Marine Scotland Science: directory

Dr Alejandro Gallego

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Programme
Oceanography Group
Group Leader

E-mail: a.gallego@marlab.ac.uk and Alejandro.Gallego@gov.scot

Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, UK

Pronouns: he/him/his

Details of specialism

As leader of the Oceanography Group, I have an interest in oceanographic research and monitoring in Scottish waters.  Much of this is focused on understanding the processes that drive the circulation patterns, and the trends and variability in the environmental conditions of our seas (inshore and offshore), based on observations and models.  This work has direct applications in climate change monitoring and research, aquaculture, fisheries, nature conservation, and marine renewable energy.  We also carry out research (especially modelling) on aspects of oil spill preparedness, both in the deep waters off the Scottish continental shelf and on the shelf seas.  Traditionally, my own research has focused on biological and bio-physical modelling of, primarily, the early-life stages of fish but also zooplankton. I have done research into the mechanisms that control growth and survival of these organisms, the population dynamics of the plankton community in general, and transport and connectivity patterns between populations and areas.  A lot of the applied work carried out by the Oceanography Group focuses on transport and connectivity (of organisms, pollutants, diseases, etc.).

Main policy links

• climate change
• finfish aquaculture
• marine renewables impacts
• marine planning and conservation (e.g. MPAs)
• fish and shellfish health advice
• emergency response to environmental incidents

External committees and responsibilities

• vice-chair of the UK Integrated Marine Observing Network (UK-IMON)
• leader of the Dynamics and Properties of Marine Systems Theme within MASTS
• member of the Executive Committee of the National Partnership for Ocean Prediction (NPOP)
• University of Aberdeen– honorary Lecturer
• member of the ICES Working Group on Integrative Physical-biological and Ecosystem Modelling (WGIPEM)
• member of the Oil & Gas UK Oil Spill Response Technical Work Group
• contributing editor of Marine Ecology Progress Series
• invited reviewer for scientific journals and international research projects

Papers of relevance

Ounsley JP, Gallego A, Morris DJ and Armstrong JD (2019) Regional variation in directed swimming by Atlantic salmon smolts leaving Scottish waters for their oceanic feeding grounds—a modelling study. ICES Journal of Marine Science 77, 315-325.

Millar H, O’Hara Murray R, Gallego A, Gormley K and Kent F (2019) Connectivity of selected Priority Marine Features within and outwith the Scottish MPA network. Scottish Natural Heritage Research Report No. 1048. 79 pp.

Sheehan PMF, Berx B, Gallego A, Hall RA, Heywood KJ and Queste BY (2020) Weekly variability of hydrography and transport of northwestern inflows into the northern North Sea.  Journal of Marine Systems 204, 103288.

Rabe B and Gallego A (2020) Interpretation of sea lice connectivity patterns among Scottish Farm Management Areas. Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science 11, No 4, 29 pp. 

Rabe B, Gallego A, Wolf J, O'Hara Murray R, Stuiver C, Price D and Johnson H (2020) Applied connectivity modelling at local to regional scale: the potential for sea lice transmission between Scottish finfish aquaculture management areas.  Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 238, 106716.

Details of linked research pages

Alejandro Gallego’s ResearchGate profile