I lecture in Marine Geology and Geophysics. 

I study seabed morphodynamics around objects and its links to (1) sustainable management of engineering projects (2) glacial dynamics and (3) habitat suitability and the wider ecosystems.

I work in large projects supporting developing economic opportunities in Low Carbon, Energy and Environment (projects SEACAMS and SEEC) and I was Sêr Cymru NRN-LCEE Returning Fellow on seabed scour around seabed structures. I assess and predict seabed mobility in complex (palaeo)glaciated environments (NERC project NE/J009768/1), underpinned by more accurate modelling. My work underpins habitat maps in the Irish Sea (InterReg projects HabMap and MESH) and in polar regions (NERC project NE/P003087/1). I specialise in amplified sediment waves (EC Grant no. 228344) and accelerated seabed erosion around windfarms and cables (Supergen ORE Flexfund-EPSRC), with ecological implications (NERC project NE/X008886/1). My knowledge transfer projects have received funding from statutory advisers to UK Government, marine engineers and consultants, aggregate industry, marine renewable energy developers, offshore infrastructure connectors and coastline managers. 

I sit on several external Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committees. I work towards widening participation in environmental sciences (NERC funded project NE/W007649/1). I am Course Director for the Marine Science & Conservation Undergraduate Programme.  

I am Associate Editor Board member of Ocean Challenge and of Frontiers in Earth Science. I lead a Fully Sponsored Open Access Project for topic collection on seabed morphodynamics in Geosciences (MDPI Journal), which offers funding for under-represented groups in marine geosciences.

Room: 312 Craig Mair          Phone: 01248 38 8161

Email: k.v.landeghem@bangor.ac.uk

Web: @KJJVanLandeghem      Google Scholar     ResearchGate

  • PhD: High-resolution seafloor evidence for glacial and post-glacial environments in the tidally dominated Irish Sea on the NW European Shelf
    University College Cork, 2008
  • MSc: A multidisciplinary study of the recent sedimentary processes in the Gollum Channel system to the West of Ireland
    Ghent University, 2004

I teach undergraduate and postgraduate modules with content ranging from general earth sciences to applied marine geology.

I supervise MSc and PhD projects during which the students acquire in-depth knowledge and key skills to investigate seabed dynamics, bedform formation, sediment transport and/or glacial geomorphology.

I have supervised four PhD students to completion (three as lead supervisor) and currently supervise five PhD students (four as lead supervisor).

I have a range of research interests in which PhD projects could be developed. Please contact me via email in the first instance regarding any of the following research areas: seabed dynamics; bedform formation; sediment transport; glacial geomorphology; habitat mapping

2024

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2022

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2015

2013

  • PublishedBayesian modelling the retreat of the Irish Sea Ice Stream
    Chiverrell, R. C., Thrasher, I. M., Thomas, G. S., Lang, A., Scourse, J. D., Van Landeghem, K. J., Mccarroll, D., Clark, C. D., Ó Cofaigh, C., Evans, D. J. & Ballantyne, C. K., 25 Feb 2013, In: Quaternary Science. 28, 2, p. 200-209
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2012

2009

2024

  • The Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) Environmental Interactions Workshop.

    Invited contributor.

    The FOW Centre of Excellence (CoE) is currently undertaking a review and redraft of its FOW Environmental Interactions Roadmap in order to ensure its continued relevancy. The FOW CoE and Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub are therefore coordinating a workshop that facilitates the engagement of subject matter experts from across the academic and regulatory communities and ensure that their input is reflected in the updated Roadmap report.

    The principal aims of the proposed workshop are to:

    • Convene relevant subject matter experts from academia, industry and the public sector;

    • Identify and discuss current research activities pertaining to the environmental interactions of FOW technology;

    • Review the current research priorities and recommendations outlined in the FOW Environmental Interactions Roadmap, and identify areas where these could be updated;

    • Develop recommendations for further research addressing and mitigating FOW environmental interactions.

    20 Sep 2024 →

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Participant)
  • Marine Net Gain Assessment Frameworks (MNGAF) Project - Technical Advisory Group (TAG) member

    Invited member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG).

    TAG purpose:

    • Provide an expert view on whether the different assessment framework levels can measure ecological loss and gain.

    • Provide an expert view on whether loss and gain at one framework level can be translated into loss and gain at another

    7 Jun 2024 – 13 Sep 2024

    Activity: Types of Business and Community - Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel (Contributor)
  • ECOFLOW Connect4FLOW Stakeholder planning workshop

    Project development, international stakeholder group meeting

    22 Apr 2024

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Organiser)
  • Marine Energy Cable Innovation

    Invited participant.

    The term ‘cable innovation’ covers a wide range of opportunities and ideas which, if implemented, could reduce environmental impact and/or deliver wider industry benefit. When using the term ‘cable innovation’ the workshop will be considering what processes, systems, options, and designs could be improved or changed throughout the project lifecycle. This could include:

     The economic/financial arrangements in the OWF industry, including marine warranty, maintenance, economic and organisational set-up (e.g. what can be learned from telecommunication and oil and gas industries)

     Strategic planning and pre-feasibility (e.g. multi-project cable corridors such as used in Japan, New Zealand and Australia, exclusion zones etc)

     Routing design and consenting (e.g. strategic oversight and approaches to consenting where there is a known requirement for licensing multiple cables in an area e.g. the Celtic Sea)

     Detailed cable design and installation (e.g. innovation in surface laid cable armouring or protection designs and materials; innovation in cable burial depth requirements)

     Vessels and installation machinery (e.g. innovation in cable lay/burial/protection vessels and innovation in cable burial tools and methodologies)

     Operation and maintenance approaches (e.g. Insurance/pooled resources such as the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement, to self-owned maintenance capability)

     Building upon ideas and innovation from other sectors (e.g. standardisation of cabling and jointing)

     Innovation in data and support services (e.g. remote cable monitoring and novel survey techniques, autonomous survey vehicles, big data, AI)

    Outcome: The “Innovation in Cables” report at the end of May 2024 will be for use by Defra as part of the wider Offshore Wind Environmental Standards programme of work.

    27 Mar 2024

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Participant)
  • Marine Evidence Conference Wales 2024

    Marine Evidence Conference Wales

    27 Feb 2024 – 29 Feb 2024

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
  • CC44D-1380: Understanding Sea Level Rise Impact over Seabed Stress using Coupled Ocean-Wave modelling.

    The Irish Sea is characterised by a heterogenous seabed, where different sediment types vary over short spaces in adjacent regions. This means it is also characterised by various environments that are home to different fauna and flora, which can easily be affected by changes to the seabed composition. Ocean currents and waves both induce stress over the seabed in shelf and shallow water regions. There are complex feedback interactions between these two components, which are expected to be affected by future climate change and sea level rise (SLR). Future changes to ocean, waves and their interaction may therefor affect the bed-stress, changing the present seabed structure and related environments. Recent coupled model developments now allow us to better reproduce these interactions though numerical simulation; In this work, we implement a NEMO-WW3 coupled model at 1.5km resolution over the whole northwestern European shelf. For the first time, we can demonstrate the impact of SLR over the bed stress, considering only barotropic factors. Here we show the latest model results and discuss implications for seabed habitats.

    18 Feb 2024 – 24 Feb 2024

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • HD43A-07: ECOWind-ACCELERATE: Ecological implications of accelerated seabed mobility around windfarms.

    In the near-field of seabed infrastructure, forces on the seabed will be dominated by the local flow amplification. In the far-field, the cumulative effect of flow amplification and climate-driven changes can still influence seabed mobility and sediment composition significantly enough to modulate habitat suitability. Some animals might be affected negatively from such changes, but some positively.

    In our ECOWind-ACCELERATE project (2022-26), we are assessing the combined impacts of climate change and large offshore windfarms on the rate and nature of seabed sediment transport over various spatial and temporal scales. Via a multi-proxy study using concurrent information on physical and biological processes in the marine environment, large flume laboratory experiments and models under different climate predictions, we will map how the stresses on the bed will be modified by 2050 and by 2100 and how the distribution of seabed habitats and biodiversity will change. We are establishing how deep-diving seabirds use the seabed exactly across different habitats, and we will use that fine-scale relationship to establish impacts on these seabirds.

    We are strengthening capability and confidence in modelling approaches, e.g. UKCP18-ORCA1/4 to help simulate bed stress under sea level rise and changing tides, and TELEMAC-TOMAWAC-SISYPHE to quantify the combined impact on seabed mobility from modified flows around windfarms and from climate change. We can thus provide advice on e.g. (1) what aspects of future climate (like storm wave height) will impact seabed stresses (and thus habitat suitability) over which time scales, (2) what observations serve best to understand impact (like mean time-averaged flow vs turbulent kinetic energy), (3) what species are best/worst suited for using deep-learning methods in large video datasets.

    In summary, via quantified impacts on benthic habitats and predator foraging success we will deliver a robust and unified evidence base behind efficient habitats regulation assessments, strategic compensation advice and seabed monitoring approaches. We want to provide the context within which recovery of features and ecosystem services can be promoted, and in which marine net gain may happen at the same time as future climate change-adaptive and resilient offshore structures are designed.

    Plain-language Summary:

    New large infrastructure like windfarms and tidal lagoons will be built on the seabed as part of an accelerated schedule to switch away from fossil fuels and to protect our coastlines. When natural currents in the sea deviate around such seabed infrastructure, it can change the shape and composition of the seabed (i.e. more gravelly, sandy or muddy). This happens both near the infrastructure and far away from it. The seabed is important for fishing, carbon storage, aggregates and coastal protection. It also is the home to little fish that are eaten by larger animals like marine mammals and seabirds that dive to the seabed for their food. It is therefore important that we assess what the impact is from changes to the seabed in the future and we started a 4-year ECOWind-ACCELERATE research project in 2022 to address these issues. The knowledge we generate can help the design of renewable energy infrastructure in such a way that animals that use the seabed can benefit.

    18 Feb 2024 – 24 Feb 2024

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • OT41B-07: To what extent do offshore windfarms create new seabed habitats far away from the monopiles?

    Offshore wind farms (OWFs) are a key component of our journey to Net Zero; however, this must be done in a sustainable manner, so understanding their impacts on the marine environment is important. Where tidal flows interact with OWF their flow field can become dramatically modified. Satellite data has shown disturbances such as kilometre-scale wake effects on the sea surface. Yet little attention has been paid to far field effects on the seabed. The ECOWind-ACCELERATE project focusses on how OWFs can modify seabed processes, and consequently, the habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we integrate large-scale physical laboratory and 3D numerical modelling to better understand these impacts. A 3 m wide, 35 m long flume was used to monitor flow, turbulence, and bed changes, assessing the influence of different monopile diameters representative of present-day and future OWFs. Experimental runs were varied to represent differing levels of bed mobility.

    Under mean flow conditions that would otherwise fall below the threshold of motion, new bedform fields were generated from the turbulence produced in the wake of the monopile. These bedform fields extended up to 17x downstream and 7x as wide as the monopile diameter; and longer experimental runs would likely have likely extended them further. Under mobile bed conditions the effect was less than expected. Changes to the bed extended to 14x the monopile diameter downstream, suggesting widespread existence of bedforms can reduce the effect of the monopiles turbulent wakes on near bed dynamics. A suite of velocimeter data from the flume laboratory tests were used as the basis for a 3D Telemac model of the flume laboratory environment. We then assessed how much of this induced sediment mobility is due to the turbulent wake from the monopile and rock armour, compared to that generated by the bedforms themselves.

    Our work indicates that installing offshore wind farms on seabeds that would otherwise be immobile can create newly active and dynamic seabeds with bedforms extending far beyond the monopile. This can modify existing habitats and potentially create new ones. Our findings provide a new evidence-base concerning the modification and recovery of the seabed around offshore wind farms, with implications for benthic biodiversity and opportunities for marine net gain.

    18 Feb 2024 – 24 Feb 2024

    Links:

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • 6th ScotMER Symposium

    ScotMER Symposium 2024 - oral presentation and discussion

    8 Feb 2024

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
  • Seminar University College Dublin: ECOWind-ACCELERATE

    Seminar for the department, but also to seek alignment with projects QUEST (Quantification characterisation source and fate of past and present carbon storage in coastal and offshore sediments for effective marine management), SCALE (De-risking Scour and Anchor Installation for Floating Offshore Wind through Numerical and Experimental Modelling), and project “Models to aid site-selection of offshore-wind turbines”.

    24 Jan 2024

    Activity: Invited talk (Invited speaker)

2023

  • ECOWind and OWEC Annual Impact Meeting

    ECOWind and OWEC Annual Impact Meeting

    22 Nov 2023 – 23 Nov 2023

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
  • Golden Circles Workshop

    23 Sep 2023

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Invited speaker)
  • BU-IIA Funded Project: Translating Sand waves: a new evidence register for sustainable sand bank recoveries

    In the process of consenting for new wind farms, regulators will set the terms for what evidence industry needs to deliver. This includes information on sand bank and sand wave mobility, as well as their recovery post construction. However the current level of understanding of these processes at regulator level is insufficient, and the proposed reduction in consenting timescales add pressure onto regulators to be fast, accurate and consistent in delivering advice. This proposal focusses on how we can help regulators to better inform industry of what evidence to present for the consenting process to be successful, appropriate, and robust.

    Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £29,613

    1 Aug 2023 – 31 Jul 2024

    Activity: Other (Contributor)
  • External Examiner PhD VIVA

    External Examiner PhD VIVA at SAMS

    10 May 2023

    Activity: Examination (Examiner)
  • Future Marine Research Infrastructure (FMRI) Science Advisory Group (SAG) member

    The UK’s position in high-quality marine scientific outputs, including major contributions to address global challenges, relies on strategic investment in infrastructure including ships, autonomous platforms, satellites and shore-based laboratories and other facilities as well as new digital, informatics and other innovative technologies.

    The Future Marine Research Infrastructure programme (FMRI - https://fmri.ac.uk/) is delivering this strategic investment, and is currently in the business case development phase, building the strategic, scientific and economic case. The Focus of FMRI is on scoping next phase investment when the RRS James Cook reaches the end of its design life in 2031. This builds on the commissioned scoping study on Net Zero Oceanographic Capability in 2020-2021, presenting a range of options for transitioning to low or zero carbon capabilities (https://fmri.ac.uk/resources/nzoc).

    The SAG will:

    a. Advise the FMRI Programme Leadership Team and FMRI Board regarding the scientific aspects of the Programme, seeking to maximise the benefits for the entire science community by ensuring that future capability aligns to current and expected future demands for oceanographic research and innovation across all disciplines.

    b. Highlight opportunities for complementarity with other initiatives, both nationally and internationally.

    c. Act as a channel for engagement between the wider science community and the FMRI Programme, including proactively raising community views.

    d. Provide any other such advice and support as may be reasonably requested by the FMRI Programme Leadership Team and the Board.

    24 Feb 2023 – 24 Feb 2028

    Activity: Types of Business and Community - Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel (Contributor)
  • Project Advisory Group (PAG) for “FLOWERS: Floating Wind Environmental Responses to Stressors”, a new 30-month project led by CEFAS, awarded under the Crown Estate OWEC programme (External organisation)

    Feb 2023 →

    Activity: Membership of board (Member)

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2019

2018

2016

I focus my research on seabed sediment mobility:

A. Seabed sediment transport and bedform dynamics:

1. Understanding the role of methane seepage in the formation of amplified sediment waves:

-> 2014-2019: project “Bedload transport of sediment mixtures in shelf seas”, funded by NERC (ENVISION PhD studentship, with CASE partner NOC-L and extra funds from Llanelli Sand Dredging Ltd

-> 2011 onwards: project “AmSedIs”, funded by the European Commission (EUROFLEET) and with experts in biogeochemistry, seabed geomorphologists, sedimentologists, geophysics experts and numerical modellers across Europe.

2. Understanding enhanced sediment mobility around seafloor objects:

-> 2021 - 2022: project "Cable scour from fluid-seabed interactions in regions of mobile sedimentary bedforms" funded by EPSRC   

-> 2018-2022: project “Seabed integrity around objects in a complex marine environment”, funded by KESSII (PhD studentship) and via multi-disciplinary collaboration with experts in marine geo-archaeology, Computational Fluid Dynamics and sediment transport modelling.

-> 2016-2018: project “Unstable shipwreck sites in sand & gravel”, funded via a Returning Fellowship by Welsh Government: Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment (NRN-LCEE)

-> 2015: project “WWI Shipwrecks in the Irish Sea”, with shiptime funded by the Marine Institute, Ireland

3. Seabed dynamics and its link to sustainable management of engineering projects:

-> via collaboration with renewable energy developers and with links to iCRAG (Ireland’s national geoscience research centre supported by Science Foundation Ireland).

-> 2022-2023: Seabed dynamics as a key consideration for renewable energy projects. Funded by a windfarm developper.

-> 2022-2026: ECOWind-ACCELERATE: Ecological impacts of accelerated seabed mobility. Funded by NERC and The Crown Estate.

B. Seabed morphodynamics linked to glacial dynamics:

1. Understanding the demise of marine-terminating ice streams from investigations of the seafloor:

-> 2015-2019: project “Glacial sculpting and post-glacial drowning of the Celtic Sea”, funded by NERC (ENVISION PhD studentship)

-> 2012-2018: Consortium project “BRITICE-CHRONO”, NERC-funded and with experts in glacial geomorphology, geochronology, palao-oceanography and ice sheet modelling 

-> Ongoing: object-oriented modelling for glacial landscape recognition, in collaboration with modellers in India. 

2. Understanding seabed habitat suitability on exposed seafloor when glaciers have retreated:

-> 2017-2020: project “Impacts of deglaciation on benthic marine ecosystems in Antarctica (ICEBERGS)”, NERC funded (CONICYT - NERC Antarctic programme), in collaboration with experts in benthic ecology, palaeo-oceanography, glacial dynamics and sclerochronology.

-> 2014: project “The collapse of the Irish Ice Sheet in the Celtic Sea sector and its marine habitat legacy”, with shiptime funded by the Marine Institute, Ireland