As part of its successful breakfast briefing series, the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), University of Lincoln, hosted a talk at Riseholme Campus on Wednesday 24th January 2018, with speakers from the University and guest speaker, Mr Richard Chadd FLS, Environment Agency.

The talk will be held at Riseholme Campus
The talk will be held at Riseholme Hall

The agenda for the briefing was as follows.

8.30am – arrival and breakfast

9.00am – Welcome with LIAT Director, Prof Simon Pearson.

 9.05am – Prof Edward Hanna, University of Lincoln, “What farmers can expect in future weather conditions: Climate change effects on the jet stream and UK extreme weather”

Prof Hanna  received a BSc in Planetary Science from University College London and completed a PhD in satellite remote sensing of arctic sea ice and climatic couplings. As part of his climatological research, Edward has developed the concept of the Greenland Blocking Index related to North Atlantic polar jet stream changes, as a key driver of the recently increased Greenland Icemelt.

9.35am – Isobel Wright, University of Lincoln, “LIAT’s research into water”

Isobel trained and practiced as an agronomist and agricultural consultant based in Lincolnshire prior to joining the university. She will be sharing the water research based at Riseholme and its relevance for farmers in the county.

9.55am – Sneska Lee, PhD Student, University of Lincoln “Drains!”

Sneska will give a two minute introduction to her newly started PhD on agricultural field drainage in Lincolnshire.

10.00am – Mr Richard Chadd FLS, Senior Environmental Monitoring Officer, Environment Agency, “The use of aquatic invertebrates in the management of sediment in rivers”

Richard began his academic career in London as a medical student, but subsequently graduated from Reading, then Edinburgh, in the field of freshwater biology. He has worked as a professional freshwater ecologist for over 28 years, mainly based in Lincolnshire. 

Initially with the National Rivers Authority and latterly the Environment Agency (working as Senior Area Ecologist), Richard is a prime advocate of the use of data to provide information on ecological stressors, by use of ecologically-based metrics, as well as biodiversity assessment of freshwater habitats. Richard will talk about the use of aquatic invertebrates in the management of sediment in rivers.

Slides from the event can be viewed using the links below.