PeerJ [accepted, In Press]

- Ross, R.E., Gonzalez-Mirelis, G., Bakke, G., Dolan, M.F.J., Buhl-Mortensen, P. (2023) A data-driven method for identifying conservation-relevant benthic habitats. Ecological Indicators 147, 109973 doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109973

- Bridges, A.E.H., Howell, K.L., Amaro, T., Atkinson, L., Barnes, D.K.A., Bax, N., Bell, J.B., Bernardino, A.F., Beuck, L., Braga-Henriques, A., Brandt, A., Bravo, M.E., Brix, S., Butt, S., Carranza, A., Doti, B.L., Elegbede, I.O., Esquete, P., Freiwald, A., Gaudron, S.M., Guilhon, M., Hebbeln, D., Horton, T., Kainge, P., Kaiser, S., Lauretta, D., Limongi, P., McQuaid, K.A., Milligan, R.J., Miloslavich, P., Narayanaswamy, B.E., Orejas, C., Paulus, S., Pearman, T.R.R., Perez, J.A., Ross, R.E., Saeedi, H., Shimabukuro, M., Sink, K., Stevenson, A., Taylor, M., Titschack, J., Vieira, R.P., Vinha, B., Wienberg, C. (2023) Review of the Central and South Atlantic shelf and deep-sea benthos: science, policy and management. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review. [accepted 13th December 2022]

- Howell K.L., Bridges A.E., Graves K.P., Allcock L., la Bianca G., Ventura-Costa C., Donaldson S., Downie A.-L., Furey T., McGrath F., Ross R.E. (2022) Performance of deep-sea habitat suitability models assessed using independent data, and implications for use in area-based management. Marine Ecology Progress Series 695, 33-51. doi: 10.3354/meps14098

- Ross R.E., Gonzalez-Mirelis G., Lozano P., Buhl-Mortensen P. (2021) Discerning the Management-Relevant Ecology and Distribution of Sea Pens (Cnidaria: Pennatulacea) in Norway and Beyond. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:652540. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.652540

- Bridges, A.E.H., Barnes, D.K.A., Bell, J.B., Ross, R.E., Howell, K.H. (2021) Benthic assemblage composition of South Atlantic seamounts. Frontiers in Marine Science. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.660648

- Dolan, M.F.J., Ross, R.E., Albretsen, J., Skarðhamar, J., Gonzalez-Mirelis, G., Bellec, V., Buhl-Mortesen, P., 
Bjarnadóttir, L.R. (2021) Using Spatial Validity and Uncertainty Metrics to Determine the Relative Suitability of Alternative Suites of Oceanographic Data for Seabed Biotope Prediction. A Case Study from the Barents Sea, Norway. Geosciences 11, 48. doi: 10.3390/geosciences11020048

- Gonzalez-Mirelis, G, Ross, R.E., Albretsen, J., Buhl-Mortensen, P. (2021) Modelling the distribution of habitat-forming, deep-sea sponges in the Barents Sea: the value of data. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:496688. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.496688

- Muir A.P., Dubois S.F., Ross R.E., Firth L.B., Knights A.M., Lima F.P., Seabra R., Corre E., Le Corguillé G., Nunes F.L.D. (2020) Seascape genomics reveals population isolation in the reef-building honeycomb worm, Sabellaria alveolata (L.). BMC Evol Biol 20, 100. doi: 10.1186/s12862-020-01658-9

- Ross R.E., Nimmo-Smith W.A.M., Torres R., Howell K.L. (2020) Comparing Deep-Sea Larval Dispersal Models: A Cautionary Tale for Ecology and Conservation. Front. Mar. Sci. 7:431. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00431

- Buhl-Mortensen P., Dolan M.F.J., Ross R.E., Gonzalez-Mirelis G., Buhl-Mortensen L., Bjarnadóttir L.R., Albretsen J. (2020) Classification and Mapping of Benthic Biotopes in Arctic and Sub-Arctic Norwegian Waters. Front. Mar. Sci. 7:271. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00271

- O’Sullivan D., Leahy Y., Guinan J., Ross R.E., Sacchetti F., Howell K., Lyons D., O’Dowd L. (2020) Chapter 47 - The geomorphology and biology of a submarine canyon system incising Ireland’s shelf edge in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. In: Harris PT, Baker E (eds) Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat (Second Edition), Elsevier, Amsterdam/Oxford/Cambridge, 783-792​

- Howell K.L., Davies J.S., Allcock A.L., Braga-Henriques A., Buhl-Mortensen P., Carreiro-Silva M., Dominguez-Carrió C., Durden J.M., Foster N.L., Game C.A., Hitchin B., Horton T., Hosking B., Jones D.O.B., Mah C., Laguionie Marchais C., Menot L., Morato T., Pearman T.R.R., Piechaud N., Ross R.E., Ruhl H.A., Saeedi H., Stefanoudis P.V., Taranto G.H., Thompson M.B., Taylor J.R., Tyler P., Vad J., Vieira R.P., Woodall L.C., Xavier J.R., Wagner D. (2019) A framework for the development of a global standardised marine taxon reference image database (SMarTaR-ID) to support image-based analyses. PLoS ONE 14(12): e0218904.

- Ross R.E., Wort E.J.G. and Howell K.L. (2019) Combining Distribution and Dispersal Models to Identify a Particularly Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:574

- Bouchet P.J., Peterson A.T., Zurell D., Dormann C.F., Schoeman D., Ross R.E., Snelgrove P., Sequeira A.M.M., Whittingham M.J., Wang L., Rapacciuolo G., Oppel S., Mellin C., Lauria V., Krishnakumar P.K., Jones A.R., Heinänen S., Heikkinen R.K., Gregr E.J., Fielding AH, Caley MJ, Barbosa AM, Bamford AJ, Lozano-Montes H, Parnell S., Wenger S., Yates K.L. (2019) Better Model Transfers Require Knowledge of Mechanisms. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 34, 489-490 (Letter) doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.006

- Yates K.L., Bouchet P.J., Caley M.J., Mengersen K., Randin C.F., Parnell S., Fielding A.H., Bamford A.J., Ban S., Barbosa A.M., Dormann C.F., Elith J., Embling C.B., Ervin G.N., Fisher R., Gould S., Graf R.F., Gregr E.J., Halpin P., Heikkinen R.K., Heinänen S., Jones A.R., Krishnakumar P.K., Lauria V., Lozano-Montes H., Mannocci L., Mellin C., Mesgaran M.B., Moreno-Amat E., Mormede S., Novaczek E., Oppel S., Ortuño Crespo G., Peterson A.T., Rapacciuolo G., Roberts J.J., Ross R.E., Scales K.L., Schoeman D., Snelgrove P., Sundblad G., Thuiller W., Torres L.G., Verbruggen H., Wang L., Wenger S., Whittingham M.J., Zharikov Y., Zurell D., Sequeira A.M.M. (2018) Outstanding challenges in the transferability of ecological models. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 10, 790-802. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.08.001

- Woodall L.C., Andradi-Brown D.A., Brierley A.S., Clark M.R., Connelly D., Hall R.A., Howell K.L., Huvenne V.A.I., Linse K., Ross R.E., Snelgrove P., Stefanoudis P.V., Sutton T.T., Taylor M., Thornton T.F., Rogers A.D. (2018) A multidisciplinary approach for generating globally comparable data on mesophotic, deep-pelagic and bathyal biological communities. Oceanography, 31, 76-89, doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2018.301

- Ross R.E., Nimmo-Smith W.A.M., Howell K.L. (2017) Towards 'ecological coherence': assessing larval dispersal within a network of existing Marine Protected Areas. Deep Sea Research Part I. 126, 128-138. doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2017.06.004

- Ross R.E., Nimmo-Smith W.A.M., Howell K.L. (2016) Increasing the Depth of Current Understanding: Sensitivity Testing of Deep-Sea Larval Dispersal Models. PLoS ONE 11, e0161220. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140061

- Ross L.K., Ross R.E., Stewart H.A., Howell K.L. (2015) The Influence of Data Resolution on Predicted Distribution and Estimates of Extent of Current Protection of Three ‘Listed’ Deep-Sea Habitats. PLoS ONE 10: e0140061. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140061

- Hilário A., Metaxas A., Gaudron S.M., Howell K.L., Mercier A., Mestre N., Ross R.E., Thurnherr A.M., Young C. (2015) Estimating dispersal distance in the deep sea: challenges and applications to marine reserves. Frontiers in Marine Science, 2,6. doi: 0.3389/fmars.2015.00006

- Ross R.E. & Howell K.L. (2013) Use of predictive habitat modelling to assess the distribution and extent of protection of “listed” deep-sea habitats. Diversity and Distributions, 19, 433-445. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12010