Alex Poulton

Alex Poulton is a Professor of Plankton Ecology and Biogeochemistry at Heriot Watt University's The Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Sciences and Technology in Edinburgh. He holds a PhD in Biological Oceanography from the University of Southampton and previously worked at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) as a Senior Researcher and Principal Researcher. His research focuses on marine ecology, ocean biogeochemistry, plankton diversity, and carbon cycling, with a particular emphasis on coccolithophores and their role in climate change.

Current projects include studying carbon export via internal tides (CarTRidge), coccolithophore controls on ocean alkalinity (CHALKY), and the impacts of bottom trawling on seabed carbon storage. He has participated in 20 research cruises across major oceans and published over 115 peer-reviewed articles. Poulton is an editorial board member for the Journal of Plankton Research and contributes to NERC peer-review processes.

His research interests encompass global plankton ecology, nutrient dynamics, and the interplay between biodiversity and biogeochemical processes. Recent work highlights include investigating Southern Ocean carbon flux dynamics, diatom vertical distribution patterns, and the ecological impacts of climate change on marine systems. Poulton also explores novel scientific paradigms, such as the adaptation of fossilized coccolithophores to environmental shifts ('swimming with dinosaurs').