Professor Melody Clark is an Individual Merit Promotion Scientist (IMP) and Project Leader at BAS. She has a genetics degree and PhD from London University. After a string of short-term post doc contracts working on areas ranging from plant chromosomes to the high-profile Japanese pufferfish genome project, she finally landed a job as Project Leader at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in August 2003. She currently leads the Adaptations group, which studies two main areas: how animals adapt to the extreme cold and how they may react in the face of predicted climate change, also how molluscs produce their shells (essential protection if there’s a large iceberg in the area for the Antarctic species, not really a problem for the temperate species we study). Grant income is currently running at over £7M in the past 10 years, with the most recent significant grant being PI and Co-ordinator of the EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN Project no: 605051: CACHE: CAlcium in a CHanging Environment, from November 2013 with a budget of circa €3.7M. In 2007 She was awarded the Senior Prize for Outstanding Women in Marine Biological Sciences Prize, awarded by the EU-FP6 Network of Excellence, Marine Genomics Europe. She was also awarded the Polar Medal (Arctic and Antarctic) in 2022, for her scientific contribution to the Polar Sciences.

She pledged to be flight-free (https://flightfree.co.uk/) for 2023 to reduce her carbon emissions. In 2024 she has pledged to be flight-free with the exception of a trip to Rothera Research Station (work-related and unavoidable)

Professional Experience:

2023-present: Research Fellow Wolfson College and member of Wolfson College Council

2021-present: Honorary Professor in the School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth

Apr 2018: Individual Merit Promotion award

2018-present: Council member and Senior Fellow Cell Stress Society International

Mar 2017-present:Visiting Chair at the University of the Highlands and Islands

Apr 2005-present: Project Leader at BAS

Apr 2003-Mar 2005: Genomic Scientist BAS

Nov 1998 – July 2003: Senior Scientist – HGMP Resource Centre, Cambridge

Dec 1993 – Oct 1998: Higher Scientific Officer – Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge

Jan 1991 – Dec 1993: Research Fellow – School of Biological Sciences, QMW

Oct 1991 – Mar 1992: Visiting Scientist – University of Helsinki

Sept 1988 – Dec 1990: Research Fellow – Dept of Biological Sciences, Wye College

July 1985 – July 1988: PhD Student – Imperial College, University of London

Sept 1983 – June 1985: Cytogeneticist – North-East Thames Regional Health Authority

Education:

D.Sc Imperial College, London (2015)

Ph.D. in Genetics, Imperial College, University of London (1988)

Diploma of Imperial College (DIC) Imperial College (1988)

BSc Major in Genetics 2(i), Queen Mary College, University of London (1983)

Research interests

My research interests centre around the development of cross-disciplinary studies into the Environmental Genomics of Antarctic organisms. In particular, I am investigating how marine animals have adapted to life in the cold. I also use molecular analyses to understand marine organisms’ capacity to cope in stressful environments over timescales from days to years. Personal research includes a long-term interest on Antarctic species’ limited heat-shock (stress) response.

• Villota Nieva, L., Clark, M., Davies, A., & Peck, L. (2024). Species community analysis of heated panels deployed in the Menai Strait between summers 2015 and 2016 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/b6d32e40-3c71-4bc5-83bf-e3a8c2b050dc

• Frontier, N., Marlow, J., Giles, A., Clark, M., Morley, S., & Peck, L. (2024). In situ growth and physiological data from two Antarctic anemone species, Isotealia antarctica and Urticinopsis antarctica at Rothera Research Station (2020-2023) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/221909cf-eac3-4a64-b1d0-3c1cdccdfe3c

• Frontier, N., Clark, M., & Peck, L. (2024). Development and molecular barcoding of Terebellidae polychaetes from Rothera Research Station, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/b354cde1-8cc6-4b29-a1b2-e21fa3e412e9

• Morley, S., Bates, A., Clark, M., Fitzcharles, E., Smith, R., Stainthorp, R., & Peck, L. (2024). Acclimation and acclimatisation of marine ectotherms collected at Rothera Research Station and Scott Base in Antarctica between 2004 and 2015 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/60b777b4-0bd6-48c3-a301-c700854fbfa1

• Sleight, V., Clark, M., & Cavallo, A. (2022). Laternula elliptica developmental bulk RNA-Seq data analysis results 2022, collected from Hangar Cove Rothera Point, on Adelaide Island in 2018 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/6cd12de1-02c7-4f94-86f0-c11e76b86067

• Collins, M., Peck, L., & Clark, M. (2020). Wide diversity in the environmental stress response (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/19c70cf4-6972-42e6-8474-1322b220104f

• Clark, M., Peck, L., & Thyrring, J. (2020). Resilience in Greenland intertidal Mytilus: The hidden stress defense (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/26ddb511-3050-4d87-9e13-d034262ca566

• Clark, M., Villota Nieva, L., & Peck, L. (2019). Upper Thermal Limits (UTL) experiments on the Antarctic spirorbid Romanchella perrieri (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/93eaaf9e-0624-441b-81f0-0438b844f6bb

• Peck, L., Morley, S., Clark, M., Tyler, P., & Grange, L. (2018). Long-term gonad status for Antarctic benthic marine invertebrates – Rothera Station (Version 1) [Data set]. Polar Data Centre; British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council; Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK. https://doi.org/10.5285/d05fb53f-9277-459f-ab85-e260981c643d

• Suckling, C. (2014). Data from long-term study into the effects of temperature and pH stressors on Antarctic sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/677d189b-0251-4785-bfd0-5a26b81c16e1

1. Resisting temperature change in the marine environment

   A research project studying temperature tolerances of over 20 Antarctic marine invertebrate species at Rothera Research Station.

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2. Dynamic Live Cell Imaging

   Dynamic Live Cell Imaging investigated how Antarctic marine organisms, particularly fish, function at temperatures below 0°C

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3. Monitoring climate change in action

   Since Near-shore Marine Biology was moved to Rothera in 1997, we have been conducting biological long-term monitoring in both the marine and terrestrial environments. These represent some of the longest continuous datasets in the Southern Ocean.

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4. Cold Skeletons

   Cold Skeletons investigates how extreme cold affects skeleton formation in Antarctic marine animals.

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5. Changing biodiversity

   Baseline study to monitor how marine biodiversity will respond to climate change

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6. The Heated Settlement Panels

   The heated settlement panels project tested how marine life responded to warmer oceans. The focus was on the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth

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7. European Marine Biological Research Centre

   EMBRC is a group of leading European marine research centres, which is also known as a distributed Research Infrastructure. It provides access to European coastal seas and the endemic fauna, with the addition of Antarctica via BAS.

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8. DATA AS ART #05

   Genetic antifreeze When many insects get cold they produce a special sugar that stops their cells from freezing and keeps them working at low temperatures. In any biochemical process there […]

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9. How shellfish create their shells

   CACHE-ITN pushed forward our understanding of calcium production in warmer more acidic marine environments.

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1. BAS celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science

   Today, 11 February, is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global initiative led by UNESCO and UN-Women. To celebrate, we have asked some of our female staff […]

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2. Warming up the Antarctic: Harder than you think

   Professor Melody Clark, Project Leader, discusses the trials and tribulations of undertaking research in Antarctica. Her latest paper published in Nature Communications shows that rising sea temperatures of just 1-2 […]

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3. STATION SCIENCE: Baby its stressful down here!

   Stress levels and limpets

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4. SCIENCE BLOG:Penguin or sea lemon?

   Dr Melody Clark gets excited about sea snails as part of an innovative research programme to investigate how Antarctica’s animals will adapt to life in a warmer world. Penguins or […]

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1. New project to unlock life’s secrets in extreme cold

   Cambridge researchers are set to explore the uncharted depths of life in the extreme cold, with findings that could reshape our understanding of biology and pave the way for future scientific breakthroughs.

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2. New science facility to unveil mysteries of animal life in Antarctica

   The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will build a new unique science facility at its UK Cambridge headquarters, enabling scientists to understand how organisms that live in cold polar environments evolved and the impact of environmental change on these special ecosystems.

   Read more of: New science facility to unveil mysteries of animal life in Antarctica

   

3. Fish survival in the extreme cold

   An international team of researchers has sequenced the genomes of 24 Antarctic fish species to investigate how they survive the extreme cold. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, […]

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4. Polar medals awarded to BAS staff

   Three British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff have been awarded the Polar Medal. The announcement was published last week (Friday 28 January) in the London Gazette. Melody Clark is a molecular […]

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5. Chaotic formation of genetic islands among marine molluscs

   New research by scientists at British Antarctic Survey and Bielefeld University explains how the chaotic formation of genetic islands can occur in marine molluscs. Usually, the individuals of a population […]

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6. The evolving role of women at BAS

   British Antarctic Survey (BAS) reflects and celebrates the role of women within our organisation.

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7. Parents help offspring adapt to climate change

   Some parents in the animal kingdom can prepare their young for environmental change, helping them cope better in new conditions, a paper published today in Nature Scientific Reports reveals. Scientists […]

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8. Antarctic marine life may grow faster in a warming world

   A team of scientists has discovered that a 1°C rise in local sea temperature has massive impacts on an Antarctic marine community. These new results are published this week (31 […]

   Read more of: Antarctic marine life may grow faster in a warming world

   

9. New study on how shellfish create their shells

   A new study describing how shellfish create their shells in response to their environment is published today (Wednesday 8 February) in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The shells of […]

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10. Shellfish study published this month

    New technologies and techniques used in a scientific study of the shells of oysters, mussels, clams and scallops reveal clues about how these commercially valuable species may fare in a changing world, and how discarded shells from the aquaculture industry could benefit the environment.

    Read more of: Shellfish study published this month

    

11. Controlled Environment Facility (CEF)

    An advanced research centre dedicated to studying polar ecosystems

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12. Bonner Laboratory and dive facility

    Supporting near-shore marine biology

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13. PRESS RELEASE: Oceans and biofouling

    Ocean acidification changes balance of biofouling communities A new study of marine organisms that make up the ‘biofouling community’ — tiny creatures that attach themselves to ships’ hulls and rocks […]

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14. PRESS RELEASE: Sea urchins adapt

    Sea urchins from Antarctica show adaptation to ocean acidification A study of sea urchins from the Antarctic Peninsula has revealed an ability to adapt to changing conditions such as rising […]

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15. NEWS STORY: Climate change effects on shellfish

    BAS takes the lead in ambitious science programme to aid fishing industry and monitor effects of climate change on Europe’s shellfish The supply of shellfish we buy at the supermarket […]

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16. NEWS STORY: Closing event for Ice Lab in Glasgow

    Exciting closing event for Ice Lab exhibition, Gallery Two, The Lighthouse, Glasgow Commissioned by the British Council and curated by the Arts Catalyst, Ice Lab: New Architecture and Science in […]

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17. PRESS RELEASE Age and Antarctic clams

    Age matters to Antarctic clams A new study of Antarctic clams reveals that age matters when it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change. The research provides new […]

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18. Sleeping Beauty, how Antarctic animals survive the extremes

    Arctic springtails (Megaphorura arctica) survive freezing temperatures by dehydrating themselves before the coldest weather sets in. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics have identified a suite of […]

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19. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change visit BAS

    Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP visited British Antarctic Survey on Friday 31 October on a fact-finding mission. In the week that new […]

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• Project Leader, Adaptations