Emma Defew

Dr Emma Defew is a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Biology, University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on microbial ecology, particularly the distribution and behavior of E. coli in intertidal estuarine sediments, with implications for water quality and ecosystem functioning. She investigates sediment dynamics, zeta potential effects on bacterial adhesion, and environmental factors influencing microbial persistence in coastal environments.

Her work contributes to understanding ecosystem services and science-policy interfaces in marine management. Notable projects include studying the impacts of canopy loss and disturbance on marine communities, as well as the effects of dredging on benthic macrofauna. She has collaborated on initiatives such as the Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS) dataset and contributed to NERC-funded projects on ocean acidification and sustainable marine resource management.

Dr Defew’s publications span peer-reviewed articles in journals like Water Research and Science of the Total Environment, addressing topics such as microbial adhesion mechanisms, sediment stability, and ecosystem recovery. Her research integrates environmental chemistry, microbiology, and ecological modeling to inform coastal zone management and public health strategies.