I am a benthic ecologist with a wide range of research interests. My PhD and much of my former background focused on tropical reefs, habitat degradation and reef bioerosion. I subsequently worked in New Zealand for the Department of Conservation, conducting surveys on deep-water reefs in the southern fjords. Prior to coming to SAMS, I worked with British Antarctic Survey, researching growth and seasonality in Antarctic benthos, particularly sponges, anemones and sea cucumbers.
At SAMS my research is focused using photogrammetry to model benthic growth on man-made structures, e.g. oil & gas platforms and offshore wind turbines.
Current project
North Sea 3D: Funded by INSITE (INfluence of man-made Structures in The Ecosystem). 2021-24: We are using novel photogrammetry-based methods to quantify and ultimately predict benthic biomass on offshore man-made structures.
Peer-reviewed publications
Squire M, Madgett A, Burdon D, Scott B, Marlow J, Gormley K (2026) Understanding the role of offshore energy structures in ecosystem service delivery: Applying global findings to the North Sea. Ecosystem Services 78: 101811
Marlow J, Smith D, Werorilangi S, Bell JJ (2018) Sedimentation limits the erosion rate of a bioeroding sponge. Marine Ecology 39: e12483
Marlow J, Schönberg CHL, Davy SK, Jompa J, Haris A, Bell JJ (2018) Bioeroding sponge assemblages: the importance of substrate availability and sediment. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 99:343-358
Marlow J, Shaffer M, Davy SK, Haris A, Bell JJ (2018) Bleaching recovery of a phototrophic bioeroding sponge. Coral Reefs 37:565-570
Marlow J, Davy SK, Haris A, Bell JJ (2018) Photoacclimation to light-limitation in a clionaid sponge; implications for understanding sponge bioerosion on turbid reefs. Marine Pollution Bulletin 135:466-474
Marlow J, Haris A, Bell JJ (2019) The importance of philopatry and hydrodynamics in the recruitment of bioeroding sponges on Indonesian coral reefs. Marine and Freshwater Research 1-12 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18229
Marlow J, Haris A, Jompa J, Werorilangi S, Bates T, Bennett H, Bell JJ (2020) Spatial variation in the community composition of coral reefs in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia: updated baselines and limited benthic community shifts. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 100:37-44
Marlow J, Bell JJ, Shaffer M, Haris A, Schönberg CHL (Under Review) Bioeroding sponge species from the Wakatobi region of southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Zootaxa
Bell JJ, McGrath E, Kandler NM, Marlow J, Beepat SS, Bachtiar R, Shaffer MR, Mortimer C, Micaroni V, Mobilia V, Rovellini A (2020) Interocean patterns in shallow water sponge assemblage structure and function. Biological Reviews
Bell JJ, McGrath E, Biggerstaff A, Bates T, Bennett H, Marlow J, Shaffer M (2015) Sediment impacts on marine sponges. Marine Pollution Bulletin 94:5-13
Bell JJ, Biggerstaff A, Bates T, Bennett H, Marlow J, McGrath E, Shaffer M (2017) Sponge monitoring: Moving beyond diversity and abundance measures. Ecological Indicators 78:470-488.
Other publications
Bell JJ, Biggerstaff A, Rovellini A, Mortimer C, Bennett H, Marlow J, McGrath E, Shaffer M (2017) Impacts of Short-Term Large-Scale Climatic Variation on Sponge Assemblages. In Bell JJ & Carballo JS (eds) Climate Change, Ocean Acidification and Sponges. Springer
Marlow J (2017) Bleaching recovery of a phototrophic bioeroding sponge. 10th World Sponge Conference, Galway, Ireland.
Employment history
Since 2021: Marine Growth Postdoctoral Research Associate. SAMS
2019-21 Marine Biologist. British Antarctic Survey, UK
2018-19 Taxonomist. Cawthron Institute. New Zealand
2018-19 Researcher. Victoria University of Wellington / Department of Conservation. New Zealand
Qualifications
2018 PhD Habitat Degradation and Sponge Bioerosion on Indonesian Coral Reefs. Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
2012 MSc Marine Environmental Protection. Bangor University
2009 BSc (Hons) Marine Biology. University of St Andrews