Conference conceiver, developer, and co-convener:
- The Environment after Brexit, British Ecological Society, UK (2017)
- Challenger Society for Marine Science Conference (2012, 2014)
- Prospectus for UK Marine Sustained Observations, The Royal Society, UK (2013)
Theme developer and convener:
- “Applying and integrating marine biodiversity indicators and assessments to evaluate progress towards policy goals”, MSEAS-2020: Marine Social-Ecological Systems, Yokohama, Japan (delayed from 2020)
- “From science to evidence – innovative uses of biodiversity indicators for effective marine policy and conservation”, International Marine Conservation Congress, Kuching, Malaysia (2018)
- “What is a good pelagic habitat?”, ICES Annual Science Conference, Riga, Latvia (2016)
- “Marine science for society”, Challenger Conference for Marine Science, Liverpool, UK (2016)
- “Challenges and tools for managing marine and coastal resources”, Challenger Conference for Marine Science, Plymouth, UK. (2014)
- “Challenges and tools for managing marine and coastal resources”, Challenger Conference for Marine Science: Ocean Challenges in the 21st Century, Norwich, UK (2012)
Session chair:
- Promoting Effective Governance of the Channel Ecosystem, Caen, France. (2014)
- Southwest Marine Ecosystems Conference 2014, Plymouth, UK (2014)
- P/ICES Oceans of Change, Majorca, Spain (2012)
Editorial contributions:
- Marine Biodiversity Records Editorial board (2017 – present)
- Special Issue, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Guest editor. Prospectus for UK Marine Sustained Observations (2014)
Panels and debates:
- “Public debate: Large-scale trends in ocean phytoplankton”. McQuatters-Gollop, A., Worm, B. and Wernand, M. Plankton 2011: Biodiversity and Global Change, Plymouth, UK. (2011)
- “Discussion panel: Where we need to be: what are the likely challenges?” McQuatters-Gollop, A., Spicer, J., Brownlee, C. and Barange, M. Plymouth Marine Science Partnership and the MMO: How can we manage our seas in the real world?” Plymouth, UK. (2011)
Media engagements:
2022
• TEDx talk: The Breath-Giving Beauty of Bioluminescence, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkqei3ZxS5I&feature=youtu.be
2021
• “Inside the world of tiny phytoplankton – microscopic algae that provide most of our oxygen”, The Conversation, April 2021 https://theconversation.com/inside-the-world-of-tiny-phytoplankton-microscopic-algae-that-provide-most-of-our-oxygen-159955
• “Drifting into trouble? The tiny ocean creatures with a global impact”, Oct 2021
- • “Innovative plankton monitoring tool holds key to assessing health of ocean life”
- https://jen.jiji.com/jc/i_afp?k=20211105042238a
- https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211026-drifting-into-trouble-the-tiny-ocean-creatures-with-a-global-impact
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/10/25/world/plankton-oceans-climate-change/
- https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/drifting-into-trouble-the-tiny-ocean-creatures-with-a-global-impact/news-story/eb791268ab965c1f5e07e1f376eb330f
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2203759/drifting-into-trouble-tiny-ocean-creatures-with-a-global-impact
- • “Innovative plankton monitoring tool holds key to assessing health of ocean life”
- https://phys.org/news/2021-12-plankton-tool-key-health-ocean.html
- https://www.miragenews.com/innovative-plankton-monitoring-tool-holds-key-688984/
- https://fuentitech.com/innovative-plankton-monitoring-tools-hold-the-key-to-assessing-the-health-of-marine-life/395145/
2020
- “The Hunger Games for life in our warmer sea”, Western Morning News, 28 Jan 2020
- “Towards equality in ecology”, Ecology for the Masses, 10 Feb 2020 https://ecologyforthemasses.com/2020/02/10/towards-equality-in-ecology-bes-edition/
- “Study shows six decades of change in plankton communities”, Science Magazine (web), 1 April 2020
- “Study reveals climate impact on plankton”, The National (Scotland), 2 April 2020
- “Plankton changes have impacted ecosystem around UK coastline, study suggests”, Press Association, 2 April 2020
- “Plankton hit by ‘huge changes’”, The Herald, 2 April 2020
- “Shift in ocean life discovered”, The Herald (Plymouth), 4 April 2020
- “We’re plankrupt”, The Sun, 6 April 2020
- “Huge changes to UK plankton population”, Fishing News UK, 7 May 2020
- “Channelling a Bloom”, NASA Earth Observatory, 25 June 2020 https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146897/channeling-a-bloom
- “Pictures from space bode well for life on Earth”, Western Morning News, 1 July 2020
- “NASA records large bloom of phytoplankton close to island”, Guernsey Press, 2 July 2020
- “Blooming good spring for algae”, The Times, 8 July 2020
- “Weather eye”, The Times, 8 July 2020
2019
- ”Small boats may be left high and dry after Brexit” , Western Morning News, 22 Jan 2019
- “Science research programme launched to inform Defra policy making”, WiredGov, 6 May 2019
- “Defra takes ‘systems thinking approach’ to pressing environmental issues”, The Water Report, 6 May 2019
- “Defra launches science research programme to inform policy-making”, AgriLand, 7 May 2019
- Invited collaborator for Phillippe Cousteau’s Earth Echo expedition ‘What’s the Catch?’ as a plankton and policy expert, August 2019
- Earth Echo Establish Our Fisheries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=7A43-tM0ezE&feature=emb_logo
- Earth Echo STEM Career Close up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=UlQk7b9hxZY&feature=emb_logo
- “Focus on Brexit: Resigned but resolute”, Ecology for the Masses, 11 Dec 2019 https://ecologyforthemasses.com/2019/12/11/focus-on-brexit-at-bes2019-resigned-but-resolute/
- “Abigail McQuatters-Gollop: How will Brexit effect Europe’s oceans?”, Ecology for the Masses, 9 Dec 2019 https://ecologyforthemasses.com/2019/12/09/abigail-mcquatters-gollop-how-will-brexit-affect-europes-oceans/
2018
- “International collaboration is essential for good of our seas”, Western Morning News, 12 Sept 2018
2014 – present
- Curator of blog and website Plankton and Policy: https://planktonpolicy.org/
2012
- Invited guest blogger (Plankton and Policy) for Research in Action. University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
- Research featured in New Scientist magazine
- Featured on ‘This is what a scientist looks like’ blog about breaking down science stereotypes
2011
- Interview by Louie Psihoyos, director, for his documentary film Racing Extinction.
Skills:
Science-Policy communication: Active participant in science-policy knowledge exchange at the UK, European, and international scales. I excel at translating science into a format useful to policy-makers and at guiding scientists to apply their research to the policy process. I run the blog and website Plankton and Policy https://planktonpolicy.org/
Proposal coordination/contribution: FP7 proposal coordination, contribution to NERC, NSF, etc, proposals.
Spatial analysis: Exceptional cartographic, GIS and geostatistical analysis skills using ArcGIS, ArcView, ArcInfo, R, and Surfer.
Taxonomy: Trained in CPR plankton analysis.
Plankton and Policy 