Laura Gerrish
GIS and Mapping Specialist
Biography
I am a GIS and Mapping Specialist and have been working at BAS since 2016. My work involves running a ‘Geospatial Helpdesk’ for BAS, where I produce maps and figures for individual research papers and conferences, offer advice and help where needed, and assist with data analysis on scientific projects. I manage our portfolio of award-winning published maps (see the portfolio here) and I also coordinate the sales of these maps and books for BAS, with the maps being used world-wide for both research and tourism purposes.
I am the Operational Lead for the Antarctic Digital Database (ADD), a role that involves gathering and creating a variety of Antarctic datasets and making them available through an online web map.
My main interests lie in analysing environmental changes within GIS software and using both traditional and modern cartographic techniques to present data in engaging and eye-catching ways.
Before starting work at BAS I completed an MSc in Glaciology and a BSc in Geography and German at Aberystwyth University. My research during my MSc focused on the structural glaciological changes of Larsen C Ice Shelf, using GIS software to analyse satellite and aerial imagery over the past 50 years.
Publications from NERC Open Research Archive
2020
Bamford, C.C.G. ORCID record for C.C.G. Bamford, Kelly, N., Dalla Rosa, L., Cade, D.E., Fretwell, P.T. ORCID record for P.T. Fretwell, Trathan, P.N., Cubaynes, H.C. ORCID record for H.C. Cubaynes, Mesquita, A.F.C., Gerrish, L. ORCID record for L. Gerrish, Friedlaender, A.S., Jackson, J.A. ORCID record for J.A. Jackson. (2020) A comparison of baleen whale density estimates derived from overlapping satellite imagery and a shipborne survey. Scientific Reports, 10. 12 pp. 10.1038/s41598-020-69887-y
Evatt, G.W., Smedley, A.R.D., Joy, K.H., Hunter, L., Tey, W.H., Abrahams, I.D., Gerrish, L. ORCID record for L. Gerrish. (2020) The spatial flux of Earth’s meteorite falls found via Antarctic data. Geology, 48. 5 pp. 10.1130/G46733.1
2019
Cubaynes, Hannah ORCID record for Hannah Cubaynes, Fretwell, Peter ORCID record for Peter Fretwell, Bamford, Connor ORCID record for Connor Bamford, Gerrish, Laura ORCID record for Laura Gerrish, Jackson, Jennifer ORCID record for Jennifer Jackson. (2019) Whales from space: Four mysticete species described using new VHR satellite imagery. Marine Mammal Science, 35. 466-491. 10.1111/mms.12544
Atkinson, Angus, Hill, Simeon L., Pakhomov, Evgeny A., Siegel, Volker, Reiss, Christian S., Loeb, Valerie J., Steinberg, Deborah K., Schmidt, Katrin, Tarling, Geraint A. ORCID record for Geraint A. Tarling, Gerrish, Laura ORCID record for Laura Gerrish, Sailley, Sevrine F.. (2019) Krill (Euphausia superba) distribution contracts southward during rapid regional warming. Nature Climate Change, 9. 142-147. 10.1038/s41558-018-0370-z
2017
Atkinson, Angus, Hill, Simeon L., Pakhomov, Evgeny A., Siegel, Volker, Anadon, Ricardo, Chiba, Sanae, Daly, Kendra L., Downie, Rod, Fielding, Sophie ORCID record for Sophie Fielding, Fretwell, Peter ORCID record for Peter Fretwell, Gerrish, Laura ORCID record for Laura Gerrish, Hosie, Graham W., Jessopp, Mark J., Kawaguchi, So, Krafft, Bjørn A., Loeb, Valerie, Nishikawa, Jun, Peat, Helen J. ORCID record for Helen J. Peat, Reiss, Christian S., Ross, Robin M., Quetin, Langdon B., Schmidt, Katrin, Steinberg, Deborah K., Subramaniam, Roshni C., Tarling, Geraint A. ORCID record for Geraint A. Tarling, Ward, Peter. (2017) KRILLBASE: a circumpolar database of Antarctic krill and salp numerical densities, 1926–2016. Earth System Science Data, 9. 193-210. doi:10.5194/essd-9-193-2017
2020
Updated Mapping Datasets for Antarctica
News 12 May, 2020
2019
New map of Greenland reveals fast-changing environment
News 13 June, 2019
Antarctic krill population contracts southward as polar oceans warm
News 21 January, 2019
2018
Watching whales from space
News 1 November, 2018
New map of South Georgia wins award
News 7 September, 2018