Coastal Carbon
is the science of PhD Timothy Thomson.
Kia ora! I’m an early career researcher dedicated to better understand and preserve our natural environment. I use a diverse set of tools – from microbiology and biogeochemistry to geology and ecological theory – to understand the role that coastal environments play in carbon and nutrient cycling in the context of global change with a particular focus human drivers.
Here you’ll find insights into my research, ongoing projects and collaborations, as well as outreach, community work and volunteering efforts in my chosen home, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Haere mai, I invite you to explore more about my work and connect with me for collaborations, environmental action, and outreach activities!
Ngā mihi nui.
Timothy
| NEWS |
|---|
| November 2025 | AMSN in Tauranga. We are hosting the Australasian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network meeting at the University of Waikato on the Tauranga campus – an event I helped organise. I’m excited to present some of my thesis work as a poster. June 2025 | Marsden Fast Start on to final assessment round. My EOI was successful and I have been invited to submit a full proposal for review. This is massive for me and I am very excited to see where this can go. Feeling proud of this achievement already. February 2025 | Marsden Fast Start EOI submitted. I have submitted an expression of interest to the Marsden Council for a Marsden Fast Start grant. This is a prestigious grant for early career researchers to follow their own research ideas and establish themselves as independent researchers. Fingers crossed for an invitation to submit a full proposal in May! |
| January 2025 | PhD paper published on the drivers of organic matter decomposition in temperate mangrove forests. I am very happy to share this paper which was published in Global Change Biology. Find the paper here and on the publications page |
| October 2024 | Volunteering for the Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust. This was my first community workday with OKT and I enjoyed it so much. We cleaned rat poison from bait stations to monitor areas of high rat activity (by recording the amount of poison that was lost) throughout the forest. It was wonderful spending time in the native bush and learning from experienced volunteers about the efforts to conserve it. I am also part of the Kokako team, however, I have not had the chance to contribute to their efforts yet. You can find more information about OKT at https://kiwitrust.org/ |
| July 2024 | Call me Dr!!! PhD successfully defended. The moment has come, I have fulfilled all the requirements for the completion of my PhD. The defence went really well, and I am very happy with my performance in front of an international panel and audience. Big big milestone for me! |
| May 2024 | PhD paper published on the effects of human land use in the catchment on the receiving coastal ecosystems |
| February 2024 | My first child and son Taio was born. Mum and child are both doing very well and we could not be happier |
| February 2024 | PhD thesis submitted. It was a race to the finish line, but I managed to submit my thesis one day before the due date of my first child |
| August 2023 | MMM6, Colombia baby. I attended the 6th Mangrove Macrobenthos and Management conference in Cartagena, Colombia where I gave a talk on the second chapter of my PhD |
| October 2022 | AMSN in Ballina, Australia. As the only scientist from New Zealand, I attended the Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network meeting. Where I gave a speed talk on my PhD work. This was a great opportunity to meet the Australian coastal wetland community and connect with other early career researchers in that space November 2021 | Best student talk at the NZMSS annual meeting August 2021 | Fourth place at ICYMARE photo competition to showcase the dirty side of research December 2020 | Recpient of the NZMSS Student research Grant |
Coastal Carbon 