Alex Innes Thomson

Dr Alex Innes Thomson is a Molecular Phycologist at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. His research applies molecular techniques to ecological and applied marine science questions, with current leadership roles in Antarctic snow algae and seagrass restoration projects funded by major UK bodies.

His research spans molecular ecology, Antarctic snow algae physiology, population genomics of macroalgae, and environmental DNA applications for biodiversity monitoring. He investigates how genomic and metabolomic data inform conservation strategies, particularly for climate-vulnerable ecosystems like Antarctic snowfields and degraded seagrass habitats, emphasizing sustainable resource management.

Recent publications reveal a strong focus on climate change impacts on marine systems, with 2024 work analyzing sustainable seaweed aquaculture challenges in the North Atlantic and 2021 contributions to UN Ocean Science genetic diversity frameworks. His research consistently bridges molecular techniques with real-world conservation applications.

Dr Thomson secures competitive funding from NERC and NatureScot, leading the SAGA project on Antarctic snow algae bloom modeling and the ZoseDNA project monitoring seagrass restoration via eDNA. He collaborates extensively with Project Seagrass and Seawilding, with prior kelp genomics work directly supporting Scotland's sustainable seaweed industry development.