Rhiannon is a marine biogeochemist, with a particular interest in the interactions of glaciers and oceans in the polar regions. Rhiannon completed her PhD (University of Southampton) in 2024, before starting as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the British Antarctic Survey as part of the SiCLING project (Silicon cycling in glaciated environments). SiCLING will investigate links between silicon and metal cycling within glacial sediments in Arctic and Antarctic fjords, and the impact of these processes on the flow of nutrients into the polar coastal ocean and beyond.

Prior to her work at BAS, Rhiannon investigated the supply of meltwater, sediments, and associated nutrient fluxes from glaciers along the West Antarctic Peninsula. She is interested in the importance of reactive (nano)particles to the marine cycling of bioactive metals such as iron, utilising high-precision microscopy techniques such as Scanning X-ray Transmission Microscopy as well as inorganic and organic geochemical techniques and stable and radiogenic isotope tracers.

In addition to her research work, Rhiannon has undertaken three policy internships with Defra, the G7 FSOI, and Public Policy Southampton (PPS), and sits on the GEOTRACES Early Career Scientist committee.

Research interests

Polar and marine biogeochemistry

Trace metal and macronutrient cycling between glaciers, oceans, and marine sediments

Shelf sediment biogeochemical cycles

Stable and radiogenic isotope tracers

The influence of biogeochemical cycles on marine life and climate

• Jones, R., Annett, A., Sherrell, R., Flanagan, O., Woodward, M., Meredith, M., Scourse, J., & Lohan, M. (2025). Surface seawater concentration data collected from the West Antarctic Peninsula during the Icebergs 3 JR19002 cruise in January 2020 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/deaec6fa-9654-426d-ba67-756776b25cd7

• Jones, R., Annett, A., Pearce, R., Flanagan, O., Scourse, J., & Lohan, M. (2025). Scanning Electron Microscopy – Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy data from surface seawater particles collected from the West Antarctic Peninsula during the Icebergs 3 JR19002 expedition (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/af8aeb71-9f28-4eb7-b5b5-d7383c746eb9

• Jones, R., Annett, A., Hawkings, J., Mitchell, E., Flanagan, O., & Scourse, J. (2025). Dissolved organic carbon data for surface seawater and the sediment-seawater interface collected from the West Antarctic Peninsula during the Icebergs 3 JR19002 expedition in January 2020 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/930e4c7e-0415-42db-b98a-d7e0b16c5ab8

1. Creating Standards for Climate Experiments

   Eco-ICE studies whether making Arctic sea ice thicker could harm ocean life and creates tools to help decision-makers work out if climate projects are safe.

   Read more of: Creating Standards for Climate Experiments

   

2. Silicon cycling in glaciated environments

   SiCLING studies how silicon cycles in Arctic and Antarctic glacial environments and how these cycles affect marine ecosystems and carbon flow.

   Read more of: Silicon cycling in glaciated environments