Cara B. G. James

My research focuses on the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. I started my PhD at UBC in January of 2022, and currently I am investigating the physical processes that govern the behaviour of sediment clouds and plumes produced near deep-sea mining sites. My goal is to model how these clouds may pollute the water column both physically and chemically via dissolution, and then to use oceanographic and biogeochemical modelling to predict how this will spread in the oceans. I am also interested in the science-policy interactions surrounding deep-sea mining, as this is one of the first industries where international regulations are being developed by the International Seabed Authority before commercial activities are allowed to begin.

Before arriving at UBC, I studied Natural Sciences and Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge (BA, MSci). During my Master's degree, I helped to develop an analytical model to describe sediment-laden plumes in a crossflow, in particular to make predictions of how particles of varying diameter will sediment from the flow and where they will be deposited. This work sparked my interest in the growing field of deep-sea mining.

Outside of research, I am throwing myself into the British --> British Columbian transition and trying out all the outdoor sports and activities that Vancouver has to offer, with varying degrees of success and enjoyment!