Michael Bowes

Professor Mike Bowes is Principal Nutrient Hydrochemist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). His research focuses on understanding the sources, movement, and impacts of key plant nutrients—phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon—on rivers and aquatic ecosystems. Mike’s work has identified threshold phosphorus levels in UK rivers that must be reached before ecological improvements can occur, and he studies how factors such as light and flow influence algal growth, using high-frequency chemical and biological monitoring to investigate the causes of algal blooms.

He leads the UKCEH Thames Initiative, a major integrated monitoring programme combining water quality and ecological research across the River Thames catchment.

Within the Climate + Co-Centre, Mike collaborates with water company partners to determine the conditions that trigger algal blooms and to predict how bloom risks may change under future climate scenarios.