John Shepherd (earth scientist) facts for kids

John Graham Shepherd was born in 1946. He is a British scientist who studies the Earth's systems. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Southampton. He also used to be the director of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.

Professor Shepherd has worked on many topics related to the environment. This includes how chemicals move in the air and deep ocean. He also studied how to manage fish populations. More recently, he led a big study on "geoengineering" for the Royal Society. Geoengineering means trying to change the Earth's climate on a large scale.

Early Life and Education

John Shepherd was born in 1946 in Croydon, a town in south London. He went to Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham.

He then studied Natural Sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He focused on physics, maths, chemistry, and crystallography. In 1967, he graduated with a degree in theoretical physics. He continued his studies at Cambridge. He earned his PhD in 1971, focusing on superconductivity. While at Cambridge, he was also on the quiz show University Challenge.

A Career in Science

After finishing his PhD, John Shepherd started working. He first studied air pollution. In 1974, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). There, he researched how to safely dispose of radioactive waste in the ocean.

Studying Fish and Oceans

In 1976, his work at MAFF changed. He began using maths to model how fishing fleets operate. He also studied how fish populations grow and shrink. This work continued for many years.

He visited the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory in New York. This was in 1978–1979 and again in 1999. During the 1980s, he became a deputy director at MAFF. He helped manage fish stocks and advised government ministers. He also worked with international groups on fisheries.

Leading Oceanography Research

In 1994, John Shepherd became the first director of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. This centre brought together two big research groups. His job was to help them work together.

After being director, he became a Professor of Marine Sciences. He also led the Earth System Modelling Initiative. From 2006, he worked part-time as a research fellow. He also became deputy director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Professor Shepherd has served on many important committees. These committees often focused on fisheries. Some also looked at oil and gas operations in the ocean. He is currently on the board of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. This group was formed after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Awards and Recognitions

In 1999, John Shepherd was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honour for scientists. He helped with their study on ocean acidification in 2005. He also chaired their study on geoengineering in 2009.

He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. In 2010, he received the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award was for his great contributions to science.