Testimonial of SAGES sponsored study towards a Scottish Graduate
Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
Melanie Douarin
SAGES Sponsored PhD
University of Edinburgh
2nd of February 2008 (start date) / 21st of December 2012 (viva date) / 24th of May 2013 (award of
degree of PhD)
Dr Mary Elliot (U. Edinburgh), Mr David Long (BGS), Dr Murray Roberts (Herriot-Watt U.)
TESTIMONIAL
[Include a brief description of your PhD research; how you benefited from being a SAGES PhD
student; what you have done since finishing your PhD, and what your plans are for the future?]
The PhD project “Secrets from a Deep Reef: Structure, Biogeography and Palaeoclimate
Reconstruction from Mingulay Reef Complex Sediment Cores” was based on the study of 2 British
Geological Survey vibro-cores from cold-water coral reefs within the Mingulay Reef Complex, located
in the Sea of Hebrides, 13 kilometres east of the island of Mingulay (~56°N, 7°W and 120-190 m
water depth). The multi-disciplinary approach of this study aimed to highlight the potential of such a
site for continuous and accurate short-time scale and amplitude oceanic reconstructions from classic
sedimentological methods and the skeletal chemistry of corals. A CTscan based analysis of Mingulay
Reef Complex sediment cores provided a new insight on the mechanisms controlling Lophelia
pertusa reef build-up, shifts in biodiversity, the physical/chemical/biological processes and the
sedimentary regime. Downcore U-series dating revealed unprecedented reef growth rates averaging
3 – 4 mm a-1. The growth history of the complex was however punctuated by periods of reduced
growth rates synchronous with those occurring across northern Europe, suggesting that large-scale
shifts in palaeoenvironmental regimes controlled these ecosystems. Marine reservoir age
reconstructions derived from paired 14C and U-series dated fossil corals support this hypothesis and
showed that substantial abrupt shifts in ocean circulation occurred during the Holocene; which
repeatedly affected cold-water coral growth. Finally, trace/minor element ratios reproducibility
within coral skeleton was investigated to test if palaeoenvironmental reconstructions could be made
from cold-water corals.
Being a SAGES PhD student was a good opportunity to meet researchers from different fields and
Scottish University. I have for example benefit from Bill Austin output at some stage during my PhD.
The PhD student community was also very friendly and I have been please to meet some of them at
international conferences. Finally after the change in my supervision SAGES people have been
extremely supportive and I am grateful that SAGES-BGS agreed to give me 6 months extension that
helped to complete this project.
Since the end of my PhD I have worked on finishing some of my publications. I have also applied for
academic jobs and worked on two fellowship applications. The first fellowship was not funded and I
am still waiting to hear from the second one. The plan for the future is to keep applying for jobs until
I find one that suit me.
PUBLICATIONS
[Enter your publication details here].
Douarin, M., M. Elliot, D. Sinclair, S.G. Moreton, S.R. Noble, D. Long, and J.M. Roberts (in prep)
“Decadal trends of the AMOC during Holocene 3.5 – 2.6 ka abrupt oceanic shifts” to be submitted in
Nature Geoscience.
Henry, L.-A., N. Frank, D. Hebbeln, C. Wienberg, L. Robinson, T. van de Flierdt, M. Dahl, M. Douarin,
C. Morrison, M. López-Correa, A.D. Rogers and J.M. Roberts (in prep) “Corals on the conveyor:
overturning circulation and the history of a deep-sea ecosystem” to be submitted in PNSA.
Douarin, M., D. Sinclair, M. Elliot, L.-A. Henry, D. Long, F. Mitchison and J.M. Roberts (in revision)
“Changes in fossil assemblage in sediment cores from Mingulay Reef Complex: implications for coral
reef build-up” Deep-Sea Research II.
Douarin, M., M. Elliot, S.R. Noble, D. Sinclair, L.-A. Henry, D. Long, S.G. Moreton and J.M. Roberts
(accepted) “Growth of NE Atlantic cold-water coral reef and mounds during the Holocene: a high
resolution U-series and 14C chronology” Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
*The SAGES Graduate School is an international graduate school. Although SAGES prize studentships were awarded on a
highly competitive, globally accessible basis, all PhD graduates currently working in SAGES areas who are registered with a
Scottish University are able to become affiliate members of the Graduate School and can participate in SAGES activities.
The same principle will be adopted for the Scottish Graduate Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths.