Dr Christopher Standish is a Research Fellow within the School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, based at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton.
2020 – Present: Research Fellow, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton.
2019: Marine Geochemist, National Oceanography Centre Southampton.
2017 – 2019: Research Fellow, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton.
2014 – 2017: Research Fellow, Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton.
2012 – 2014: Research Assistant, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol.
2008 – 2012: PhD in Geochemistry, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol.
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Research interests
My research interests lie in the application of isotope geochemistry to the study of oceans, climate, and human societies of the past. In particular, I specialise in the use of (MC)-ICP-MS, and laser ablation systems for the in-situ analysis of solid-state samples.
My current research focuses on in-situ isotope (B, U-Th) and trace element (e.g. B/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca, U/Ca) analyses of marine carbonates. Focussing on scleractinian corals, this is to both investigate the palaeo-environmental conditions in which they grew (e.g. pH, temperature), and to date their formation. Such geochemical systems also allow calculation of the carbonate system parameters of the organisms calcifying fluid, permitting investigations into how these animals precipitate their coral skeleton. This forms the focus of my current work – the ERC funded Microns2Reefs project – which aims to generate a mechanistic understanding of coral skeleton growth to enable a better understanding of the fate of coral reefs in the future.
My other research interests surround the application of isotope geochemistry to archaeology, including: investigating the procurement, exploitation and consumption of raw materials (especially gold and silver) through Pb isotope analysis, shedding light on patterns of population mobility through Sr isotope analysis, and U-series disequilibrium dating of speleothems.
Pryor, A. J. E., Sazelova, S., Standish, C., Gamble, C. G., & Pike, A. W. G. (2016). Season of death and strontium/oxygen isotope data for seasonal mobility of three reindeer prey. In J. Svoboda (Ed.), Dolní Vestonice II: Chronostratigraphy, Paleoethnology, Paleoanthropology (pp. 147-159). (The Dolní Vestonice Studies; No. 21). Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Institute of Archaeology.
Hoffmann, D. L., Standish, C. D., Pike, A. W. G., García-Diez, M., Pettitt, P. B., Angelucci, D. E., Villaverde, V., Zapata, J., Milton, J., Alcolea-González, J., Cantalejo-Duarte, P., Collado, H., De Balbín, R., Lorblanchet, M., Ramos-Muñoz, J., Weniger, G. C., & Zilhão, J. (2018). Dates for Neanderthal art and symbolic behaviour are reliable. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2, 1044–1045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0598-z
Dr Christopher Standish Ocean and Earth Science National Oceanography Centre Southampton University of Southampton Waterfront Campus European Way Southampton SO14 3ZH UK
