Peter French

Dr. Peter French is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. His research focuses on coastal and estuarine management, including pollution dynamics, coastal erosion mitigation, and sediment quality. He holds a BSc in Earth Science from Kingston Polytechnic (1986) and a PhD from the University of Reading (1990), titled 'Coal dust as a marker pollutant in the Severn Estuary.'

• Research interests: Estuarine pollution, coastal erosion protection, coastal zone management (CZM), and geochemical analysis of sediments.
• Consultancy work with DEFRA, English Nature, and archaeological units.
• Contributed to the Encyclopedia of Coastal Science (2005) and led NERC-funded projects on managed realignment and metal mobility.

His teaching includes courses on environmental sustainability, coastal management, and geographical field methods. He has supervised a PhD student researching CZM strategies in Vietnam and actively engages in public outreach through radio programs on coastal issues.

Research highlights include investigations into metal pollution stratigraphy in estuaries, sediment dynamics in soft coastlines, and policy efficacy of local CZM strategies.