Professor Robert Devoy Office Location: Muskerry Villas Phone Number: +353 21 490 4360 r.devoy@ucc.ie

Profile:

Born in a seaside town and growing up on a small island then, not surprisingly, I have long been drawn to things of the coast and sea: a youth misspent in beachcombing. Graduating in the 1970s from the universities of Durham and Cambridge (UK), my long- term interests in physical geography and the earth environment reflects this attraction to coasts.

My early research centred on London and the coasts of southern England, with PhD work on the analysis of sea-level changes and land subsidence in the Thames estuary. Aspects of these studies also included the environmental reconstruction of ancient coasts and the vegetational history of the region. Moving to Cork in 1977 this coastal-based research has continued in Ireland and also more widely, in the eastern USA, in Atlantic Europe from Scandinavia and the Baltic to Mediterranean Spain, Australia, Tahiti and New Zealand. This work has led to the publication of research papers and books on many aspects of sea-level changes, ancient shorelines and coastal processes, on the development of landbridges and their use in plant and animal migration, marine science and of coastal management. More recently, people's concerns for the repercussions of climate change and sea-level rise have resulted in work on the prediction, through numerical modelling, of the impacts of changes in storminess patterns on European Atlantic coasts. Coastal erosion, wave, sediment and water dynamics on the south coasts of Ireland, together with work on tsunamis in New Zealand are topics of current research.

In 1993 this coastal research led to the founding of the Coastal Resources Centre in UCC, now the Coastal and Marine Resources Centre (CMRC), of which I was Director till 2001. Activities in the CMRC have involved many different types of marine-related work at both research and commercial levels. The Centre, as linked to Geography and other university departments, has provided technical training for students and long-term jobs for graduates interested in the coastal and marine environments.

These interests in coasts have spilled over into many different aspects of other studies of Earth environments. This has included work on glaciations and Ice Age events in Ireland, the development of lakes, rivers and boglands and most recently on deep-sea environments. These interests are reflected in my courses in physical geography and in other degree programmes in the Earth and environmental sciences. In recent years the growth of public interest in marine matters has led to the development of courses in oceanography.

Physical geography is as much about people as it is about the analysis of environmental functioning. An aim of studying the Earth environment is to provide better knowledge of how it operates, enabling people to find improved ways of living and working in the environment. Communicating the results of environmental research has been an important part, therefore, of my contribution to helping promote this aim. This has led to regular newspaper, TV and film coverage of coastal management, sea-level and related climate change topics. Community based work also includes the development of university courses in Environmental Studies and in the diploma in Environmental Science and Social Policy. More recently this work has expanded to include people's interests in relationships between beliefs, God and the environment, through talks on Faith and Science.

Courses Taught:

GG1002 Introduction to Physical Geography. Module co-ordinator and joint lecturer.

GG2005 Quaternary Environments and Geomorphology. Module co-ordinator and lecturer.

GG2006 Earth Observation and Measurement. Joint lecturer.

GG3001 Nature of Geography. Joint lecturer- dealing with 'Changes in Physical Geography'.

GG3006 Research Methods & Dissertation. Joint supervisor.

GG3007 Coastal geomorphology. Module co-ordinator and lecturer.

GG4002 Coastal Environmental Functioning and Modelling. Module co-ordinator and lecturer.

ER2002 Easter Field Course: Field techniques. Module co-ordinator and joint lecturer.

ER2003 Earth processes. Module co-ordinator and joint lecturer.

ER2902 Earth processes… Joint lecturer.

ER3003 Earth, Air and Water Interactions. Module co-ordinator and joint lecturer.

ER4001 Research Project. Joint supervisor.

ER4003 Oceanography. Joint lecturer.

ER50?? Field Techniques. Joint lecturer.

EV2002 Field Techniques….. Joint lecturer.

ECL501 Environmental Conservation and Landscape Management. Joint lecturer.

Current and Recently Graduated Postgraduates.

Administrative Role

1. Co-ordinator of the Physical Geography - Sciences degree programme in Geography.
2. Joint co-ordinator of the Earth Science degree programme.
3. Vice-Chair of the Environmental Science degree steering committee.
4. Others in the department- Member of the Finance and Buildings committee; Postgraduate committee……….

Research Profile

Publications Synopsis- Prof. Devoy's research interests have concentrated in work upon sea-level changes and related aspects of coastal and marine science, coastal management, palaeoenvironments and vegetational history, Quaternary Studies and geomorphology, climate-storminess and environmental changes. Publications include 3 books and 2 monographs (edited).

Papers- work includes more than 60 research papers and major review articles in international journals since 1977 (papers in e.g., Nature, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, the Royal Society of London, Geological Society of London, Geological Magazine, Journal of Quaternary Science, Irish Geography, Quaternary Science Reviews, Marine Geology, Terra Nova, Geologie en Mijnbouw, The Holocene, Journal of Coastal Research).

Publications- Papers

Jennings, S., Orford, J. D., Canti, M., Devoy, R. J. N., and Straker, V., 1998, The role of relative sea-level rise and changing sediment supply on Holocene gravel barrier development: the example of Porlock, Somerset, UK. The Holocene, 8(2), 165-181.

Wintle, A. G., Clarke, M. L., Musson, F. M., Orford, J. D. and Devoy, R. J. N., 1998, Luminescence dating of recent dunes on Inch Spit, Dingle Bay, southwest Ireland. The Holocene, 8(3), 331-339.

Duffy, M. and Devoy, R. J. N., 1999, Contemporary process controls on the evolution of sedimentary coasts under low to high-energy regimes: western Ireland. Geologie en Mijnbouw, 77, 333-349.

Devoy, R. J. N., de Groot, T., Jelgersma, S., Marson, I., Nicholls, R. J., Paskoff, R. and Plag, H. P., 2000, Sea-level changes and coastal processes: recommendations. In, D. Smith et al. (eds), Sea Level Change and Coastal Processes: Implications for Europe, pp. 1-8. European Commission, Brussels.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2000, Implications of sea-level rise for Ireland. In, R. J. Nichol and A. de la Vega (eds), Vulnerability and Adaptation to Impacts of Accelerated Sea-level Rise, pp. 33-46. Proceedings of the SURVAS Expert Workshop, ZMK University of Hamburg, 19-21 June 2000. EU Concerted Action Programme, Brussels.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2000. Climate change and links to the coast. Inland Coastal Estuarine Waters, 3,
4-5.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2000. Coastal environmental change during sea-level highstands: The Thames Estuary, Tilbury, The World's End site. In, J. Sidell and A. Long (eds), IGCP 437: Coastal Environmental Change During Sea-level Highstands: The Thames Estuary, pp.40-49. Environmental Research Centre, University of Durham, Research Publication No 4. Durham, UK.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002, Coastal vulnerability and the implications of sea-level rise for Ireland. Journal of Coastal Research. (In Press).

Devoy, R. J. N., Sinnott, A. M., Knudsen, K-L., Kristensen, P., Knudsen, K-L. and Peacock, J. D., Interglacial relative sea-level and Quaternary palaeoenvironmental changes from Cork Harbour, Ireland. (Geological Magazine).

Devoy, R. J. N., Sinnott, A. M., O'Connell, Y., Dowling, L. and Scourse, J. D., Quaternary stratigraphic reconstructions and the marine Gortian interglacial sediments from Cork Harbour, Ireland. (Quaternary Science Reviews).

Lozano, I., Devoy, R. J. N., May, W. and Andersen U., Storminess and associated cyclone tracks along the Atlantic coastlines of Europe: recent evolution and analysis of an CO2-induced climate scenario. (Proceedings of the AGU Symposium on, Storminess, Marine Geology Special Issue.)

Goff, J., Nicholl, S. L., Devoy, R. J. N., Chagué-Goff, C., Hayward, B. and James, I., Subsidence and tsunami on the west coast of New Zealand. (Marine Geology.)

Roe, H., Devoy, R. J. N., et al., Quaternary palaeoenvironmental and sea-level changes from Cudmore Grove, Essex. (In preparation.)

Wheeler, A. J., Devoy, R. J. N. et al., The Irish/ Scottish Atlantic margin: sediment transfer, canyon development and palaeoenvironmental changes from the Gollum Channel and the Barra Fan. (In preparation.)

Devoy, R. J. N., Holocene diatom, sea-level and hydrological changes in the Hawkesbury River, Australia. (In preparation.)

Major Paper Abstracts and Reviews

Devoy, R. J. N., 1997, Course Lecture Series in, Sea-level Changes on Micro- To Macro- Timescales. S. Zerbini (Convenor), Summer School in "Geodesy and Sea Levels", Kos, Greece, July 1997. Advanced Study Course, Environment and Climate Programme, Commission of the European Communities DGXII.

Devoy, R. J. N. and de Groot, T., 1997, Coastal Zone Management in Europe. In, A. Sánchez-Arcilla (Convenor), Review of Sea-level and Coastal Studies in Europe: State of the Art and Future Research Needs. Mataró, Barcelona, Laboratori d'Enginyeria Marítima Spain, 9-12 April 1997. Commission of European Communities DG XII, Brussels.

Sinnott, A. M. and Devoy, R. J. N., 1997, Interglacial diatom and sea-levels from Cork Harbour and other sites. SHELF Project Workshop. Department of Geology, University of Bergen, 7-9 May 1997. Commission of European Communities DG XII, Brussels.

Wheeler, A. J. and Devoy, R. J. N., 1997, Sediment transfer and shelf edge dynamics in the northern Rockall Trough. In, Abstracts, Third Conference on Exchange Processes at the Continental/Ocean Margins in the North Atlantic. University of Vigo, Spain, 14-16 May 1997. Commission of the European Communities DGXII, Science Research & Development.

Wheeler, A. J., Hayes, C., van Weering, T., Devoy, R. J. N. and Hall, I. N., 1997, Depositional signals from the base of the continental slope: shelf edge sediment transfer and remobilisation in the northern Rockall Trough. In, The Second ENAM II Workshop, 30 October - 2 November, Kinsale, Ireland: Coastal Resources Centre/ Irish Marine Data Centre. Commission of the European Communities DGXII.

Devoy, R. J. N., 1998, Coastal geomorphology and relative sea-level changes on Ireland's Atlantic coastline. Conference of Irish Geographers, 23-25 April 1998, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick.

1998, Coastal Zone Management: Practice and Problems in South and Southwest Ireland. In, An Taisce Lecture Series, The Imperial Hotel, Cork, 3 March 1998.

1998 (November), Lozano González, I., Devoy, R. J. N. and Ní Chaoimh, U., Storm databasing (CODACS) and storms modelling. In, The 1st Workshop for Project STORMINESS: Storminess and Environmentally Sensitive Atlantic Coastal Areas of the European Union. Ponta Delgada, Azores, 12-15 November 1998. Commission of the European Communities DGXII.

1998 (December), Coastal Zone Management. Geography Teacher's Association of Northern Ireland. Queens University of Belfast, 15 December 1998.

Smith, D. E., Orford, J. D., Devoy, R. J. N., Andrade, C., Regnauld, H. and Vidal-Romani, J. R., 1998. Storminess and environmentally sensitive Atlantic coastal areas of the European Union. In, Review of Climate Research in the European Union, Vienna, October 1998. Commission of European Communities, DG XII, Brussels, pp.12. (Also available as CD-ROM, CEC DGXII, Brussels.)

Wheeler, A. J., Cronin, B. T., Kenyon, N. H., Satur, N., Saoutkine, A. & Devoy, R. J. N., 1998. Channel architecture and activity in the Gollum Channel, Porcupine Seabight. In, B. de Mol (ed.), Geosphere-biosphere Coupling: Carbonate Mud Mounds and Cold Water Reefs, pp.30-31. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Workshop Report No. 143, UNESCO.

Devoy, R. J. N., 1999, Sea-level Rise and its implications for Irish Sea coasts. In, B. Dollard (ed.), ECONET (Erosion Control Network), Interreg II (Wales-Ireland) Network Project Meeting, 18 February 1999, pp.1-5. Enterprise Ireland, Dublin.

Devoy, R. J. N., 1999, Late Quaternary sea levels, ocean circulation and climate in the North Atlantic. In, A. G. Dawson (Convenor), Glacial-Interglacial Sea-level Changes in Four Dimensions: Quaternary Sea Levels, Climate Change and Crustal Dynamics. European Research Conferences, Albufeira, Portugal, 13-18 February 1999. European Science Foundation, Strasbourg.

1999 (April), Wheeler, A. J., Weering, T. C. E. van, Hayes, C. P., Hall, I. R. and Devoy, R. J. N., 1999, Turbiditic and contouritic controls on sediment flux in the central northern Rockall Trough. In, Fourth ENAM II Workshop, 21 - 23 January 1999. Southampton Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, UK.

Devoy, R. J. N. and Wheeler, A. J., 1999, The impacts of Late Quaternary climate and ocean circulation changes on the European Shelf margins. In, M. Philcox (ed.), The Quaternary Beyond the Ice Sheets, pp.3-4. Extended Abstracts of the IQUA Symposium Meeting, 19 November 1999. Geological Survey of Ireland, Dublin.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2000. Holocene and longer term sea-level changes and their implications for Irish Sea coasts. In, M. Philcox (ed.), The Quaternary of the Irish Sea, pp.4-13. Programme and Abstracts of the Annual IQUA Symposium 2000. Irish Quaternary Association, Dublin.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2000. Interglacial relative sea-level and Quaternary palaeoenvironmental changes from Cork harbour, Ireland. Proceedings and Abstracts of IGCP 437, Coastal Environmental Change During Sea-level Highstands- A Global Synthesis with Implications for Management of Future Coastal Change. The Institute of Materials, London, 15-16 December 2000. The Royal Society, London and the Environmental Research Centre, University of Durham.

Lozano, I. and Devoy, R. J. N., 2000. Storm activity along the Atlantic coastlines of Europe: a study for the last four decades and a 2xCO2 experiment (ECHAM4 T106). Geophysical Research Abstracts 2000, Volume 2.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2001, Storminess and climate change impacts for coasts. Department of Geography, University of Auckland- Public Lecture and a Research Seminar.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2001, Predicting coastal flood hazards in Ireland. In, European Science Foundation, EURESCO Conferences, Sea-Surface Changes and Coastal Flood Hazards in Europe. 31 March - 5 April 2001, University of St. Andrews, UK.

Lozano, I., Devoy, R. J. N., May, W. and Andersen, U., 2001. EU Storminess and HIPOCAS Projects' Results- presented at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Boston,
U.S. A.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002. The impacts of storm and relative sea-level changes on Ireland's coastline. Irish Environmental Colloquium, UCC, January 2002.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002. Holocene sea-level and coastal process changes for the coasts of Ireland and the Atlantic European margin. International Coastal Symposium-2002. 25-29 March 2002, University of Ulster, N. Ireland.

Swift, L. J., Devoy, R. J. N., Wheeler, A. J. and Sutton, G. D. 2002. Coastal processes and the impacts of sedimentary changes on the south coast of Ireland. Irish Environmental Colloquium, UCC, January 2002.

Swift, L., Devoy, R. J. N., Wheeler, A. J. & Sutton, G., 2002, Coastal environmental responses to climate change, sea-level rise and sediment - fluxes along the southern coasts of Ireland. International Coastal Symposium-2002. 25-29 March 2002, University of Ulster, N. Ireland.

Devoy, R. J. N. and Smith, D., 2002. Lateglacial and Holocene sea-level changes in southwest Ireland. In, S. Harrison and T. M. Mighall (eds), The Quaternary of South West Ireland: Field Guide, pp.15-16. Quaternary Research Association, London.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002. Managing the impacts of climate change on the Irish coast. Workshop on Climate Change, Department of the Environment & Local Government, Dublin.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002. Coastal vulnerability and the impacts of climate warming for Ireland. Geographical Society of Ireland. Trinity College Dublin.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002. Faith in a scientific world: looking from faith and science. Diocese of Cork, Cloyne & Ross, Bishop's Course in Theology. Cork.

Goff, J, Nichol, S., Devoy, R., Chague-Goff, C., Hayward, B. and James, I.
(2002). Okarito lagoon, New Zealand: cycles of geomorphological change driven by seismic activity. First Symposium on New Zealand-France Collaborative Research in Geosciences, Wellington, New Zealand. July 15-16.

Swift, L., Devoy, R. J. N., Wheeler, A. J., Gault, J., Sutton, G. D., 2003. Sedimentary dynamics and coastal changes on the south coast of Ireland. Environ 2003, NUIG.

Devoy, R. J. N., 2002/3. Articles- Encyclopaedia of Ireland. Gill and Macmillan, Dublin.

Major Research Reports

Devoy, R. J. N. and Sinnott, A. M., 1997, Studies of diatom records, seismic stratigraphy and sea-level changes from the European Shelf and coasts. In, J. D. Scourse (ed.), SHELF: The Northwest European Continental Shelf Over the Past 250,000 Years- Palaeoecology, Palaeoceanography, Tectonics and Sea-level Change: Final Report, 62pp. + Figs. The Coastal Resources Centre, University College Cork. Commission of European Communities, Research Contract Publication, Contract No. EV5V-CT93-0255, Brussels, 420pp.

Wheeler, A. J. and Devoy, R. J. N., 1999, European North Atlantic Margin (ENAM): Quantification and modelling of Large-scale Sedimentary Processes and Fluxes: Final Report, 58pp. + Figs. The Coastal Resources Centre, University College Cork. Commission of the European Communities, Research Contract Publication, Contract No. MAS3-CT95-0003, Brussels.

Devoy, R. J. N., Lozano, I., Hickey, K. and Ní Chaoimh, U., 2000, Storminess and the modelling of climate change impacts on environmentally sensitive European Atlantic coasts. In, D. Smith (ed.), Storminess and Environmentally Sensitive Atlantic Coastal Areas of the European Union: Final Report, 35pp + Figs. The Coastal Resources Centre, University College Cork. Commission of the European Communities, Research Contract Publication, Contract No. ENV4-CT97-0488, Brussels.

Devoy, R. J. N., Lozano, I. and Navarre, P., 2001(July), Interim Report on, Hindcast of Dynamic Processes of the Ocean and Coastal Areas of Europe (Project HIPOCAS). Commission of European Communities, Research Contract Publication, Contract No. EVK2-CT1999-00038, Brussels.

Research grants awarded for period 1997-2001

• Project- ENAM II, European North Atlantic Margin: Quantification and Modelling of Large Sedimentary Processes and Fluxes, MAS3-CT95-0003. CEC MAST Programme. (Award covering the period 1996-1999.) ECU 100,000.
• Project- Reconnaissance of Coastal-Inshore Sand and Gravel Resources in the Form Of Seabed Mapping and Quantification for Ireland's Inshore Waters. Marine Institute (MI), Ireland, Marine Research Measure awards (1997-1999). IR£70,000.
• Project- STORMINESS, Storminess and the Modelling of Climate Change Impacts on Environmentally Sensitive European Atlantic Coasts, CEC Environment Programme, Framework 4 (1998 -2000). ECU 100,000.
• Project- HIPOCAS, Hindcast of Dynamic Processes of the Ocean and Coastal Areas of Europe. Contract EVK2-CT1999-00038, CEC Environment Programme, Framework 5 (2000 - 2003). ECU 195,800.
• Project- Coastal Environments, HEA PRTL Funding, Cycle2 (2000-2003). IR£140,000.
• Project- Coastal Flooding and Vulnerability, HEA PRTLI Cycle3 (2002-2005) €135,041.

Other research projects have been awarded from a variety of international to national sources.
Grant awarding bodies include: -
The National Environmental Research Council (UK), the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Commission of European Communities (DGXII, the Environment and MAST Research Programmes, Frameworks 3 - 5 & from DGXI), the Marine Institute (Marine Research Measures awards), Forbairt (Enterprise Ireland), Department of the Marine- Petroleum Affairs Division, the Pfizer Chemical Corp., IRD - Duhallow, Cork County Council, Shannon Ports Authority, The Higher Education Authority (HEA) PRTLI awards.

Research papers and news updates

PDF links to recent journal articles, coastal environmental publications, and other relevant abstracts by Robert Devoy.

The Encyclopedia of Ireland. Coastal and Marine Theme Articles. For Publication by Gill and Macmillan Dublin

Paper from project STORMINESS, September 2001 Figures

Paper from project STORMINESS, September 2001 Text

Coastal Vulnerability and Management

Recent Research News and Views

See web connections at the Coastal and Marine Resources Centre and The Environmental Research Institute