Dr Paulette Posen
Senior Scientist, Spatial Modelling and Assessment
Dr Paulette Posen specialises in modelling spatial interactions between human activity and the natural environment. She examines the influence of land management on rivers, estuaries and coastal waters, with applications to food safety and food security, including microbiological risks in shellfish growing areas and the impacts of climate change.
With a background in the environmental sciences, Paulette was awarded a PhD by the University of East Anglia in 2005 for her research into the risk of groundwater contamination by agricultural pesticides. She pursued an academic career for the next few years, collaborating with economists and social scientists on highly interdisciplinary policy-driven projects, underpinning recommendations for improving water quality in rivers, long-term protection of water resources, and land management options for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Paulette joined Cefas in 2011, applying her terrestrial modelling skills to risk assessment and problem-solving in marine and freshwater environments. Her research has included evaluating the efficacy of marine closures; mapping fishing activity and seabed integrity; assessing the influence of offshore energy production on marine ecosystems; analysing multiple stressors on salmon populations in UK rivers; assessing coastal vulnerability to storm surge and sea level rise in small island states. Her work emphasises the interconnectivity of terrestrial and marine systems, and the need to consider how climate change is likely to affect those relationships in the short, medium and long term.
Paulette has led national and international stakeholder workshops across the range of her research interests. She has authored and delivered training in cartographic design, spatial analysis and hydrological modelling, and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals. Paulette is a professional member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), through which she holds Chartered Water and Environmental Manager (C.WEM) and Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status.
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