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The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is Scotland's premier independent marine science organisation generating new knowledge for the benefit of the marine environment and society since 1884.
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Dr Benjamin Williamson

Principal Investigator in Engineering and Environmental Science

I am interested in using marine and terrestrial sensing applied to environmental science. My research interests include sensor fusion, remote sensing above and under water, computer vision and machine learning, with applications from measuring the environmental and ecological effects of marine renewable energy devices to marine plastic litter. I have a background in smart grids, prior to hydroacoustics and developing subsea multi-sensor platforms to track the interactions of fish, seabirds and marine mammals with marine energy devices.

Benjamin.Williamson@sams.ac.uk

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SAMS Research Outputs

Drone-based large-scale particle image velocimetry applied to tidal stream energy resource assessment

Iain Fairley, Benjamin J. Williamson, Jason McIlvenny, Nicholas King, Ian Masters, Matthew Lewis, Simon Neill, David Glasby, Daniel Coles, Ben Powell, Keith Naylor, Max Robinson, Dominic E. Reeve

8/7/2022 | Article | DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.07.030

Using a UAV Thermal Infrared Camera for Monitoring Floating Marine Plastic Litter

Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy, Benjamin Williamson, Jason McIlvenny, Paolo Corradi

2/7/2022 | Article | DOI: 10.3390/rs14133179

Tidal streams, fish, and seabirds Understanding the linkages between mobile predators, prey, and hydrodynamics

Ana Couto, Benjamin J. Williamson, Thomas Cornulier, Paul G. Fernandes, Shaun Fraser, James D. Chapman, Ian M. Davies, Beth E. Scott

19/5/2022 | Article | DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4080

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery to Characterise Pursuit-Diving Seabird Association With Tidal Stream Hydrodynamic Habitat Features

James Slingsby, Beth E Scott, Louise Kregting, Jason McIlvenny, Jared Wilson, Marion Yanez, Samuel Langlois, Benjamin J. Williamson

29/3/2022 | Article | DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.820722

Aerial detection of beached marine plastic using a novel, hyperspectral short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera

Jennifer Laura Cocking, Bhavani Narayanaswamy, Claire Waluda, Benjamin Williamson

8/2/2022 | Article | DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsac006

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Publications

Harris CB, Benjamins S, van Geel N, White E, Scott B, Williamson BJ (2026) Impacts of large-scale maintenance of a floating offshore wind farm on noise levels and harbour porpoise activity. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 83 (8), fsag150. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsag150