Dr Alex Elliott

Current work

As part of the Lake Ecosystem Group, I’ve expertise in modelling (particularly algal modelling) and have been employed by CEH for since 2000. I’ve worked with the PROTECH model for over 10 years, developing and testing it around the world. Recently, my research has focused on predicting the impact of climate change on lakes and the compounding influence of eutrophication and also flushing rate. I have also examined the control that light availability and mixing can have on phytoplankton. The focus of many of these studies has been to examine the impact on the functional ecology of the phytoplankton community and particularly the cyanobacteria species (blue-green algae) that can so adversely affect water quality. I have also contributed to the EU projects REFLECT, LIFE2, CLIME, Euro-Limpacs and REFRESH, all looking at climate change issues affecting lakes, and the NERC grant, NE/E009360/1, examining strategies to manage cyanobacterial blooms in lakes and as PI on the NERC small grant, NE/F011474/1, modelling the effects of changing discharge patterns on phytoplankton.

In addition, I’m the CEH Objective Champion of WA3.4.

Research interests

•  Effect of climate change on algal populations
• Effect of disturbance on species and functional diversity
• Habitat exploitation and species succession
• Optimal management of reservoirs to avoid nuisance algal blooms
• Ecological succession in benthic algal populations
• Algal modeling

Brief CV

• 2007-present: Senior Scientific Officer at CEH at Lancaster, UK
• 2000-2007: Higher Scientific Officer at CEH at Lancaster, UK
• 1997-2000: PhD research at Napier University: “Investigating the Assembly of Phytoplankton Communities with PROTECH”
• 1993-1997: BSc Biology (Hons) University of Stirling

Selected publications

See also the NERC Open Research Archive.

Elliott, J.A. and Bell, V.A. (2011). Predicting the potential long-term influence of climate change on vendace (Coregonus albula) habitat in Bassenthwaite Lake, UK Freshwater Biology, 56, 395–405.

Elliott, J.M. and Elliott, J.A. (2010). Temperature requirements of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, brown trout Salmo trutta and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus: predicting the effects of climate change. Journal of Fish Biology, 77, 1793–1817.

Mooij, W.M., Trolle, D., Jeppesen, E., Arhonditsis, G., Belolipetsky, P.V., Chitamwebwa, D.B.R., Degermendzhy, A.G., DeAngelis, D.L., De Senerpont Domis, L.N., Downing, A.S., Elliott, J.A. et al. (2010).  Challenges and opportunities for integrating lake ecosystem modelling approaches. Aquatic Ecology, 44, 633-667.

Elliott, J.A., Irish, A.E. and Reynolds, C.S. (2010). Modelling phytoplankton dynamics in fresh waters: affirmation of the PROTECH approach to simulation. Freshwater Reviews, 3, 75-96.

Wilby, R.L., Orr, H.G, Watts, G., Battarbee, R.W., Berry, P.M., Chadd, R., Dugdale, S.J, Dunbar, M.J., Elliott, J.A., Extence, C., Hannah, D.M., Holmes, N., Johnson, A.C., Knights, B., Milner, N.J., Ormerod, S.J., Solomon, D., Timlett, R., Whitehead, P.J. & Wood, P.J. (2010). Evidence needed to manage freshwater ecosystems in a changing climate: turning adaptation principles into practice. Science of the Total Environment, 408, 4150-4164.

Blenckner, T., Elliott, J.A., Markensten, H., Pers, C. and Thackeray, S.J. (2010). Modelling the Effects of Climate Change on the Seasonal Dynamics of Phytoplankton. In: The Impact of Climate Change on European Lakes (Ed. G. George), pp. 275-292. Springer, Netherlands.

Elliott, J.A. (2010). The seasonal sensitivity of Cyanobacteria and other phytoplankton to changes in flushing rate and water temperature.  Global Change Biology, 16, 864-876.

Tyler, A., Hunter, P.D., Carvalho, L., Codd, G.A., Elliott, J.A., Ferguson, C.A., Hanley, N.D., Hopkins, D.W., Maberly, S.C., Mearns, K.J., Scott, E.M. (2009). Strategies for monitoring and managing mass populations of toxic cyanobacteria in recreational waters: a multi-interdisciplinary approach. Environmental Health, 8 (Suppl 1):S11.

Elliott, J.A., Jones, I.D. and Page, T. (2009). The importance of nutrient source in determining the influence of retention time on phytoplankton: an explorative modelling study of a naturally well-flushed lake. Hydrobiologia, 627, 129-142.

Bernhardt J., Elliott J.A. and Jones I.D. (2008). Modelling the effects on phytoplankton communities of changing  mixed depth and background extinction coefficient on three contrasting lakes in the English Lake District. Freshwater Biology, 53, 2573–2586.

Elliott, J.A. and May, L. (2008). The sensitivity of phytoplankton in Loch Leven (UK) to changes in nutrient load and water temperature. Freshwater Biology, 53, 32-41.

Elliott, J.A.,  Persson, I., Thackeray, S.J. and Blenckner, T. (2007). Phytoplankton modelling of Lake Erken, Sweden by linking the models PROBE and PROTECH. Ecological Modelling, 202, 421-426.

Elliott, J.A. (2007). PROTECH, a process-based lake phytoplankton model. In: Perspectives of Lake Modelling towards Predicting Reaction to Trophic Change (Eds I. Schauser and T. Strube), pp. 25-29. KWB gGmbH, Berlin.

Jones, I.D. and Elliott, J.A. (2007). Modelling the effects of changing retention time on abundance and composition of phytoplankton species in a small lake. Freshwater Biology, 52, 988-997.

Elliott, J.A., Jones, I.D. and Thackeray, S.J. (2006). Testing the Sensitivity of Phytoplankton Communities to Changes in Water Temperature and Nutrient Load, in a Temperate Lake.  Hydrobiologia, 559, 401-411.

Elliott, J.A., Thackeray, S.J., Huntingford, C. and Jones, R.G. (2005). Combining a Regional Climate Model with a phytoplankton community model to predict future changes in phytoplankton in lakes. Freshwater Biology, 50, 1404-1411.

Elliott, J.A., Escot, C., Basanta-Alves, A. and Cruz-Pizarro, L. (2005). Simulations of phytoplankton dynamics in El Gergal reservoir, southern Spain (PROTECH). In: New Tools for the Monitoring, Modelling & Management of Fresh Waters (eds K. Rouen & G. George).  Freshwater Forum, 23, 78-92.     

Elliott, J.A. and S.J. Thackeray. (2004). The simulation of phytoplankton in shallow and deep lakes using PROTECH. Ecological Modelling, 178, 357-369.

Elliott, J.A., Irish, A.E. and Reynolds, C.S. (2002). Predicting the spatial dominance of phytoplankton in a light limited and incompletely mixed eutrophic water column using the PROTECH model. Freshwater Biology, 47, 433-440.

Lewis, D.M., Elliott, J.A., Brookes, J.D., Irish, A.E., Lambert, M.F. and Reynolds, C.S. (2003).  Modelling the effects of artificial mixing and copper sulphate dosing on phytoplankton in an Australian reservoir. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management, 8, 31-40.

Lewis, D.M., Elliott, J.A., Lambert, M.F. and Reynolds, C.S. (2002). The simulation of an Australian reservoir using a phytoplankton community model (PROTECH). Ecological Modelling, 150, 107-116.

Elliott, J.A., Reynolds, C.S. and Irish, A.E. (2001). An investigation of dominance in phytoplankton using the PROTECH model.  Freshwater Biology, 46, 99-108.

Elliott, J.A., Irish, A.E. and Reynolds, C.S. (2001). The effects of vertical mixing on a phytoplankton community: a modelling approach to the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis. Freshwater Biology, 46, 1291-1297.

Reynolds, C.S., Irish, A.E. and Elliott, J.A. (2001). The ecological basis for simulating phytoplankton responses to environmental change (PROTECH). Ecological Modelling, 140, 271-291.

Reynolds, C.S. and Elliott, J.A. (2001).  Phytoplankton diversity: discontinuous assembly responses to environmental forcing. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 28, 336-344.

Elliott, J.A., Reynolds, C.S. and Irish, A.E. (2000). The diversity and succession of phytoplankton communities in disturbance-free environments, using the model, PROTECH.  Archiv für Hydrobiologie, 149 , 241-258.