Craig Smeaton

Craig Smeaton is a Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of St Andrews, affiliated with the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, Bell-Edwards Geographic Data Institute, and Environmental Change Research Group. His research focuses on marine and intertidal sedimentary environments as key components of the global carbon cycle, particularly examining Blue Carbon storage in saltmarshes, fjords, and continental shelf sediments.

His work integrates geochemistry, spatial analysis, and environmental monitoring to quantify carbon stocks and burial rates across diverse geographical regions including the UK, North East Atlantic, and New Zealand. He actively collaborates on international projects like EURO-CARBON and contributes to climate policy through the UK’s Blue Carbon Inventory.

• Geographical Focus: UK saltmarshes, Scottish fjords, North East Atlantic, New Zealand
• Methodologies: Geochemistry, Radiocarbon Dating, Spatial Analysis, Sediment Core Studies
• Key Themes: Climate Mitigation, Carbon Accounting, Coastal Ecosystem Management

His scientific awards include the 2017 Best Paper (Theme 2: Carbon) prize. He participates in academic activities such as external reviewing, workshops, and public lectures, and has contributed to media outreach on wetland preservation and carbon storage.