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Dr Emma Tebbs

Dr Emma Tebbs

Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and Earth Observation

Research interests

  • Geography

Biography

Dr Emma Tebbs has expertise in the application of Earth observation technology to issues of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Her research concentrates on the remote sensing of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, with particular focus on lakes, rivers and their catchments. She is Deputy Chair of the GEO AquaWatch Steering Committee and she leads King’s Earth Observation and Environmental Sensing research hub.

Her recent research projects have included investigating the impacts of hydropower dam developments on environmental change in Ethiopia, as part of the ESRC-DfID funded project, 'Shifting In/equality Dynamics in Ethiopia: from Research to Application (SIDERA)'. She has also investigated current and potential future applications of satellite soil moisture observations as PI for a NERC India-UK Water Centre (IUKWC) project.

As part of the European Space Agency funded Floating Weed Manager project (2019-2020), she led the development of a novel method for mapping invasive floating aquatic plants globally using new satellite sensors. Prior to joining King’s, Emma was a Research Associate in Spatial Ecology and Remote Sensing at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (2013-2015). She has a PhD from the University of Leicester (2014) in ‘Remote Sensing for the Study of Ecohydrology in East African Rift Lakes’. 

Research

  • Remote sensing of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
  • Field spectroscopy and algorithm development
  • Ecohydrology and lake ecology
  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Sustainable development
  • Water resources management
  • East Africa

Emma is a remote sensing scientist with interests in the innovative use of Earth Observation technology for addressing issues of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. She has expertise in remote sensing of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, inland waters and agricultural landscapes, with a focus on developing countries, particularly in Africa.

Her research investigates complex relationships within interconnected, human-natural systems and addresses problems with global significance, such as how to sustainably manage resources, and ensure food and water security, in a world with a growing population and increasing demand for natural resources.

Teaching

Undergraduate 

  • 6SSG3088 Sustainability in Practice
  • 6SSG3028 Environmental Remote Sensing II
  • 6SSG3077 Applied Spatial Data Science
  • 6SSG3071 Environmental Dynamics in the Anthropocene

Postgraduate

  • 7SSGN029 Earth Observation and Remote Sensing for Sustainability
  • 7SSGN224 Sustainability in Practice
  • 7SSGN177 Environmental Dynamics in the Anthropocene 

PhD supervision

Emma welcomes PhD students looking to apply remote sensing technologies (e.g. drones and satellite data) to answer ecological questions and contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Example project topics include:

  • Remote sensing of the invasive aquatic plant, water hyacinth, across the tropics
  • Monitoring cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in inland waters using satellite remote sensing
  • Global assessment of lake ecological states using high spatial resolution satellite sensors 

Principal supervisor

Further details

See Emma's research profile

    Research

    earth-banner
    Physical & Environmental Geography research group

    Researching the interactions between the Earth’s hydrological, geomorphological, atmospheric and ecological processes at different geographical scales.

    King's Water Centre Web Banner
    King's Water Centre

    Researching water, environment and development. Our centre spans the humanities, social, and physical sciences to explore the challenges of water governance from global to local scales.

    climate change hero
    King's Climate Research Hub

    Studying climate change through the relationship between science, policy and culture, particularly in the developing world.

    lidar_image_london_Kelly
    Earth Observation and Environmental Sensing Hub

    The Earth Observation and Environmental Sensing (EOES) Hub is an interdisciplinary research group at the Department of Geography, King’s College London.

    ESRChero
    Environmental Security research group

    The Environmental Security research group brings together scholars from the security community and scholars working on issues of environmental security.

    PEES image
    Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

    The Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (PEBES) group provides a collaborative focus for work on the social (re)production of nature, environmental conservation and resource management.

    climate change hero
    Climate researchers at King’s

    King's researchers working across climate and sustainability

    Harmful Algal Bloom in Winam Gulf
    Mapping harmful algal bloom dynamics in Lake Victoria to understand the impact on local communities

    This projects looks at detecting harmful algal blooms (HABs) conditions and their extent at Lake Victoria, East Africa.

    Project status: Ongoing

    fire
    Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society

    Transforming the scientific and practical understanding of wildfire through interdisciplinary research

    Digital elevation model GIS 3D illustration
    Geocomputation and Data Science Research Hub

    The Geocomputation and Data Science Research Hub provides expertise in solving contemporary global problems using data.

    News

    Geography wins gold in sustainability

    The Department of Geography has been awarded gold status by the National Union of Students (NUS) Green Impact scheme for its commitment to sustainability. The...

    Announcement

    Spotlight

    Observing soil moisture from space to understand the earth's climate

    King’s shows how understanding of the earth’s climate can be improved through satellite moisture data

    King’s shows how understanding of the earth’s climate can be improved through satellite moisture data

      Research

      earth-banner
      Physical & Environmental Geography research group

      Researching the interactions between the Earth’s hydrological, geomorphological, atmospheric and ecological processes at different geographical scales.

      King's Water Centre Web Banner
      King's Water Centre

      Researching water, environment and development. Our centre spans the humanities, social, and physical sciences to explore the challenges of water governance from global to local scales.

      climate change hero
      King's Climate Research Hub

      Studying climate change through the relationship between science, policy and culture, particularly in the developing world.

      lidar_image_london_Kelly
      Earth Observation and Environmental Sensing Hub

      The Earth Observation and Environmental Sensing (EOES) Hub is an interdisciplinary research group at the Department of Geography, King’s College London.

      ESRChero
      Environmental Security research group

      The Environmental Security research group brings together scholars from the security community and scholars working on issues of environmental security.

      PEES image
      Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

      The Political Ecology, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (PEBES) group provides a collaborative focus for work on the social (re)production of nature, environmental conservation and resource management.

      climate change hero
      Climate researchers at King’s

      King's researchers working across climate and sustainability

      Harmful Algal Bloom in Winam Gulf
      Mapping harmful algal bloom dynamics in Lake Victoria to understand the impact on local communities

      This projects looks at detecting harmful algal blooms (HABs) conditions and their extent at Lake Victoria, East Africa.

      Project status: Ongoing

      fire
      Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society

      Transforming the scientific and practical understanding of wildfire through interdisciplinary research

      Digital elevation model GIS 3D illustration
      Geocomputation and Data Science Research Hub

      The Geocomputation and Data Science Research Hub provides expertise in solving contemporary global problems using data.

      News

      Geography wins gold in sustainability

      The Department of Geography has been awarded gold status by the National Union of Students (NUS) Green Impact scheme for its commitment to sustainability. The...

      Announcement

      Spotlight

      Observing soil moisture from space to understand the earth's climate

      King’s shows how understanding of the earth’s climate can be improved through satellite moisture data

      King’s shows how understanding of the earth’s climate can be improved through satellite moisture data