About
Ed Garrett is an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in Physical Geography within the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York. He joined the department in 2019 after holding research and teaching positions at the Geological Survey of Belgium and Durham University, where he also completed his PhD. Garrett leads the Creating a Climate Resilient World research group and currently serves as Principal Investigator for two active research projects: Partnership on sea-level change along Brazilian shores (SLABS) funded by NERC (2023-2025) and Connecting Blue Carbon Research (2023).
Garrett's research program focuses on the globally significant and often interlinked hazards of subduction zone earthquakes, tsunamis, and sea-level rise. He utilizes sedimentary and geomorphic records to reconstruct the timing, rates, and magnitudes of these processes over annual to multi-millennial timescales. His methodological approach draws on diverse techniques including field-based surveying, sedimentology, microfossil analysis, geochronology and geophysical modeling. A significant new strand of his research examines carbon storage in intertidal environments, particularly saltmarsh blue carbon ecosystems and their relationship with sea-level rise.
Analysis of Garrett's recent publication record (2021-2025) reveals three major research trajectories: (1) paleoseismic and paleotsunami studies focusing on megathrust earthquakes in Chile, New Zealand, and Japan; (2) relative sea-level reconstruction using microfossil and geochemical proxies across multiple global regions including the UK, Ireland, Australia, and the USA; and (3) blue carbon research examining organic carbon accumulation in saltmarshes and the implications for climate change mitigation. His work demonstrates strong international collaboration, with field sites spanning six continents and partnerships with researchers from over 20 countries.
Garrett has secured significant research funding through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), including as Principal Investigator for the Partnership on sea-level change along Brazilian shores project (2023-2025) and the Connecting Blue Carbon Research project (2023). His research group includes multiple postdoctoral researchers and has produced over 40 peer-reviewed publications, two book chapters, and one edited book since 2013.
Garrett leads the Creating a Climate Resilient World research group at York, which focuses on understanding past environmental changes to inform future climate resilience strategies. The group maintains active field programs in Chile, New Zealand, the UK, and Brazil, with particular expertise in coastal sedimentology, microfossil analysis, and blue carbon assessment. The group collaborates extensively with international partners including the Geological Survey of Belgium, Durham University, and research institutions in Chile, Japan, and Australia.
