Michael Dunbar Email & Phone Number

Newton Abbot, Gb

I've started a new role in the EA Chief Scientist's Group working with our monitoring data on chemical pollution, for the Defra 25 Year Plan. This includes analysing and reporting trends in chemicals such as heavy metals, pesticides and persistent bioaccumulative compounds - mainly in water but also animal tissue.I'm using the stats skills I've developed over the past 25 years, particularly applying mixed-effects models to data that are collected over time at multiple monitoring locations.… Show more I've started a new role in the EA Chief Scientist's Group working with our monitoring data on chemical pollution, for the Defra 25 Year Plan. This includes analysing and reporting trends in chemicals such as heavy metals, pesticides and persistent bioaccumulative compounds - mainly in water but also animal tissue.I'm using the stats skills I've developed over the past 25 years, particularly applying mixed-effects models to data that are collected over time at multiple monitoring locations. I'm also looking forward to further developing my skills on generalised additive mixed models, censored data and model-based multivariate analysis. Show less

Reading, United Kingdom

I was the technical lead for hydroecology in the Environment Agency. I worked in the water resources assessment team within the Environment and Business directorate. My role divided into two main parts, firstly supporting operations staff who require hydroecological tools to manage drought and implement the Sustainable Abstraction Programme. Secondly I supported my colleagues within national water resources, again covering drought and sustainable abstraction, but also on the hydrological… Show more I was the technical lead for hydroecology in the Environment Agency. I worked in the water resources assessment team within the Environment and Business directorate. My role divided into two main parts, firstly supporting operations staff who require hydroecological tools to manage drought and implement the Sustainable Abstraction Programme. Secondly I supported my colleagues within national water resources, again covering drought and sustainable abstraction, but also on the hydrological criteria we use to licence new water use. Finally because of my past experience, I also worked on advising on technical hydroecological issues across the organisation particularly surveillance monitoring. Show less

Wallingford

At CEH I undertook applied research into how multiple anthropogenic stressors influence river biota, using modern statistical methods. My research was divided into two overlapping areas: firstly impacts of physical factors such as streamflow and physical habitat structure and secondly impacts of land management. I developed statistical models using hierarchically structured datasets that link time series of abiotic data with time series representing aspects of river ecosystem structure and… Show more At CEH I undertook applied research into how multiple anthropogenic stressors influence river biota, using modern statistical methods. My research was divided into two overlapping areas: firstly impacts of physical factors such as streamflow and physical habitat structure and secondly impacts of land management. I developed statistical models using hierarchically structured datasets that link time series of abiotic data with time series representing aspects of river ecosystem structure and function. These models were set up using data from national monitoring databases.In collaboration with the Environment Agency, I created the DRIED-UP model of macroinvertebrate response to altered river flow and habitat modification. I extended DRIED-UP to assess fine sediment risk using the biological metrics LIFE and PSI. I have also led projects investigating the ecological impacts of river regulation by dams. My work linking Countryside Survey freshwater and terrestrial land management data demonstrated how multiple stressors acting at a range of scales influence stream biota, notably how selected stressors interact synergistically and antagonistically. I gained considerable experience working on EU research projects with a Water Framework Directive focus, I provided statistical advice to the EU WISER project, and was instrumental in winning the EU research project REFORM, which focuses on river restoration. Earlier in my career I led a major project for the Environment Agency and Defra to develop tools for the identification and designation of Heavily Modified Water Bodies under the Water Framework Directive. For several years I worked on research projects studying the response of river habitats to changes in flow, using physical habitat data and hydraulic-habitat models and supervised several MSc and PhD theses on various hydromorphological topics. Show less

Newbury

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Statistical Modelling

Master Of Science (Msc), Environmental Technology

Master Of Arts (Ma), Natural Sciences, 2:1

Education record