Dr Nick Fleming
Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Programme Leader BSc Marine Biology
Biography
Dr Fleming joined University of Chester in 2020 as a senior lecturer and is now the programme leader for the BSc Marine Biology degree pathway. He is a marine biologist with an interest in marine ecology and conservation, broadly encompassing pelagic and trophic ecology and the processes driving marine ecosystem functioning. A fascination for the oceans led to a Marine Biology Degree from the University of Wales, Swansea, an MPhil from University of Hull exploring Marine Fisheries Ecology and a PhD in Marine Ecology from Queens University, Belfast specialising in the distribution, seasonality and trophic ecology of gelatinous zooplankton (jellyfish) in the North East Atlantic. Subsequent post-doctoral positions, considered the trophic ecology of elasmobranchs in the Irish Sea, assessing the impacts of gelatinous zooplankton on the commercial fisheries in the Bay of Biscay and stress responses of benthic marine organisms as well as exploring the ecological and environmental impacts of marine renewables on marine ecosystems.
Teaching and Supervision
Passionate and enthusiastic about teaching, Dr Fleming draws upon a multidisciplinary background to deliver key concepts in marine biology and zoology in subject areas relating to marine ecosystems, climate change and marine resource management, together with embedding employability skills.
Research and Knowledge Exchange
Dr Fleming is interested in how environmental and anthropogenic stressors affect marine biodiversity and how this might influence ecosystem function, connectivity and services. He uses an integrated approach to understand factors affecting marine ecosystems, including marine food webs, trophic ecology and nutrient cycling in marine environments. To address questions related to these topics he uses a combination of experimental lab work (including Stable isotopes and genetic techniques), field studies, and modelling (including spatial analysis and food web modelling). Dr Fleming's current interests include applying novel technologies and approaches including contemporary biochemical and molecular techniques and the use of citizen science for the collection of data to answer questions related to marine ecology, for example his lab has successfully explored the feasibility of culturing jellyfish as a sustainable bioresource for the development of biomedical products in collaboration with a commercial partner.