Environmental Sciences Research Institute

  1. Background
  2. Publications
  3. Research Grants
  4. Teaching Interests

Joerg Arnscheidt

Lecturer in Earth Systems Science

Contact Me
School of Environmental Sciences
University of Ulster
Cromore Road
Coleraine
BT52 1SA
Tel: +44 (0) 2870 124095
Email: j.arnscheidt@ulster.ac.uk

Education

  • 1993 Diploma Certificate (Diplom-Biologe) from Technical University Dresden, Germany, Major: 1.Aquatic Ecology, 2.Microbiology, 3.Water Quality

Diploma thesis: Research on the Acidification of Brooks in the Erzgebirge Region and its Biological Indication with special reference to the Catchment Area of the Neunzehnhain Drinking Water Reservoir.

  • 2002 Dr. rer. nat. Certificate from Technical University Dresden, Germany, Major: 1.Limnology, 2.Hydrobiology (marine)

Dissertation: Acidification and its biological monitoring in brooks of the Erzgebirge.

Experience

  • 1994 -1996 Research Assistant at Technical University Dresden, Germany
  • 1997- 2003 Hydrobiologist and Laboratory Leader at IWU GmbH, Luisenthal, Germany
  • 2003 - present, Research Associate at University of Ulster

Associated Project

EPA STRIVE 2007-W-MS-1-S1 Assessment of the distribution, structure and functioning of subterranean fauna within Irish groundwater systems

EPA STRIVE 2007-PhD-EH-2 Antimicrobial resistant enterococci (ARE) in Irish waters: Sources, transfers and impacts

Research Interests

  • Water Quality.
  • Source tracking.
  • Sediment water interactions.
  • Surface subsurface water exchange.
  • Transfers, pathways and dynamics of bacteria.
  • Ecology of animals in groundwater and interstitial habitats.
  • Limnology / Hydrobiology.

Most of my research interests revolve around water quality. My work at the University of Ulster started with with continuous monitoring and chemical source tracking in small headwater streams with agricultural catchments. This line of work is further pursued together with Phil Jordan, Hugo McGrogan Peter Devlin, Shijie Lie, Katrina Macintosh and Julie Campbell. Due to the novel field analysers the resulting data set has an unprecedented time resolution for stream Phosphorus concentrations. It offers exciting opportunities to attain a deeper understanding of nutrient transfer dynamics and to test traditional monitoring strategies.

Continuous monitoring has triggered further research in the potential use of enterococci (intestinal bacteria) for source tracking of faecal inputs in water drainage networks. This work (EPA STRIVE 2007-PhD-EH-2) is carried out in collaboration with James Dooley, Patrick Naughton and Victoria Daniels from the School of Biomedical Sciences. Interesting results are that many enterococci found in headwater streams show antimicrobial resistance and that their resistance profile changes according to hydrological events. This suggests that enterococci transfers to the streams during low flows and during floods originate from different sources.

After a first pilot survey in 2006 we are currently conducting the first systematic survey of Irish groundwater fauna (EPA STRIVE 2007-W-MS-1-S1). This pioneering project is led by the University of Ulster with contributions from James Dooley, Karin Erikson, Kay Hack and Caitriona McInernery. It further involves colleagues from NUI Galway (ROI), University of Loughborough (UK) and the University of Koblenz-Landau (Germany). The project maps the occurrence of groundwater crustaceans throughout Ireland. It is yielding records of crustacean species new to Ireland and new to science. For selected species we are exploring their phylogenetics. This will help to find out where these groundwater animals came from and whether they may have survived glaciation in Ireland. For selected species we investigate autecological features like salt tolerance. With further extensions of the resulting data set we hope to develop groundwater ecology’s potential for application in Ireland, e.g. for the reliable and rapid detection of surface water intrusions at groundwater abstraction sites.

Publications

Number of items: 5.

Macintosh, Katrina, Jordan, Philip, Cassidy, R., Arnscheidt, Joerg and Ward, C. (2011) Low flow water quality in rivers; septic tank systems and high-resolution phosphorus signals. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 412. pp. 58-65.

Arnscheidt, Joerg, Hahn, Hans-Juergen and Fuchs, Andreas (2008) Aquatic subterranean Crustacea in Ireland: results and new records from a pilot study. Cave and Karst Science, 35 (1). pp. 53-58.

Arnscheidt, Joerg, Jordan, Philip, Li, S., McCormick, S., McFaul, R., McGrogan, H. J., Neal, M. and Sims, J. T. (2007) Defining the sources of low-flow phosphorus transfers in complex catchments. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 382 (1). pp. 1-13.

Jordan, Philip, Arnscheidt, Joerg, McGrogan, H. and McCormick, S. (2007) Characterising phosphorus transfers in rural catchments using a continuous bank-side analyser. HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES, 11 (1). pp. 372-381.

Jordan, Philip, Arnscheidt, Joerg, McGrogan, H and McCormick, S (2005) High-resolution phosphorus transfers at the catchment scale: the hidden importance of non-storm transfers. HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES, 9 (6). pp. 685-691.

This list was generated on Thu May 17 03:28:42 2012 BST.

Research Grants

Teaching Interests

As a lecturer in earth’s systems science I try to integrate elements of hydrology, hydromorphology, chemistry, ecology and technical aspects of water management in my courses. I also lay strong emphasis on catchment processes, because they are of crucial importance to understanding water quality and ecology of an aquatic environment. My ambition is that students develop an understanding of fundamental processes and the inherent dynamics in aquatic environments, so that they are well equipped for careers in the water sector.

At undergraduate level I currently teach in the modules Rivers and Lakes I and II (EGM 304 and 508) and contribute to the Synoptic (EGM 504) and the Field School in Portugal.

At postgraduate level I teach the online module Water Management (EGM 822) I most enjoy laboratory classes and field courses with my students, because that is, where theory meets with reality.