Professor Paul Kemp BSc PhD
Professor of Ecological Engineering
- Related links
- YouTube channel
- @Paul_Kemp_Fish
- @UoS_ICER
Paul Kemp is a Professor of Ecological Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton.
The exploitation of resources, such as water to produce energy, can negatively impact the sustainable management of others, such as fisheries that provide food. Our challenge is to enhance understanding of the complex relationships that exist between sectors so that we can better manage resources in more environmentally sensitive ways
Paul Kemp is the founding director of the International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research and founding Editor in Chief of the IAHR Journal of Ecohydraulics. As a result of his interest in sustainable infrastructure and the built environment he is also director of the University of Southampton Future Towns Innovation Hub, the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Sustainable Infrastructure Systems, and the UKCRIC CDT in Sustainable Infrastructure for Cities.
Paul’s research interests relate to the development of more environmentally friendly water, energy and food systems, and in particular sustainable fisheries management. He is specifically interested in the application of behavioural ecology to understanding and solving challenges in water and energy engineering, e.g. advancing sustainable hydropower. His research returns to fundamental first principles to solve applied problems in sustainable infrastructure development. Particular interests relate to how the physical environment (e.g. hydrodynamics and acoustics) influence the behaviour and physiological performance of fish, and how manipulation of that environment by engineering means can be used to mitigate for negative impacts of water and energy resource development. Specific applications include fish pass and screening design, assigning compensation flow regimes, and improving habitat restoration strategies. Funding has been obtained from multiple sources, including the UK Research Councils (e.g. EPSRC funded “Vaccinating the NEXUS” project), European Commission (e.g. HYLOW, AMBER, RIBES projects), British Council, the Environment Agency, and the EM3 Local Enterprise Partnership.
Paul has extensive experience advising government departments and non-governmental organisations on ecological engineering and fisheries management, particularly in relation to marine fisheries, fish passage and screening, environmental flows and habitat restoration. These include DEFRA, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Executive, EU, the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources, US regulatory agencies, Hydropower Industry in Asia, North and South America, and Europe, the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, the World Bank, and the Province of Fryslan. In education, Paul leads modules in "River and Estuary Restoration" and "Sustainable Infrastructure Systems".
Other University of Southampton sites
Protecting our river fish
The University's International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research focuses on protecting certain species of fish from water engineering practices.
Watch the video