People

Professor Leanne Hepburn

Professor
School of Life Sciences
Professor Leanne Hepburn

Profile

Biography

I am a creative educator and researcher who is passionate about innovative education, reefs, fisheries, sustainable solutions, equity, diversity and inclusion. Research interests Applied marine conservation - restoration and protection of habitats Coral reefs: ecology, carbonate processes, ecosystem function Community ecology and ecosystem function of oysters Mesophotic coralligenous reefs of the Mediterranean Sponge ecology Fisheries ecology Sustainability and solutions Innovative pedagogy Contemplative Pedagogy Equity, diversity and inclusion in environmental science Science -policy interface Public and Community engagement Communication of science through art I am always happy to discuss ideas and collaborations in relation to these topics as well as new avenues for creative ideas. 2022 -- Professor (University of Essex) 2017 - 2022 - Senior Lecturer (University of Essex) 2010 - 2016 - Lecturer (University of Essex) 2006 -2010 - Lecturer (University of Essex) 2002 - 2006 - Ph.D. Coral reef geoscience (Manchester Metropolitan University, UK) 2000 - 2001 - M.Sc. Marine and Fisheries Sciences (University of Aberdeen, Scotland) 1994 - 1998 - B.Sc. Zoology with Honours in Marine Biology (University of Aberdeen, Scotland)

Appointments

University of Essex

  • Director of Education, University of Essex (2019 - 2022)

  • Employability Director, University of Essex (2017 - 2019)

  • Course Director (Marine Biology), University of Essex (2015 - 2017)

  • Coral Reef Research Unit, University of Essex (2013 - present)

Research and professional activities

Research interests

Marine Science

Open to supervise

Teaching and supervision

Current teaching responsibilities

  • Introduction to Global Sustainability Challenges (BS106)

  • Marine Ecology (BS112)

  • Transferable Skills in Life Sciences (BS143)

  • Applied Wildlife Sciences (BS243)

  • Marine Vertebrates (BS254)

  • Coral Reef Biology (BS255)

  • Tropical Marine Field Research Skills (BS256)

  • Professional skills for Ecological and Marine Scientists (BS257)

  • Addressing Global Sustainability Challenges (BS259)

  • Applied Marine Conservation (BS307)

  • Fisheries Ecology (BS354)

  • Professional Skills in Tropical Marine Biology (BS708)

  • Coral Reef Biodiversity and Management Field Trip (BS710)

  • Research Project in Life Sciences (BS832)

  • Research Project in Global Sustainability (BS838)

  • Global Challenges in Interdisciplinary Perspective: Water Conflicts, Water Cultures (CS315)

Previous supervision

Reem Khalifa Salman Jasim Almealla
Reem Khalifa Salman Jasim Almealla
Thesis title: Reef Carbonate Budgets & Symbiodiniaceae Diversity in the Persian-Arabian Gulf, Western Indian Ocean & Central Indo-Pacific
Degree subject: Marine Biology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 3/11/2020
Fiona Mary Watson
Fiona Mary Watson
Thesis title: Advances in Modelling the Effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (Mpas) to Enhance Conservation Management of Mobile Fish Stocks
Degree subject: Marine Biology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 31/3/2020
Alice Elizabeth Lown
Alice Elizabeth Lown
Thesis title: Community Ecology and Population Dynamics of the European Native Oyster (Ostrea Edulis) in Essex, Uk: A Baseline for the Management of the Blackwater, Crouch, Roach and Colne Estuaries Marine Conservation Zone
Degree subject: Marine Biology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 18/11/2019
Leslie James Cousins
Leslie James Cousins
Thesis title: Biodiversity Assessment: Moving Towards an Evidence-Based Index for Biodiversity Offsetting
Degree subject: Biological Sciences
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 16/5/2016
Chiara Franco
Chiara Franco
Thesis title: Modelling the Dynamics of Caco3 Budgets in Changing Environments Using a Bayesian Belief Network Approach.
Degree subject: Marine Biology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 8/9/2014

Publications

Journal articles (22)

Hepburn, LJ., Beard, LH. and Etsebeth, K-L., Pandemic pedagogy in Life Sciences. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research. 10 (9), 1-11

Alsam, S., Beard, L. and Hepburn, L., Enhancing employability through hospital placements for Biomedical Science students. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research. 11 (3), 64-77

Al Mealla, RK., Edullantes, B. and Hepburn, LJ., (2024). Bleaching threatens positive carbonate budgets on Bahraini reefs. Marine Biology. 171 (1)

Freeman, HA., Hepburn, LJ., Taylor, MI., Hunter, E., Dumbrell, AJ., Gregson, BH., Smith, AJ., Lamphierre, A. and Cameron, TC., (2024). What makes a habitat a home? Habitat associations of juvenile European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, in estuarine nurseries. Journal of Fish Biology. 105 (2), 539-556

Lown, A., Hepburn, L., Heywood, J. and Cameron, T., (2021). European native oysters and associated species richness in the presence of non-native species in a southern North Sea estuary complex. Conservation Science and Practice. 3 (5)

Thomas, GE., Cameron, TC., Campo, P., Clark, DR., Coulon, F., Gregson, BH., Hepburn, LJ., McGenity, TJ., Miliou, A., Whitby, C. and McKew, BA., (2020). Bacterial Community Legacy Effects Following the Agia Zoni II Oil-Spill, Greece. Frontiers in Microbiology. 11, 1706-

Lown, AE., Hepburn, LJ., Dyer, R. and Cameron, TC., (2020). From individual vital rates to population dynamics: An integral projection model for European native oysters in a marine protected area. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 30 (11), 2191-2206

Watson, FM., Hepburn, LJ., Cameron, T., Le Quesne, WJF. and Codling, EA., (2019). Relative mobility determines the efficacy of MPAs in a two species mixed fishery with conflicting management objectives. Fisheries Research. 219, 105334-105334

Franco, C., Hepburn, LA., Smith, DJ., Nimrod, S. and Tucker, A., (2016). A Bayesian Belief Network to assess rate of changes in coral reef ecosystems. Environmental Modelling and Software. 80, 132-142

Hepburn, LJ., Blanchon, P., Murphy, G., Cousins, L. and Perry, CT., (2015). Community structure and palaeoecological implications of calcareous encrusters on artificial substrates across a Mexican Caribbean reef. Coral Reefs. 34 (1), 189-200

Powell, A., Smith, DJ., Hepburn, LJ., Jones, T., Berman, J., Jompa, J. and Bell, JJ., (2014). Reduced Diversity and High Sponge Abundance on a Sedimented Indo-Pacific Reef System: Implications for Future Changes in Environmental Quality. PLoS ONE. 9 (1), e85253-e85253

Cousins, LJ., McMellor, S., Underwood, GJC. and Hepburn, LJ., (2014). Offsetting: moving towards an evidence-based metric for biodiversity assessment. In Practice. 83, 24-27

Pronzato, R., Powell, A., Smith, DJ., Hepburn, LJ., Jones, T., Berman, J., Jompa, J. and Bell, JJ., (2014). Reduced Diversity and High Sponge Abundance on a Sedimented Indo-Pacific Reef System: Implications for Future Changes in Environmental Quality. PLoS ONE. 9 (1), creators-Hepburn=3ALeanne_J=3A=3A

McKew, BA., Dumbrell, AJ., Daud, SD., Hepburn, L., Thorpe, E., Mogensen, L. and Whitby, C., (2012). Characterization of Geographically Distinct Bacterial Communities Associated with Coral Mucus Produced by Acropora spp. and Porites spp. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 78 (15), 5229-5237

Kerrison, P., Suggett, DJ., Hepburn, LJ. and Steinke, M., (2012). Effect of elevated pCO2 on the production of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulphide (DMS) in two species of Ulva (Chlorophyceae). Biogeochemistry. 110 (1-3), 5-16

Kerrison, P., Hall-Spencer, JM., Suggett, DJ., Hepburn, LJ. and Steinke, M., (2011). Assessment of pH variability at a coastal CO2 vent for ocean acidification studies. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 94 (2), 129-137

Powell, AL., Hepburn, LJ., Smith, DJ. and Bell, JJ., (2010). Patterns of Sponge Abundance Across a Gradient of Habitat Quality in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia. The Open Marine Biology Journal. 4 (1), 31-38

Bell, JJ., Berman, J., Jones, T. and Hepburn, LJ., (2010). Variability in the spatial association patterns of sponge assemblages in response to environmental heterogeneity. Marine Biology. 157 (11), 2503-2509

Green, BC., Smith, DJ., Earley, SE., Hepburn, LJ. and Underwood, GJC., (2009). Seasonal changes in community composition and trophic structure of fish populations of five salt marshes along the Essex coastline, United Kingdom. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 85 (2), 247-256

Perry, CT. and Hepburn, LJ., (2008). Syn-depositional alteration of coral reef framework through bioerosion, encrustation and cementation: Taphonomic signatures of reef accretion and reef depositional events. Earth-Science Reviews. 86 (1-4), 106-144

Carballo, JL., Hepburn, L., Nava, HH., Cruz-Barraza, JA. and Bautista-Guerrero, E., (2007). Coral boring Aka-species (Porifera: Phloeodictyidae) from Mexico with description of Aka cryptica sp. nov.. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 87 (6), 1477-1484

Peck, LS., Ansell, AD., Webb, KE., Hepburn, L. and Burrows, M., (2004). Movements and burrowing activity in the Antarctic bivalve molluscs Laternula elliptica and Yoldia eightsi. Polar Biology. 27 (6), 357-367

Book chapters (3)

AlMealla, R. and Hepburn, L., (2024). Coral reefs in the pearl of the Gulf – Bahrain. In: Coral Reefs and Associated Marine Fauna around the Arabian Peninsula. CRC Press. 77- 90

Hennige, SJ., Suggett, DJ., Hepburn, LJ., Pugsley, A., Crabbe, J. and Smith, DJ., (2013). Coral reefs of the Wakatobi: Processes of reef growth and loss. In: Marine Research and Conservation in the Coral Triangle. 27- 44

Bell, JJ., Berman, J., Powell, A. and Hepburn, LJ., (2013). The ecology of sponges in the Wakatobi National Park. In: Marine Research and Conservation in the Coral Triangle. 85- 110

Grants and funding

2021

Local Government Association Net Zero Innovation Programme - partnership with CBC to work with local schools to create a Climate Emergency Action Plan

Colchester Borough Council (CBC)

Local Government Association Net Zero Innovation Programme - partnership with CBC to work with local schools to create a Climate Emergency Action Plan

Colchester Borough Council (CBC)

Increasing diversity in environmental science

Natural Environment Research Council

2017

Quantifying a marine ecosystem's response to a catastrophic oil spill

Natural Environment Research Council

2011

Valuing Biodiversity: CASE Studentship Amy Sutcliffe

Natural England, DFSSD

Valuing Biodiversity for Offset

Essex Wildlife Trust

Contact

l.hepburn@essex.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1206 872752

Location:

3SW.6.17, Colchester Campus

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