Dr Martin Skov
Reader in Marine Biology
Contact info
Room: 408 Westbury Mount Phone: 01248 383846
E-mail: mwskov@bangor.ac.uk
Web: Google Scholar
I did a BSc (1st Class Hons) in marine biology with Bangor University in 1996, which followed by a PhD in mangrove ecology with Liverpool University in 2001. My postdoctoral career took me through a two year research fellowship with Lisbon University in Portugal, studying crustacean recruitment dynamics, a one year postdoc with Bangor University on phytoplankton research, and a 3 year postdoctoral fellowship with Southampton University, in which I used intertidal snails and biofilms to test model predictions related to resource distribution and habitat fragmentation. I returned to Bangor University in 2009 for a Research Lectureship, which in January 2013 led to a permanent lectureship and later a Senior Lectureship with the School of Ocean Sciences.
I am an experimental ecologist with particular interests in the ecological functioning and ecosystem services of coastal salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses. My research focuses particularly on regulators of landscape-scale functioning, such as examining what determines the delivery of natural coastal protection and carbon sequestration by marshes and mangroves, and explaining and predicting long- and medium-term changes in marsh and mangrove area cover. I have a strong interest in the human interactions with coastal wetlands, including wellbeing associations and how ecosystem management impacts on ecosystem service delivery. My work includes fundamental experimentation with ecosystem simulations in the field and hydrological flumes, use of historical data, records and systematic observations for understanding long-term processes in coastal systems.
Research Areas
Marine Conservation and Resource Management
Sediment Dynamics and Morphology
- Article › Research › Peer-reviewed
- Published
A framework linking ecosystem services and human well-being: Saltmarsh as a case study
Rendon, O. R., Garbutt, A., Skov, M., Moller, I., Alexander, M., Ballinger, R., Wyles, K., Smith, G., McKinley, E., Griffin, J., Thomas, M., Davidson, K., Pages , J., Read, S. & Beaumont, N., Dec 2019, In: People and Nature. 1, 4, p. 486-496Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Best practice for upscaling soil organic carbon stocks in salt marshes
Ladd, C. J. T., Smeaton, C., Skov, M. & Austin, W. E. N., 15 Dec 2022, In: Geoderma. 428, 116188.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Between a rock and a hard place: Environmental and engineering considerations when designing coastal defence structures
Firth, L. B., Thompson, R. C., Bohn, K., Abbiati, M., Airoldi, L., Bouma, T. J., Bozzeda, F., Ceccherelli, V. U., Colangelo, M. A., Evans, A., Ferrario, F., Hanley, M. E., Hinz, H., Hoggart, S. P., Jackson, J. E., Moore, P., Morgan, E. H., Perkol-Finkel, S., Skov, M. W., Strain, E. M., van Belzen, J. & Hawkins, S. J., 1 May 2014, In: Coastal Engineering. 87, p. 122-135Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Biodiversity in intertidal rock pools: Informing engineering criteria for artificial habitat enhancement in the built environment
Firth, L. B., Schofield, M., White, F. J., Skov, M. W. & Hawkins, S. J., 1 Dec 2014, In: Marine Environmental Research. 102, December, p. 122-130Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Blue carbon benefits from global saltmarsh restoration
Mason, V., Burden, A., Epstein, G., Jupe, L. L., Wood, K. A. & Skov, M., 25 Sept 2023, In: Global Change Biology. 29, 23, p. 6517-6545 29 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Coastal Agricultural Landscapes:: Mapping and understanding grazing intensity on Welsh Saltmarshes
McKinley, E., Harvey, R., Ballinger, R., Davidson, K., Griffin, J. & Skov, M., 1 May 2022, In: Ocean and Coastal Management. 222, 106128.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Coastal wetlands mitigate storm flooding and associated costs in estuaries
Fairchild, T. P., Bennett, W. G., Day, B., Skov, M., Moller, I., Beaumont, N., Karunarathna, H. & Griffin, J. N., 7 Jul 2021, In: Environmental Research Letters. 16, 7, 074034.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Decomposition of mangrove roots: effects of location, nutrients, species identity and mix in a Kenyan forest.
Huxham, M., Langat, J., Tamooh, F., Kennedy, H., Mencuccini, M., Skov, M. W. & Kairo, J. G., 10 Jun 2010, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 88, 1, p. 135-142Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Editorial: Structure, Functioning and Conservation of Coastal Vegetated Wetlands
Richir, J., Bouillon, S., Gobert, S., Skov, M. & Borges, A. V., 29 May 2020, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 8, 4 p., 134.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Elucidating the surface macroplastic load, types and distribution in mangrove areas around Cebu Island, Philippines and its policy implications
Paler, M. K. O., Tabanag, I. D. F., Siacor, F. D. C., Geraldino, P. J. L., Walton, M., Dunn, C., Skov, M., Hiddink, J. G. & Taboada, E. B., 10 Sept 2022, In: Science of the Total Environment. 838, 3, 156408.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
External conditions drive optimal planting configurations for salt marsh restoration
Duggan Edwards, M. F., Pages , J. F., Jenkins, S. R., Bouma, T. J. & Skov, M. W., Mar 2020, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 57, 3, p. 619-629Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Facing the future: the importance of substratum features for ecological engineering of artificial habitats in the rocky intertidal
Firth, L. B., White, F. J., Schofield, M., Hanley, M. E., Burrows, M. T., Thompson, R. C., Skov, M. W., Evans, A. J., Moore, P. J. & Hawkins, S. J., 13 Jul 2015, In: Marine and Freshwater Research. 67, 1, p. 131-143Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Faunal mediated carbon export from mangroves in an arid area
Walton, M., Al Maslamani, I., Chatting, M., Smyth, D., Castillo, A., Skov, M. & Le Vay, L., 10 Feb 2021, In: Science of the Total Environment. 755, 1, 13 p., 142677.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Functional responses of mangrove fauna to forest degradation
Barbanera, A., Markesteijn, L., Kairo, J., Juma, G. A., Karythis, S. & Skov, M., 17 Mar 2022, In: Marine and Freshwater Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Future mangrove carbon storage under climate change and deforestation
Chatting , M., Al-Maslamani, I., Walton, M., Skov, M., Kennedy, H., Husrevoglu, S. & Le Vay, L., 10 Feb 2022, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 9, 14 p., 781876.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Grazing reduces bee abundance and diversity in saltmarshes by suppressing flowering of key plant species
Davidson, K. E., Fowler, M. S., Skov, M., Forman, D., Alison, J., Botham, M., Beaumont, N. & Griffin, J., 1 Apr 2020, In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 291, 106760.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Growth of Crassostrea gigas spat and juveniles under differing environmental conditions at two sites in Wales
King, J. W., Malham, S. K., Skov, M. W., Cotter, E., Latchford, J. W., Culloty, S. C. & Beaumont, A. R., 1 Jul 2006, In: Aquatic Living Resources. 19, 3, p. 289-297Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Identifying knowledge gaps hampering application of intertidal habitats in coastal protection: Opportunities & steps to take
Bouma, T. J., van Belzen, J., Balke, T., Zhu, Z., Airoldi, L., Blight, A. J., Davies, A. J., Galvan, C., Hawkins, S. J., Hoggart, S. P., Lara, J. L., Losada, I. J., Maza, M., Ondiviela, B., Skov, M. W., Strain, E. M., Thompson, R. C., Yang, S., Zanuttigh, B., Zhang, L. & Herman, P. M., 1 May 2014, In: Coastal Engineering. 87, p. 147-157Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Impact of climate change on UK estuaries: A review of past trends and potential projections
Robins, P. E., Skov, M. W., Lewis, M. J., Gimenez, L., Davies, A. G., Malham, S. K., Neill, S. P., McDonald, J. E., Whitton, T. A., Jackson, S. E. & Jago, C. F., 17 Dec 2015, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 169, p. 119-135Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Impact of mangrove forest structure and landscape on macroplastics capture
Cappa, P., Walton, M., Paler, M. K. O., Taboada, E. B., Hiddink, J. G. & Skov, M., Sept 2023, In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. 194, Part A, 115434.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Influence of species richness and environmental context on early survival of replanted mangroves at Gazi bay, Kenya.
Kirui, B. Y., Huxham, M., Kairo, J. & Skov, M. W., 1 May 2008, In: Hydrobiologia. 603, p. 171-181Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Intra- and inter-specific facilitation in mangroves may increase resilience to climate change threats.
Huxham, M., Kumara, M. P., Jayatissa, L. P., Krauss, K. W., Kairo, J., Langat, J., Mencuccini, M., Skov, M. W. & Kirui, B., 12 Jul 2010, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 365, 1549, p. 2127-2135Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Intraspecific Root Trait Variability Along Environmental Gradients Affects Salt Marsh Resistance to Lateral Erosion
de Battisti, D., Fowler, M. S., Jenkins, S. R., Skov, M. W., Rossi, M., Bouma, T. J., Neyland, P. J. & Griffin, J. N., 8 May 2019, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7, 150.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Large-scale predictions of salt-marsh carbon stock based on simple observations of plant community and soil type
Ford, H., Garbutt, A., Duggan-Edwards, M., Pages, J. F., Harvey, R., Ladd, C. & Skov, M. W., 25 Jan 2019, In: Biogeosciences. 16, 2, p. 425-436 436 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Light grazing of saltmarshes increases the availability of nest sites for Common Redshank Tringa totanus, but reduces their quality
Sharps, E., Garbutt, A., Hiddink, J. G., Smart, J. & Skov, M. W., 1 Apr 2016, In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 221, p. 71-78Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Light grazing of saltmarshes is a direct and indirect cause of nest failure in Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Sharps, E., Smart, J., Skov, M. W., Garbutt, A. & Hiddink, J. G., 2 Mar 2015, In: Ibis. 157, 2, p. 239-249Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Livestock grazing alters multiple ecosystem properties and services in salt marshes: a meta-analysis
Davidson, K. E., Fowler, M. S., Skov, M., Doerr, S. H., Beaumont, N. & Griffin, J. N., Oct 2017, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 54, 5, p. 1395-1405Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Mangrove carbon stocks and biomass partitioning in an extreme environment
Chatting, M., Le Vay, L., Walton, M., Skov, M., Kennedy, H., Wilson, S. & Al Maslamani, I., 5 Oct 2020, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 244, 106940.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Microplastics alter multiple biological processes of marine benthic fauna
Mason, V., Skov, M., Hiddink, J. G. & Walton, M., 1 Nov 2022, In: Science of the Total Environment. 845, 157362.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Multiple trait dimensions mediate stress gradient effects on plant biomass allocation, with implications for coastal ecosystem services.
de Battisti, D., Fowler, M. S., Jenkins, S., Skov, M., Bouma, T. J., Neyland, P. J. & Griffin, J., Jul 2020, In: Journal of Ecology. 108, 4, p. 1227-1240Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Navigating Research Challenges to Estimate Blue Carbon Benefits From Saltmarsh Restoration
Mason, V. G., Burden, A., Epstein, G., Jupe, L. L., Wood, K. A. & Skov, M. W., 10 Oct 2024, In: Global Change Biology. 30, 10, p. e17526Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Nest trampling and ground nesting birds: quantifying temporal and spatial overlap between cattle activity and breeding redshank
Sharps, E., Smart, J., Mason, L. R., Jones, K., Skov, M., Garbutt, A. & Hiddink, J., Aug 2017, In: Ecology and Evolution. 7, 16, p. 6622-6633Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
No detectable broad-scale effect of livestock grazing on soil blue-carbon stock in salt marshes.
Harvey, R. J., Garbutt, A., Hawkins, S. J. & Skov, M. W., 10 May 2019, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7, 151.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Opposing indirect effects of domestic herbivores on saltmarsh erosion
Pages Fauria, J., Jenkins, S., Bouma, T., Sharps, E. & Skov, M., 15 Aug 2019, In: Ecosystems. p. 1055-1068Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Organic Carbon Stocks of Great British Saltmarshes
Smeaton, C., Miller, L. C., McMahon, L., Garrett, E., Barlow, N. L. M., Gehrels, W. R., Skov, M. & Austin, W. E. N., 4 Dec 2023, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 10, 1229486.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Organic carbon accumulation in British saltmarshes
Smeaton, C., Garrett, E., Koot, M. B., Ladd, C. J. T., Miller, L. C., McMahon, L., Foster, B., Barlow, N. L. M., Blake, W., Gehrels, W. R., Skov, M. W. & Austin, W. E. N., 20 May 2024, In: Science of the Total Environment. 926, p. 172104Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Outwelling from arid mangrove systems is sustained by inwelling of seagrass productivity
Walton, M. E., Al-Maslamani, I., Skov, M. W., Al-Shaikh, I., Al-Ansari, I. S., Kennedy, H. A. & Le Vay, L., 17 Jul 2014, In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 507, p. 125-137Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Past and present grazing boosts the photo-autotrophic biomass of biofilms.
Skov, M. W., Volkelt-Igoe, M., Hawkins, S. J., Jesus, B., Thompson, R. C. & Doncaster, C. P., 22 Feb 2010, In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 401, p. 101-111Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Patchiness in resource distribution mitigates habitat loss: insights from high-shore grazers.
Skov, M. W., Hawkins, S. J., Volkelt-Igoe, M., Pike, J., Thompson, R. C. & Doncaster, C. P., 1 May 2011, In: Ecosphere. 2, 5, p. 60Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Rapid losses of surface elevation following tree girdling and cutting in tropical mangroves
Kipkorir, J., Lang'at, S., Kairo, J. G., Mencuccini, M., Bouillon, S., Skov, M. W., Waldron, S. & Huxham, M., 22 Sept 2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 9Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Reorganisation following disturbance: multi trait-based methods in R
Richardson, L., Magneville, C., Grange, L., Shepperson, J., Skov, M., Hoey, A. & Heenan, A., Jun 2024, In: Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology. 20Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Saltmarsh resilience to periodic shifts in tidal channels
Ladd, C. J. T., Duggan Edwards, M., Pages, J. F. & Skov, M., 20 Oct 2021, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 8, 13 p., 757715.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Sediment supply explains long-term and large-scale patterns in saltmarsh lateral expansion and erosion
Ladd, C. J. T., Duggan Edwards, M. F., Bouma, T. J., Pages, J. F. & Skov, M. W., 28 Oct 2019, In: Geophysical Research Letters. 46, 20, p. 11178-11187Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Soil stabilization linked to plant diversity and environmental context in coastal wetlands
Ford, H., Garbutt, A., Ladd, C., Malarkey, J. & Skov, M. W., Mar 2016, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 27, 2, p. 259-268Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Species mixing boosts root yield in mangrove trees
Lang’at, J. K., Kirui, B. K., Skov, M. W., Kairo, J. G., Mencuccini, M. & Huxham, M., 1 Oct 2012, In: Oecologia.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
The importance of canopy complexity in shaping seasonal spider and beetle assemblages in saltmarsh habitats
Ford, H., Evans, B., van Klink, R., Skov, M. & Garbutt, A., 1 Apr 2017, In: Ecological Entomology. 42, 2, p. 145-155Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Tidal water exchange drives fish and crustacean abundances in salt marshes
de la Barra, P., Skov, M., Lawrence, P., Schiaffi, J. I. & Hiddink, J. G., 11 Aug 2022, In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 694, p. 61-72Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Top ten priorities for global saltmarsh restoration, conservation and ecosystem service research
Petillon, J., McKinley, E., Alexander, M., Adams, J. B., Angelini, C., Balke, T., Griffin, J. N., Bouma, T., Hacker, S., He, Q., Hensel, M. J. S., Ibanez, C., Macreadie, P. L., Martino, S., Sharps, E., Ballinger, R., de Battisti, D., Beaumont, N., Burdon, D., Daleo, P., D'Alpaos, A., Duggan Edwards, M., Garbutt, A., Jenkins, S., Ladd, C. J. T., Lewis, H., Mariotti, G., McDermott, O., Mills, R., Moller, I., Nolte, S., Pages, J. F., Silliman, B., Zhang, L. & Skov, M., 1 Nov 2023, In: Science of the Total Environment. 898, 165544.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Using citizen science to estimate surficial soil blue carbon stocks in Great British saltmarshes
Smeaton, C., Burden, A., Ruranska, P., Ladd, C. J. T., Garbutt, A., Jones, L., McMahon, L., Miller, L. C., Skov, M. & Austin, W. E. N., 11 Aug 2022, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 9, 16 p., 959459.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
When One Health Meets the United Nations Ocean Decade: Global Agendas as a Pathway to Promote Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research on Human-Nature Relationships
Masterson Algar, P., Jenkins, S., Windle, G., Morris-Webb, E., Takahashi, C. K., Burke, T., Rosa, I., Martinez, A. S., Torres-Mattos, E. B., Taddei, R., Morrison, V., Kasten, P., Bryning, L., Cruz de Oliveira, N. R., Gonçalves, L. R., Skov, M., Beynon-Davies, C., Bumbeer, J., Saldiva, P. H. N., Leão, E. & Christofoletti, R., 6 Apr 2022, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 809009.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review