I’m Laura Hobbs, a Lecturer in Arctic Marine Science at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and a representative of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) on the ScAN Steering Group. My fascination with the Arctic began as a teenager and was cemented during a graduate expedition to Baffin Island in 2010. Since then, I’ve dedicated 15 years to Arctic research.
I finished my PhD in 2016 and spent a few years doing postdoctoral research before becoming a lecturer at SAMS in 2023. My key research interests lie in how underwater light drives variability in zooplankton migrations, and how this light is changing due to sea ice loss (and therefore reduced shading) and artificial light pollution.
I’ve been fortunate to continue travels to the Arctic and have taken and taught on courses at the University Centre in Svalbard, participated in several research cruises around Svalbard and the Barents Sea, and joined three campaigns at Ny-Ålesund in 2025.
It’s great to be a part of the ScAN Steering Group and to create better links and collaborations in Arctic research across Scotland. I’m particularly interested in developing our new strategic themes and thinking about cross-institute relationships.
