91ÇÑ×Ó

About the Award

The Ralph Brown Expedition Award is a single annual award of £12,500, offered to an experienced researcherÌýleadingÌýa researchÌýexpedition working in an aquatic environment. This includes the study of coral reefs, rivers, lakes and shallow seas. The project should be of value to the host country and, where possible, to the local community.

The award has been established in memory of Ralph Brown;Ìýa Californian who lived much of his life in New Zealand. He took part in expeditions and was a keen advocate of the use of jet boats to navigate inaccessible and dangerous rivers.

Brown died in 1996, shortly after winning the World Jet Boat Championship in Canada. He bequeathed a portion of his estate to 91ÇÑ×Ó to fund both the Award and the Grants Officer at the Society. The Ralph Brown Award has supported projects since 1998, ranging from the wetlands of Ukraine to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, from coral reef studies to mountain river hazard surveys, and studies of human interaction with waterways.

Applicants must be Fellows or Members of the Society. The grant is open to applicants from any nation.

Deadline: 23 November

Ìý

Apply now

All prospective grant applicants are encouraged to read ourÌýAdvice and ResourcesÌýpages, which include more information about the grants programme, its conditions, how to apply for a grant and what is expected if your application is successful. Please read this information carefullyÌýand send your application, or any enquiries, by email toÌýgrants@rgs.org.

Ìý

Previous recipients

2024: Professor Niki Alsford (University of Central Lancashire). 'Haenyeo Voices: Harmonising Haenyeo Traditional Knowledge with Ecological Baseline Monitoring to Uncover Climate Change Impacts on Jeju Island Reefs'

The HAENYEO VOICES project explores the repercussions of climate change on reef systems in Jeju, South Korea, through the convergence of traditional knowledge from Haenyeo (female divers) and ecological baseline monitoring of their cultivated reef environments. Employing advanced 3D modelling, HAENYEO VOICES will oversee and assess transformations transpiring within a 10mx10m reef ecosystem. This original methodology will prompt extensive insights into climate-induced
impacts, fostering a unique synergy between Haenyeo traditional knowledge and scientific baseline monitoring.

2024: Dr Charlotte Hopkins (University of Hull). 'Using pelagic SBRUVs for a biogeographic exploration of Scottish elasmobranchs'

Globally, elasmobranchs are declining and many near-shore species are facing extinction. Our knowledge of temperate elasmobranch communities and environmental drivers of patterns of their distribution and abundance is limited. High mobility, ontogenetic shifts in habitat preference and broad geographic ranges are particular research challenges. Here, we will use Pelagic Baited Remote Underwater Stereo-Video Systems (pelagic stereo-BRUVs) for the first time, in remote
near-shore zones of Scotland, to provide information on behaviour, relative abundance, size, spatial distribution and association with geographic features of pelagic elasmobranch assemblages. Results will inform conservation policy and develop local knowledge of marine
biodiversity.

2023: Dr James Guest andÌýLiam Lachs (Newcastle University). 'The shifting structure of coral communities: hotspots, thermal refugia, and mass bleaching resistance'

Coral reefs are facing unprecedented declines due to climate change, marine heatwaves, andÌýmass coral bleaching events. Coral reef structure will change dramatically, but the extent ofÌýchange will depend on the population dynamics of coral taxa with contrasting life histories andÌývarying resistance to coral bleaching. These processes will likely be affected by local thermalÌýregimes like persistent hotspots and thermal refugia. Focusing on the isolated reefs of Palau,ÌýMicronesia, this expedition will establish the links between population dynamics, thermal regimes,Ìýand bleaching resistance, and apply population projection models to forecast shifts in communityÌýstructure under climate change.

2022: Professor Lee Brown (University of Leeds). 'Long term response of river ecosystems to glacier retreat'

The pioneering AASER network established a baseline, 25 years ago, for understanding how glaciers influence river biodiversity, hydrology, geomorphology and water quality in eight EuropeanÌýmountain regions. Space-for-time surveys were undertaken originally but glaciers in all regions have now retreated substantially due to climate warming, offering opportunities to observeÌýtemporal changes directly. Expeditions to Greenland and Norway will resample 30 sites on 16Ìýrivers. With AASER network collaborators, this projectÌýwill integrate results into a pan-European analysis toÌýdocument the implications of glacier loss for downstream river ecosystems, inform policy-makers and conservation groups, and input to future IPCC and IPBES reports.

2021:ÌýDr Nicholas Girkin (Cranfield University). 'Mapping the extent and vulnerability of Central American peatland carbon stocks'Ìý

Tropical peatlands account for 11% of global peatland area, but store 19% of peat carbon. While recent work has improved estimates for South American and Central African peatlands, data for Central America is limited. Current estimates are that Panamanian peatlands cover 7,900 square km, storing 2.4 GtC, representing 80% of the Central American peatland carbon pool. However, this relies on studies prior to the development of modern remote sensing techniques. In this project, we will deliver accurate estimates for Central American peatland extent, carbon storage, and vulnerability to disturbance, and work with policy-makers to improve understanding and protection of these sites.

2020: Dr Gaia Stucky de Quay (University of Texas at Austin).Ìý'Constraining river erosion rates and long-term evolution of volcanic island landscapes in the Azores and Madeira archipelagos​'

Volcanic ocean islands form remarkable natural experiments for investigating changes in topography and hydrology over geologic time. After construction, their surfaces dramatically transform from bare, un-dissected surfaces into vegetated landscapes with incised channels, deep gorges, and powerful waterfalls. However, the relative role of climate and the extent to which it sets the pace for volcanic landscape evolution is poorly understood. ThisÌýexpedition will determine river erosion rates and collect geomorphic observations, focusing on intra- and inter-island variability in the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. Results will shed light into controlling processes and patterns common to all oceanic landscapes globally.

2019: Dr Maria Beger (University of Leeds). 'Coral Community Demographics: a predictive framework for the long-term viability of subtropical corals'

With tropical coastal temperatures rising at an alarming rate, subtropical coral populations have been heralded as potential future coral refugia. However, knowledge regarding the mechanisms behind their persistence in stressful subtropical conditions is lacking. Consequently, we are currently unable to comprehend the future viability of these environments, let alone their capacity for facilitating the future persistence of threatened species. This project will address this challenge by quantifying the demographic life-history strategies of subtropical coral populations, and how they vary from populations on declining tropical coral reefs; thereby improving our capacity to forecast the future of these marginal, yet important ecosystems.

2018: Dr CeriÌýLewis (University of Exeter). 'Assessing the risk of marine microplastic to the unique biota of the Galapagos'

The Galapagos Islands, famous for their unique biodiversity, occupy a geographically isolated position in the Pacific Ocean, yet are under threat from large quantities of marine plastics littering their shores. Galapagos is a priority for improved marine litter management, but there is currently no data on the extent and distribution of microplastic pollution in Galapagos coastal waters or their uptake into marine biota to support such actions. This project will undertake the first field-sampling programme on Galapagos to quantify and characterise marine microplastic and its impacts on marine invertebrate fauna, whilst developing local science and education capacity in marine pollution.

2017: Professor Andy Hodson (University of Sheffield). 'Rapid ventilation of sub-permafrost methane through pingos, springs and pockmarks in the coastal High Arctic'

Throughout the spring and summer of 2017, Professor Andy Hodson and his team will be investigating methane escape from beneath permafrost via shallow marine and terrestrial seepages in northern and central Spitsbergen. The escape of this dangerous greenhouse gas will be linked not only to contemporary climate change, but also to landscape changes over the last 12,000 years. Remotely operated vehicles and bespoke groundwater samplers will be employed, allowing the team to describe the sources, origins and dynamics of methane escape throughout the entire year.