Dr Hannah Mossman

Academic and professional qualifications

I am an applied ecologist working on restoring salt marshes and using biological records to prioritise species for conservation in the UK.

I have a BSc in Biological Sciences from Kings College, London (2002) and a PhD in Ecology from the University of East Anglia (2008).

I also have a PG Cert in Academic Practice (2014).

Why study ?

Undergraduate courses

I teach about my ecological and conservation research on the following units: Comparative Anatomy and Physiology (CAP), Species Interaction, Conservation Biology, Global Change and Ecosystems.

I also teach statistics using R, research design and science ethics on Professional Skills.

I love teaching on field courses and often go to Caer Llan in Wales, Poland and to Tanzania.

Postgraduate teaching

I'm unit leader for Restoration Science and teach on Biodiveristy Conservation, Practical Techniques, and the field courses to Poland and Tanzania.

Postgraduate supervision (completed/in progress)

Peter Lawrence, PhD student: How to create a saltmarsh: understanding the roles of topography, redox potential and nutrient dynamics. Completed April 2018

Ryan Edge, PhD student: Restoring biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships in saltmarshes:
do genetic and phenotypic diversity matter? Started January 2016

Research expertise

I am an applied ecologist with two major strands to my research:

Ecology and restoration of salt marshes: My work has found that a range of plant species can quickly colonize new salt marshes, created through coastal managed realignment. However, several important species are absent and plant communities on newly created marshes are not the same as those on natural ones. Using field sampling and field and glasshouse experiments, I’m working to understand the ecology of these species and the reasons why they do not establish on new marshes.

Prioritising species for conservation: In collaboration colleagues at UEA, I have been using biological records to identify the priorities for conservation within regions of the UK, and to assess the extent to which current conservation management meets the habitat requirements of these species. I have also been using biological records to investigate effectiveness of nationally-selected priority species in acting act as umbrellas for non-target biodiversity, and to assess local population trends in moth species.

Publications

• Featured Works

  HL. Mossman, A. Grant, AJ. Davy (2020). Manipulating saltmarsh microtopography modulates the effects of elevation on sediment redox potential and halophyte distribution. Journal of Ecology. 108(1), pp.94-106.

• Journal articles

  D. Shao, K. Liu, HL. Mossman, MP. Adams, H. Wang, et al. D. Li, Y. Yan, B. Cui. (2021). A prioritization metric and modelling framework for fragmented saltmarsh patches restoration. Ecological Indicators. 128, pp.107833-107833.

  H. Downey, T. Amano, M. Cadotte, CN. Cook, SJ. Cooke, et al. NR. Haddaway, JPG. Jones, N. Littlewood, JC. Walsh, MI. Abrahams, G. Adum, M. Akasaka, JA. Alves, RE. Antwis, EC. Arellano, J. Axmacher, H. Barclay, L. Batty, A. Benítez‐López, JR. Bennett, MJ. Berg, S. Bertolino, D. Biggs, FC. Bolam, T. Bray, BW. Brook, JW. Bull, Z. Burivalova, M. Cabeza, ALM. Chauvenet, AP. Christie, L. Cole, AJ. Cotton, S. Cotton, SAO. Cousins, D. Craven, W. Cresswell, JJ. Cusack, SE. Dalrymple, ZG. Davies, A. Diaz, JA. Dodd, A. Felton, E. Fleishman, CJ. Gardner, R. Garside, A. Ghoddousi, JJ. Gilroy, DA. Gill, JA. Gill, L. Glew, MJ. Grainger, AA. Grass, S. Greshon, J. Gundry, T. Hart, CR. Hopkins, C. Howe, A. Johnson, KW. Jones, NR. Jordan, T. Kadoya, D. Kerhoas, J. Koricheva, TM. Lee, S. Lengyel, SW. Livingstone, A. Lyons, G. McCabe, J. Millett, CM. Strevens, A. Moolna, HL. Mossman, N. Mukherjee, A. Muñoz‐Sáez, N. Negrões, O. Norfolk, T. Osawa, S. Papworth, KJ. Park, J. Pellet, AD. Phillott, JM. Plotnik, D. Priatna, AG. Ramos, N. Randall, RM. Richards, EG. Ritchie, DL. Roberts, R. Rocha, JP. Rodríguez, R. Sanderson, T. Sasaki, S. Savilaakso, C. Sayer, C. Sekercioglu, M. Senzaki, G. Smith, RJ. Smith, M. Soga, CD. Soulsbury, MD. Steer, G. Stewart, EF. Strange, AJ. Suggitt, RRJ. Thompson, S. Thompson, I. Thornhill, RJ. Trevelyan, HO. Usieta, O. Venter, AD. Webber, RL. White, MJ. Whittingham, A. Wilby, RW. Yarnell, V. Zamora, WJ. Sutherland. (2021). Training future generations to deliver evidence‐based conservation and ecosystem management. Ecological Solutions and Evidence. 2(1),

  HL. Mossman, A. Grant, AJ. Davy (2020). Manipulating saltmarsh microtopography modulates the effects of elevation on sediment redox potential and halophyte distribution. Journal of Ecology. 108(1), pp.94-106.

  A. Wheeldon, HL. Mossman, MJP. Sullivan, J. Mathenge, SR. de Kort (2019). Comparison of acoustic and traditional point count methods to assess bird diversity and composition in the Aberdare National Park, Kenya. African Journal of Ecology. 57(2), pp.168-176.

  MJP. Sullivan, AJ. Davy, A. Grant, HL. Mossman (2017). Is saltmarsh restoration success constrained by matching natural environments or altered succession? A test using niche models. Journal of Applied Ecology. 55(3), pp.1207-1217.

  KL. Brooks, HL. Mossman, JL. Chitty, A. Grant (2015). Limited Vegetation Development on a Created Salt Marsh Associated with Over-Consolidated Sediments and Lack of Topographic Heterogeneity. Estuaries and Coasts. 38, pp.325-336.

  HL. Mossman, AJ. Davy, A. Grant (2012). Does managed coastal realignment create saltmarshes with ‘equivalent biological characteristics’ to natural reference sites?. Journal of Applied Ecology. 49(6), pp.1446-1456.

  PM. Dolman, CJ. Panter, HL. Mossman (2012). The biodiversity audit approach challenges regional priorities and identifies a mismatch in conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology. 49(5), pp.986-997.

  HL. Mossman, MJH. Brown, AJ. Davy, A. Grant (2012). Constraints on Salt Marsh Development Following Managed Coastal Realignment: Dispersal Limitation or Environmental Tolerance?. Restoration Ecology. 20(1), pp.65-75.

  AJ. Davy, MJH. Brown, HL. Mossman, A. Grant (2011). Colonization of a newly developing salt marsh: disentangling independent effects of elevation and redox potential on halophytes. Journal of Ecology. 99(6), pp.1350-1357.

  HL. Mossman, AJ. Davy, A. Grant (2011). Quantifying local variation in tidal regime using depth-logging fish tags. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

  P. Dolman, H. Mossman, C. Panter, N. Armour-Chelu, B. Nichols, et al. T. Pankhurst. (2011). The importance of Breckland for biodiversity. British Wildlife. 22(4), pp.229-239.

  AJ. DAVY, GF. BISHOP, H. MOSSMAN, S. REDONDO‐GÓMEZ, JM. CASTILLO, et al. EM. CASTELLANOS, T. LUQUE, ME. FIGUEROA. (2006). Biological Flora of the British Isles: Sarcocornia perennis (Miller) A.J. Scott. Journal of Ecology. 94(5), pp.1035-1048.

• Chapters in books

• Reports

  HL. Mossman, AMA. Franco, PM. Dolman (2013). Implications of climate change for UK invertebrates (excluding butterflies and moths). Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Impacts Report Card Technical Paper 3. Living With Environmental Change

  HL. Mossman, A. Grant, AJ. Davy (2013). Implications of climate change for coastal and intertidal habitats. Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Impacts Report Card Technical Paper 10. Living with Environmental Change, Defra.

  HL. Mossman, CJ. Panter, PM. Dolman (2012). Fens Biodiversity Audit: Part 1 & 2 Methodology and Results. Norwich, UK: University of East Anglia

  CJ. Panter, HL. Mossman, PM. Dolman (2011). Biodiversity Audit and Tolerance Sensitivity Mapping for the Broads. Norwich, UK: University of East Anglia, Broads Authority Report. The Broads, UK..

  PM. Dolman, CJ. Panter, HL. Mossman (2010). Securing Biodiversity in Breckland: Guidance for Conservation and Research. First Report of the Breckland Biodiversity Audit. Norwich, UK: University of East Anglia

Grants

British Ecological Society - Policy Fellowship. Jan - Jun 2019

NERC Public Engagement Pilot Funding - Engaging with Contemporary Issues in Coastal Management. Jan - Mar 2017

We collaborated with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), University of Southampton, Cardiff University, Bridgwater College, Oxford Brookes University and Plymouth University. The project was based at WWT Steart Marshes and aims to  engage the public in issues surrounding coastal management in the face of rising sea levels.