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Magdalene College
Cambridge
CB3 0AG

Dr Spencer

Director of Studies and University Senior Lecturer in Geography

Background

Dr Tom Spencer came to Magdalene in 1973 and, after gaining a First in Geography, stayed in Cambridge for PhD research on the limestones of the Cayman Islands. From 1979-89 he was a Lecturer in Geography at Manchester University. After a series of expeditions to the South Pacific and Western Indian Oceans in the 1990s, he recently acted as Science Co-ordinator for the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Society's Shoals of Capricorn Marine Research Programme. Meeting wild elephants in the rain forests of Sabah, drinking bush beer with island chiefs in the Cook Islands and sailing a 100 foot schooner on a 2,000-mile voyage from Easter Island to the Marquesas have been particularly memorable exploits.

Research Interests

Dr Spencer research interests extend to the coral islands of the South Pacific Ocean, the Great Barrier Reef and the rain forests of North-East Borneo. Closer to home, he is currently The Director of the Cambridge Coastal Research Unit; the work of the unit includes projects on the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex coasts concerned with coastal management and impacts of future sea-level rise. The Unit has also been involved in the co-ordination of a three year research project concerned with establishing an international forum to debate the environmental problems facing the city of Venice and its lagoon. He is author (with H A Viles) of COASTAL PROBLEMS: GEOMORPHOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY AT THE COAST.

Contact

Dr Spencer can be contacted by:

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