Dr Bryan Spears carrying out monitoring work on Loch Leven

Dr Bryan Spears

Freshwater Ecologist

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology,
Bush Estate, Penicuik,
Edinburgh, Midlothian,
EH26 0QB 
Tel: +44 (0)131 445 4343
Fax: +44 (0)131 445 3943
E-mail: Dr Bryan Spears

Current work

  • Assessing Spatial Heterogeneity of food-webs in Lakes (CEH)
  • Microbial biodiversity in Loch Leven sediments (CEH/The Leverhume Trust)
  • Eurolimpacs (European Commission)
  • A review of aquatic research on the Tay (CEH)
  • WISER (European Commission)
  • Assessing the contribution of small phosphorus discharges (Natural England/Broads Authority)
  • Physical Ecosystem Engineering by Riparian and Aquatic Plants (NERC-EHFI)
  • Investigating Trophic Interactions in Loch Leven (CEH)

Completed Research Projects

  • Identifying the gap to meet Water Framework Directive- Lake baselines (Defra)
  • Nutrient Modeling and a Nutrient Budget for Llangorse Lake (Countryside Council for Wales)
  • Ecological Assessment of the Tees Estuary mudflat (Environment Agency)
  • Assessing the Ecological Effects of Bait Digging in the Tay Estuary (Scottish National Heritage)

Student projects supervised

  • Amir Zeb: The suitability of iron ochre and Phoslock for treatment of fish farm effluent (MSc Edinburgh University 2008)
  • Erin Lotovsky: Uptake of heavy metals by algal periphyton in constructed wetlands for urban storm water runoff treatment (MSc Edinburgh University 2008; distinction)
  • Victoria Davidson: Assessing historical trends in nutrient flux and stoichiometry from Loch Leven (MSc St. Andrews University 2008)
  • Will Brownlie: Understanding the magnitude, frequency, and stoichiometry of nutrient delivery to and from lakes (MSc Kings College London; distinction)
  • Helen Bykova: Effects of physical disturbance on biostabilisation in intertidal sediments (MSc University of St Andrews 2007)
  • Sebastian Meis: Assessing in-lake eutrophication management and P-stripping in shallow lakes (PhD in progress; Cardiff University)
  • Neil Robins: Assessing nutrient delivery from T in the Park music Festival (MSc in progress; Napier University)
  • Kirsty Jack: A palaeolimnological investigation of the effects of environmental change on sedimentation processes in Loch Leven. (MSc in progress [NERC-funded] - Stirling University)

Research interests

I am interested in the feedback mechanisms between sediments and water in shallow depositional ecosystems. Much of my work is focussed on shallow eutrophic lakes where sediments can play an important role in regulating nutrient cycling between the lake bed and the overlying water-column. This process is known as “internal loading” and can prolong the recovery of shallow lakes from eutrophication following catchment management for decades.

My research is concerned with: (1) identifying the role of sediment dwelling organisms in regulating the internal loading process, (2) identifying and assessing measures of managing sediments as a nutrient/pollutant source, and (3) investigating the effects of climate change on in-lake nutrient processing. 

I am also responsible for the continuation of long-term monitoring at Loch Leven and sample the loch every second Tuesday. In all weather!

 

Brief CV

  • 2007 onwards: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (Edinburgh research site)
  • 2006-2007: Laboratory Manager, Sediment Ecology Research Group, St Andrews University
  • 2003-2006: PhD on Benthic-Pelagic coupling in Loch Leven – CEH/St Andrews University
  • 2000-2002: MSc on bacterio- and phyto-plankton ecology in the Mackenzie Delta lake system (Canadian Arctic), Simon Fraser University
  • 1995-1999: BSc hons - Environmental Sciences, The Robert Gordon University

Selected publications

See also the NERC Open Research Archive.

Spears, B.M., & L.F.W. Lesack. (2006). Patterns of bacterioplankton production and abundance among lakes of the Mackenzie Delta (western Canadian Arctic) and the potential role of nutrient limitation. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 63: 847-857.

Spears, B.M., L. Carvalho, R. Perkins, A. Kirika, & D.M. Paterson. (2006). Spatial and historical variation in sediment phosphorus fractions and mobility in a large non-stratifying lake. Water Research. 40: 383-391.

Spears, B.M., L. Carvalho, & D. Paterson. (2007). Phosphorus partitioning in a shallow lake: implications for water quality management. The Water and Environment Journal. 21:47:53.

Spears, B.M., L. Carvalho, R. Perkins, A. Kirika, & D.M. Paterson. (2007). Sediment P cycling in a large shallow lake: spatio-temporal variation in P pools and release. Hydrobiologia. 584: 37-48.

Spears, B.M., J. Funnell, J. Saunders, & D.M. Paterson. (2007). On the boundaries: sediment stability measurements across aquaticecosystems. In: Westrich, B., & U. Fostner (Eds). Sediment dynamics and pollutant mobility in rivers: an interdisciplinary approach. Springer-Verlag, Germany.

Spears, B.M., L. Carvalho, R. Perkins, & D.M. Paterson. (2008). The effects of light on sediment nutrient flux and water column nutrient stoichiometry in a shallow lake. Water Research, 42, 977-986.

Spears, B.M.,J. Saunders, I. Davidosn & D.M. Paterson. (2008). Microalgal sediment biostabilisatoin along a salinity gradient in the Eden Estuary, Scotland: unraveling a paradox. Marine and Freshwater Research. 59, 313-321.

Poulícková, A., P. Hašler, M. Lysáková & B. Spears. (2008). The ecology of freshwater epipelic algae: an update. Phycologia. 47 (5) 437-450.

Spears, B.M., L. Carvalho, I. Gunn, I. Winfield, B. Dudley, K. Murphy & L. May. (2009). An evaluation of methods for sampling macrophyte maximum growing depth in Loch Leven, Scotland. Aquatic Botany, 91: 75-81.

Evans, K., V. Chepurnov, S. Thomas, H. Sluiman, B. Spears & D. Mann. (2009). Ten microsatellite loci demonstrate significantly restricted gene flow in the freshwater diatom Sellaphora capitata: evidence against their ubiquitous dispersal. Protist. In Press