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Louise Allcock

DR

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4806-0040

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PhD projects

I work on the systematics, evolution and phylogeography of cephalopod molluscs, particularly octopuses, using both traditional morphological methods and modern molecular techniques such as DNA sequencing. I also work on the ecology, evolution and phylogeography of Southern Ocean and deep-sea fauna. My deep-sea work involves investigating the ecosystems found in the deep-sea canyon systems on Irelands continental margin, particularly collecting samples with Irelands deep-water ROV for subsequent molecular (DNA) work. I have current projects on a range of invertebrate taxa.

Personal profile

Biography

I'm an active ocean-going scientist and have led numerous research cruises as Chief Scientist. My interests lie primarily in molecular evolution and systematics. I have a PhD from Liverpool University, worked at National Museums of Scotland as Curator of Mollusca for some years, before taking up an academic post first at Queen's Univerity Belfast, and subsequently at University of Galway.

Among numerous contributions to academic and wider society, I have chaired the government's Marine Protected Area Advisory Group, I'm a former president of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council, and a fellow and former Council Member of the Linnean Society. I was previously Editor-in-Chief of the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, editor of Journal of Natural History and member of the Editorial Board of Marine Biology and Oceanography: an Annual Review. I am a member of the IUCN Mollusc Specialist Group, and coordinator of the IUCN red data list for Cephalopoda. I was a member of WG2 of the Ocean 2030 UN Decade of the Ocean for Sustainable Development committee, am current Chair of the North Atlantic Regional Working Group of the UN Decade of the Ocean Programme Challenger 150, and a member of Ireland's National Ocean Decade Committee. I've contributed to several ICES workshops and am a long term contributor to WGCEPH. I'm a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Research Interests

My earliest research focused on evolution in the Southern Ocean and deep sea using octopuses as a model system. This research highlighted connections between the worlds oceans, linked evolutionary radiations to climatic events through dated phylogenies, and helped explain how Southern Ocean fauna survived the massive disturbances caused by Pliocene-Pleistocene glacial cycles. My paper on the evolutionary origins of deep-sea octopuses was the top highlight in the Census of Marine Life press release at the 1st World Congress of Marine Biodiversity, Valencia 2008. Although my cephalopod research continues, with projects looking at the evolution of sepiids, octopuses and oegopsid squids, more recently my group has also been studying the ecology and evolution of sponges and corals in the deep waters of Irelands Atlantic margin. In this regard, I was awarded more than a million euro by Science Foundation Ireland & the Marine Institutet o explore the biodiscovery potential of these organisms.

Education/Academic qualification

B.Sc, Ph.D, PGCHET

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 1 - No Poverty
    SDG 1 No Poverty
  2. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  3. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  4. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  5. SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    SDG 5 Gender Equality
  6. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  7. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  8. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  9. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  10. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  11. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  12. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  13. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land
  14. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  15. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

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