Dr Liz Morris-Webb

Honorary Research Fellow

l.morris-webb@bangor.ac.uk

Dr Liz Morris-Webb

Room: Room 325, Nautilus Suite, Westbury Mount              Phone:Ìý°Õ±ð²¹³¾²õ

E-mail: L.Morris-Webb@bangor.ac.uk                     Twitter: @LizUnderwater

Web:

I am an interdisciplinary marine scientist, with a grounding in marine ecology I now apply social science, human geography and environmental psychology approaches to the management and monitoring of the marine environment.

My academic training began at the University of Wales, Â鶹Íø in 1999, with a BSc (Hons.) in Marine Biology. Subsequently, I pursued interests in tropical marine ecology and research in the Philippines and Egypt leading back to Â鶹Íø for an MSc. in Marine Environmental Protection. In 2005 I established Marine Ecological Solutions (Marine EcoSol), a small marine consultancy specialising in UK scientific diving survey and logistics and subtidal epibenthic survey by scientific diving and underwater imagery.

After 16 years of working as an ecologist, consultant and scientific diver for government agencies, NGOs and private clients, I was increasingly asked to work with people. In 2016 I returned to academia as a PhD student under supervision of Professor Stuart Jenkins and Dr Freya St. John, with research interests in how the marine environment impacts people, and how people impact the marine environment. I am currently a post doctoral researcher for the Ecostructure project, specialising in marine invasive non-native species.

Research Areas

Marine Conservation and Resource Management

Marine Ecology

  • MSc: Marine Environmental Protection (Dist.)
    2003–2005
  • BSc: Marine Biology (Hons)
    1999–2002
  • PhD: Human dimensions of the marine environment: Understanding intertidal collection activities in Wales.
    2016

The human dimensions of the marine environment are being realised as important to the future sustainable management of our environments. I believe that the key to ensuring coastal communities and environments are resilient to climate change and the gobal economic and mental health crises is in understanding how and why people engage with their environments, and using this information to empower people and future policy decisions.

In 2021, my current specific research interests are in: 

* marine invasive non-native species

(as part of )

* the collection (hand gathering) of coastal resources

(¾±²Ô³¦±ô³Ü»å¾±²Ô²µÌý)

These fit within my broader research areas within the human dimensions of the marine environment: 

1. The One Health agenda - how human and non-human well-being are intrinsically linked and understanding how these human-nature connections can be used to inform education, management and sustainable policies.

2. Methods to improve pro-environmental behaviours.

3. Novel approaches to provide evidence to fill knowledge gaps for decision-makers, with particular interest in long-held marine management conundrums. 

Over my working career, I have developed many research interests primarily related to subtidal ecology (of the NE Atlantic), the establishment of robust survey and monitoring techniques for hard substrates. I have a particular interest in tackling the recording of signs of life on the seabed, including eggs, tracks, siphons and other cryptic signs of biodiversity. 

2025

  • E-pub ahead of print
    Morris-Webb, E. S., Austin, M., Cousens, C., Kent, N., Gosney, K. & Tenbrink, T., 9 Apr 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Ocean and Society. 2, 9793.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Cousens, C., Kent, N., Gosney, K., Morris-Webb, L., Tenbrink, T. & Austin, M., 7 Apr 2025, 39 p.
    Research output: Book/Report › Other report

2024

  • Published
    Buchan, P. M., Glithero, L. D., McKinley, E., Strand, M., Champion, G., Kochalski, S., Velentza, K., Praptiwi, R. A., Jung, J., Márquez, M. C., Marra, M. V., Abels, L. M., Neilson, A. L., Spavieri, J., Whittey, K. E., Samuel, M. M., Hale, R., Čermák, A., Whyte, D. & West, L. & 10 others, Stithou, M., Hegland, T. J., Morris-Webb, E. S., Flander-Putrle, V., Schiefer, P., Sutton, S., Onwubiko, C., Adeoye, O., Akpan, A. & Payne, D. L., Dec 2024, In: People and Nature. 6, 6, p. 2300-2324 25 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published
    Buitendijk, T., Morris-Webb, L., Hadj-Hammou, J., Jenkins, S. & Crowe, T., Feb 2024, In: People and Nature. 6, 1, p. 165-179 15 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2022

  • Published
    Masterson Algar, P., Jenkins, S., Windle, G., Morris-Webb, E., Takahashi, C. K., Burke, T., Rosa, I., Martinez, A. S., Torres-Mattos, E. B., Taddei, R., Morrison, V., Kasten, P., Bryning, L., Cruz de Oliveira, N. R., Gonçalves, L. R., Skov, M., Beynon-Davies, C., Bumbeer, J., Saldiva, P. H. N. & Leão, E. & 1 others, Christofoletti, R., 6 Apr 2022, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 809009.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

  • Published
    McQuatters-Gollop, A., Mitchell, I., Vina-Herbon, C., Bedford, J., Addison, P., Lynam, C., Geetha, P. N., Vermeulan, E., Smit, K., Bayley, D., Morris-Webb, E., Niner, H. & Otto, S., 13 Mar 2019, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 6, 16 p., 109.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2017

  • Published
    Evans, A. J., Garrod, B., Firth, L. B., Hawkins, S., Morris-Webb, E., Goudge, H. & Moore, P., Jan 2017, In: Marine Policy. 75, p. 143-155
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2015

  • Published
    Evans, A. J., Firth, L. B., Hawkins, S. J., Morris, E. S., Goudge, H. & Moore, P. J., 13 Jul 2015, In: Marine and Freshwater Research. 67, 1, p. 123-130
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2023

  • Initial findings of a UK and Irish survey of public understanding of the tide, found that 38% of the British public were unaware that the tide typically comes in twice a day. A surprising 15% of the public have some experience of being cut off by the tide.

    Â鶹Íø and RNLI press releases, aiming to warn people about tidal cut off around the extreme tides over Easter weekend were picked up by several TV and radio outlets.

    BBC Wales news (audio) MediaView (tveyes.com)

    S4C News (video) MediaView (tveyes.com)

    ITV News (video uploaded here)

    BBC Radio Cymru (interview with Prof Thora Tenbrink)

    5 Apr 2023

    Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)

2022

  • Project abstract: Every year, hundreds of lifeboat and lifeguard operations occur to rescue coastal users who have become cut off by tide. Despite the RNLI’s best efforts there are still multiple fatalities.

    Ultimately, to reduce the number of emergencies a deeper understanding of the reasons why coastal users become exposed to this hazard is required. This project will address this by looking at people’s concepts and understanding of the tide. Our goal is to help the RNLI develop precautionary measures in a more targeted way, responding directly to coastal users’ conceptual needs.

    For instance, people will naturally generalise from previous experiences with the tide, not realising that tidal movements can differ radically between places and at different times. Furthermore, they will normally expect that the water will come in straight to the shore, not diagonally or in a curved or irregular fashion; they expect tide to come in quite slowly, and to be able to simply walk back on the sandbanks to the shore. However, the tide rarely just uniformly advances and retreats across a beach. Instead, it will initially flow laterally along channels and around sandbanks, cutting them off from the mainland and removing any safe route back to land.

    Funding awarded through the Â鶹Íø Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £11,514

    1 Apr 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

    Activity: Other (Contributor)

My PhD was a Marine EcoSol (www.marine-ecosol.com) collaboration with Â鶹Íø, funded by KESS 2.  Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2) is a pan-Wales higher level skills initiative led by Â鶹Íø on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Government's European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys. 

/doctoral-school/kess

The Â鶹Íø Places of Climate Change Group

Secretary of a Â鶹Íø-wide collaborative Research Centre named ‘PloCC’ has emerged to jointly address sense-of-place notions in relation to climate change.

The Â鶹Íø Wellbeing Research Group

Together with wellbeing researchers in other schools across the University, I founded and lead this group. We aim to bring together researchers of wellbeing across the University to share research ideas, experiences and collaborative opportunities. We meet monthly in an informal setting, with occasional guest speakers and seminars. Contact me if you are interested in coming along. 

School of Ocean Sciences general member of the Â鶹Íø CoESE Ethics & Governance Committee