Dr James Strong

Biography

James is a marine ecologist and the leader of the Seafloor Ecosystems Group at NOC. His primary interests are the mapping and spatial modelling of marine species and habitats on the seabed. This includes the use of both optical (images from satellites, planes and drones) and acoustic remote sensing (i.e. sonars on ships and autonomous platforms), with detail groun-dtruthing data, to produce marine habitat maps. These maps are used for landscape ecology and marine management. James is currently examining new mapping methodologies to augment traditional approaches and outputs to marine habitat mapping. Other current research interests include landscape ecology analysis (e.g. aspects of functional connectivity in collocated temperate habitats) as well as progressing quantitative assessments of cumulative impacts with climate change pressures. James current works on several habitat mapping related programmes such as the NERC-funded CHAMFER (coastal collocation and shore protection, CFLOOR (carbon flux in fished habitats), ECOWind (benthic impacts of OWF) and FOCUS (novel template mapping of habitats). He has just completed a six-year term (maximum term) as the chairperson for the ICES Working Group on Marine Habitat Mapping and is currently the co-chair of the Working Group on Marine Habitat Mapping commissioned by the European Marine Board. 

Committee Memberships

ICES chairperson for the Working Group on Marine Habitat Mapping (2016 - 2021)
Co-chair for the Working Group on Marine Habitat Mapping

Projects

Example projects:
  • Atlantic 1 Marine Habitat Map and Residual Impact Assessment (2024) funded by Debmarine Namibia - PI
  • C-FLOOR (2024) funded by NERC - NOC lead
  • ECOWind BOWIE (2022) funced by Crown Estates  & NERC - WP co-lead
  • CHAMFER (2022) funded by NERC - WP co-lead
  • Subsea 7 Grey Triggerfish Essential Fish Habitat Mapping (2022) funded by Subsea 7
  • Subsea 7 Blue Carbon Assessment (2022) funded by Subsea 7 - PI
  • NI Natural Capital Assessment (2022) funded by DAERA NI - PI
  • NI Restoration Ready (2022) DAERA NI - PI 
  • BVI MSP tools (2021) funded by Darwin Plus - PI
  • BVI Coastal Resource Atlas (2021) funded by Darwin Plus
  • Northern Ireland BC restoration study (2020) funded by DEARA NI - PI
  • Capacity building for MSP in the BVI (2020) funded by Gov-BVI


Profile photo

Publications

Authors

Muir, Hannah C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0287-5746; Reading, David G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6697-8525; Warwick, Phillip E.; Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Peel, Kate ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2701-466X; Henthorn, Rowan; Keenan, Jacqui; Duncan, Peter F.; Hiddink, Jan G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7114-830X; Skov, Martin W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7204-3865; Unsworth, Richard K. F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0036-9724; Evans, Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0569-7057. 2026 Organic carbon burial rates in muddy temperate shelf sea sediments. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 131 (3). 10.1029/2025JG009168

Publication year

2026

Publication type

Article

Authors

Bailey, Lewis P.; Dorrell, Robert M.; Kostakis, Ina; McKee, David; Parsons, Dan; Rees, Jon; Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Simmons, Stephen; Forster, Rodney. 2024 Monopile-induced turbulence and sediment redistribution form visible wakes in offshore wind farms. Frontiers in Earth Science, 12. 10.3389/feart.2024.1383726

Publication year

2024

Publication type

Article

Publication year

2024

Publication type

Article

Authors

Curtis, Emma J.; Durden, Jennifer ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6529-9109; Bett, Brian J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4977-9361; Huvenne, Veerle A.I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7135-6360; Piechaud, Nils; Walker, Jenny; Albrecht, James; Massot-Campos, Miquel; Yamada, Takaki; Bodenmann, Adrian; Cappelletto, Jose; Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Thornton, Blair. 2024 Improving coral monitoring by reducing variability and bias in cover estimates from seabed images. Progress in Oceanography, 222, 103214. 10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103214

Publication year

2024

Publication type

Article

Authors

Cryer, Sarah E.; Evans, Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0569-7057; Fowell, Sara E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9835-4725; Andrews, Gilbert; Brown, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-1114; Carvalho, Filipa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8355-4329; Degallerie, Diana; Ludgate, Jake; Rosado, Samir; Sanders, Richard ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6884-7131; Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Theophille, Derrick; Young, Arlene; Loucaides, Socratis. 2023 Characterizing reef net metabolism via the diel co‐variation of pH and dissolved oxygen From high resolution in situ sensors. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 37 (9). 10.1029/2022GB007577

Publication year

2023

Publication type

Article

Authors

Connelly, D.P.; Bull, J.M.; Flohr, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5379; Schaap, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5391-0516; Koopmans, D.; Blackford, J.C.; White, P.R.; James, R.H.; Pearce, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4382-2341; Lichtschlag, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-2165; Achterberg, E.P.; de Beer, D.; Roche, B.; Li, J.; Saw, K.; Alendal, G.; Avlesen, H.; Brown, R.; Borisov, S.M.; Böttner, C.; Cazenave, P.W.; Chen, B.; Dale, A.W.; Dean, M.; Dewar, M.; Esposito, M.; Gros, J.; Hanz, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2123-1599; Haeckel, M.; Hosking, B.; Huvenne, V. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7135-6360; Karstens, J.; Le Bas, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2545-782X; Leighton, T.G.; Linke, P.; Loucaides, S.; Matter, J.M.; Monk, S.; Mowlem, M.C.; Oleynik, A.; Omar, A.M.; Peel, K.; Provenzano, G.; Saleem, U.; Schmidt, M.; Schramm, B.; Sommer, S.; Strong, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Falcon Suarez, I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8576-5165; Ungerboeck, B.; Widdicombe, S.; Wright, H.; Yakushev, E.. 2022 Assuring the integrity of offshore carbon dioxide storage. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 166, 112670. 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112670

Publication year

2022

Publication type

Article

Publication year

2022

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Wardell, Catherine; Haïssoune, A; Jones, A L; Coals, L; Birchenough, Silvana. 2022 Marine habitat mapping to support the use of conservation and anti-trawl structures in Kep Province, Cambodia. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 10.1093/icesjms/fsac001

Publication year

2022

Publication type

Article

Authors

Lichtschlag, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-2165; Pearce, Christopher R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4382-2341; Suominen, Mikael; Blackford, Jerry; Borisov, Sergey M.; Bull, Jonathan M.; de Beer, Dirk; Dean, Marcella; Esposito, Mario; Flohr, Anita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5379; Gros, Jonas; Haeckel, Matthias; Huvenne, Veerle A.I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7135-6360; James, Rachael H.; Koopmans, Dirk; Linke, Peter; Mowlem, Matthew; Omar, Abdirahman M.; Schaap, Allison ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5391-0516; Schmidt, Mark; Sommer, Stefan; Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Connelly, Douglas P.. 2021 Suitability analysis and revised strategies for marine environmental carbon capture and storage (CCS) monitoring. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 112, 103510. 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103510

Publication year

2021

Publication type

Article

Authors

Flohr, Anita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5379; Matter, Juerg M.; James, Rachael H.; Saw, Kevin; Brown, Robin; Gros, Jonas; Flude, Stephanie; Day, Christopher; Peel, Kate; Connelly, Douglas; Pearce, Christopher R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4382-2341; Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Lichtschlag, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-2165; Hillegonds, Darren J.; Ballentine, Christopher J.; Tyne, Rebecca L.. 2021 Utility of natural and artificial geochemical tracers for leakage monitoring and quantification during an offshore controlled CO2 release experiment. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 111, 103421. 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103421

Publication year

2021

Publication type

Article

Authors

Dewar, Marius; Saleem, Umer; Flohr, Anita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5379; Schaap, Allison ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5391-0516; Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Li, Jianghui; Roche, Ben; Bull, Jonathan M.; Chen, Baixin; Blackford, Jerry. 2021 Analysis of the physicochemical detectability and impacts of offshore CO2 leakage through multi-scale modelling of in-situ experimental data using the PLUME model. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 110, 103441. 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103441

Publication year

2021

Publication type

Article

Authors

Blackford, Jerry; Romanak, Katherine; Huvenne, Veerle A.I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7135-6360; Lichtschlag, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-2165; Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Alendal, Guttorm; Schütz, Sigrid Eskeland; Oleynik, Anna; Dankel, Dorothy J.. 2021 Efficient marine environmental characterisation to support monitoring of geological CO2 storage. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 109, 103388. 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103388

Publication year

2021

Publication type

Article

Authors

Gros, Jonas; Schmidt, Mark; Linke, Peter; Dötsch, Saskia; Triest, Jack; Martínez-Cabanas, María; Esposito, Mario; Dale, Andrew W.; Sommer, Stefan; Flohr, Anita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5379; Fone, Joseph; Bull, Jonathan M.; Roche, Ben; Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Saw, Kevin; Brown, Robin; Koopmans, Dirk; Wallmann, Klaus. 2021 Quantification of dissolved CO2 plumes at the Goldeneye CO2-release experiment. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 109, 103387. 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103387

Publication year

2021

Publication type

Article

Authors

Flohr, Anita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5379; Schaap, Allison ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5391-0516; Achterberg, Erik P.; Alendal, Guttorm; Arundell, Martin; Berndt, Christian; Blackford, Jerry; Böttner, Christoph; Borisov, Sergey M.; Brown, Robin; Bull, Jonathan M.; Carter, Liam; Chen, Baixin; Dale, Andrew W.; de Beer, Dirk; Dean, Marcella; Deusner, Christian; Dewar, Marius; Durden, Jennifer ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6529-9109; Elsen, Saskia; Esposito, Mario; Faggetter, Michael; Fischer, Jan P.; Gana, Amine; Gros, Jonas; Haeckel, Matthias; Hanz, Rudolf ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2123-1599; Holtappels, Moritz; Hosking, Brett; Huvenne, Veerle ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7135-6360; James, Rachael; Koopmans, Dirk; Kossel, Elke; Leighton, Timothy G.; Li, Jianghui; Lichtschlag, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8281-2165; Linke, Peter; Loucaides, Socratis; Martínez-Cabanas, María; Matter, Juerg M.; Mesher, Thomas; Monk, Samuel; Mowlem, Matthew; Oleynik, Anna; Papadimitriou, Efstathios; Paxton, David; Pearce, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4382-2341; Peel, Kate; Roche, Ben; Ruhl, Henry; Saleem, Umer; Sands, Carla; Saw, Kevin; Schmidt, Mark; Sommer, Stefan; Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Triest, Jack; Ungerböck, Birgit; Walk, John; White, Paul; Widdicombe, Steve; Wilson, Robert Euan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2371-9080; Wright, Hannah; Wyatt, James; Connelly, Douglas. 2021 Towards improved monitoring of offshore carbon storage: A real-world field experiment detecting a controlled sub-seafloor CO2 release. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 106, 103237. 10.1016/j.ijggc.2020.103237

Publication year

2021

Publication type

Article

Publication year

2020

Publication type

Article

Publication year

2020

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Clements, Annika; Lillis, Helen; Galparsoro, Ibon; Bildstein, Tim; Pesch, Roland; Birchenough, Silvana. 2018 A review of the influence of marine habitat classification schemes on mapping studies: inherent assumptions, influence on end products, and suggestions for future developments. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 76 (1). 10-22. 10.1093/icesjms/fsy161

Publication year

2018

Publication type

Article

Publication year

2017

Publication type

Article

Authors

Queirós, Ana M.; Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Mazik, Krysia; Carstensen, Jacob; Bruun, John; Somerfield, Paul J.; Bruhn, Annette; Ciavatta, Stefano; Flo, Eva; Bizsel, Nihayet; Özaydinli, Murat; Chuševė, Romualda; Muxika, Iñigo; Nygård, Henrik; Papadopoulou, Nadia; Pantazi, Maria; Krause-Jensen, Dorte. 2016 An Objective Framework to Test the Quality of Candidate Indicators of Good Environmental Status. Frontiers in Marine Science, 3. 10.3389/fmars.2016.00073

Publication year

2016

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Service, Matthew; Moore, Heather. 2016 Estimating the historical distribution, abundance and ecological contribution of <em>Modiolus modiolus</em> in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 116B (1). 1. 10.3318/bioe.2016.1

Publication year

2016

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Andonegi, Eider; Bizsel, Kemal Can; Danovaro, Roberto; Elliott, Mike; Franco, Anita; Garces, Esther; Little, Sally; Mazik, Krysia; Moncheva, Snejana; Papadopoulou, Nadia; Patrício, Joana; Queirós, Ana M.; Smith, Chris; Stefanova, Kremena; Solaun, Oihana. 2015 Marine biodiversity and ecosystem function relationships: The potential for practical monitoring applications. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 161. 46-64. 10.1016/j.ecss.2015.04.008

Publication year

2015

Publication type

Article

Authors

Barnard, S.; Strong, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X. 2014 Reviewing, refining and identifying optimum aggregation methods for undertaking marine biodiversity status assessments. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. (JNCC Report 536)

Publication year

2014

Publication type

Monograph

Authors

Barnard, Steve; Burdon, Daryl; Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Atkins, Jonathan. 2014 The ecological coherence and economic & social benefits of the Northern Ireland MPA network: A report to the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force. Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, University of Hull, 183pp.

Publication year

2014

Publication type

Monograph

Authors

Calvert, Jay; Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Service, Matthew; McGonigle, Chris; Quinn, Rory. 2014 An evaluation of supervised and unsupervised classification techniques for marine benthic habitat mapping using multibeam echosounder data. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 72 (5). 1498-1513. 10.1093/icesjms/fsu223

Publication year

2014

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Burden, D.; Elliott, M.. 2014 An independent quality assurance of evidence assessments undertaken by JNCC for possible Tranche 2 rMCZs. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. (JNCC Report 519)

Publication year

2014

Publication type

Monograph

Authors

Plets, Ruth; Clements, Annika; Quinn, Rory; Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Breen, Joe; Edwards, Hugh. 2012 Marine substratum map of the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland. Journal of Maps, 8 (1). 1-13. 10.1080/17445647.2012.661957

Publication year

2012

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Service, Matt; Plets, Ruth; Clements, Annika; Quinn, Rory; Breen, Joe; Edwards, Hugh. 2012 Marine substratum and biotope maps of the Maidens/Klondyke bedrock outcrops, Northern Ireland. Journal of Maps, 8 (2). 129-135. 10.1080/17445647.2012.680746

Publication year

2012

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Service, Matthew. 2011 Using optimum allocation analysis to improve seed mussel stock assessments. Journal of Shellfish Research, 30 (1). 1-6. 10.2983/035.030.0101

Publication year

2011

Publication type

Article

Authors

Clements, A. J.; Strong, J. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Flanagan, C.; Service, M.. 2010 Objective stratification and sampling-effort allocation of ground-truthing in benthic-mapping surveys. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67 (4). 628-637. 10.1093/icesjms/fsp280

Publication year

2010

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Maggs, Christine A.; Johnson, Mark P.. 2009 The extent of grazing release from epiphytism for Sargassum muticum (Phaeophyceae) within the invaded range. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 89 (02). 303. 10.1017/S0025315408003226

Publication year

2009

Publication type

Article

Publication year

2008

Publication type

Article

Authors

Service, M.; Strong, J. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X. 2008 Historical chronologies of sedimentation and heavy-metal contamination in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. Biology & Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 108 (2). 109-126. 10.3318/BIOE.2008.108.2.109

Publication year

2008

Publication type

Article

Authors

Ferreira, J.G.; Hawkins, A.J.S.; Monteiro, P.; Moore, H.; Edwards, A.; Goven, R.; Lourenco, P.; Mellor, A.; Nunes, J.P.; Ramos, L.; Sequeiro, A.; Strong, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X. 2007 SMILE - sustainable mariculture in northern Irish lough ecosystems: assessment of carrying capacity for environmentally sustainable shellfish culture in Carlingford Lough, Strangford Lough, Belfast Lough, Larne Lough and Lough Foyle. Institute of Marine Research.

Publication year

2007

Publication type

Monograph

Publication year

2006

Publication type

Article

Authors

Strong, James Asa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-097X; Service, Matthew; Mitchell, Annika Jane. 2006 Application of the Visual Fast Count for the quantification of temperate epibenthic communities from video footage. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, 86 (05). 939. 10.1017/S0025315406013890

Publication year

2006

Publication type

Article