- Professor
- Graduate School of Oceanography
- Phone: 401.874.6182
- Email: jwking@uri.edu
- Website
Dr. John W. King obtained his undergraduate degree in special studies at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA in 1975. His degree combined biology, geology, and chemistry. He then obtained his PhD in geology from the University of Minnesota in 1983. After a one-year post-doctoral fellowship at Minnesota, King arrived at the Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island in 1984. He has been a faculty member at URI since that time. King specializes in sediment-based studies of environmental change including paleoclimate studies, and pollution studies. Areas of expertise include paleomagnetism, palynology, and trace metal geochemistry. Mapping is a necessary prerequisite for selecting suitable sites for sediment coring or drilling so during the last 15 years he has added areas of expertise in environmental mapping including habitat and subbottom sonar mapping. He served a major role in projects of local interest including mapping the habitats and stratigraphy of Narragansett Bay and in the RI Ocean SAMP (Special Area Management Plan), contributing to the siting and installation of the wind farm off of Block Island. Interests include geomagnetism and paleomagnetism, environmental magnetism, environmental mapping, sedimentology, paleoclimate studies, sediment core studies, coastal and marine habitat and ecosystem studies, trace metal geochemistry, pollution studies, and how global climate change affects localities and communities.
Research
- Benthic Ecology study with Fugro Renewables, Cornwall, UK - Researchers collaborated with a marine ecologist from Cornwall UK to examine the impacts of offshore renewables on marine ecology, and reef effects.
- Benthic Monitoring during Wind Turbine Installation and Operation at the Block Island Wind Farm, Rhode Island. - This study gathered real-time data during the installation and initial operations of the Block Island wind turbine generators and provided benthic habitat information for U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
- Developing Protocols for Reconstructing Submerged Paleocultural Landscapes and Identifying Native American Archaeological Sites in Submerged Environments - Best practices for advancing the current understanding of submerged paleocultural landscape distribution on the Outer Continental.
- Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Impacts on Elasmobranch (sharks, rays, and skates) and American Lobster Movement and Migration from Direct Current Cables - Analysis of the effects of EMF on the behavior of sharks, rays, skates, and lobsters.
- Electromagnetic Field Impacts on American Eel Movement and Migration from Direct Current Cables. - Analysis of the effects of electromagnetic fields associated with the HVDC Cross Sound Cable on the American Eel.
- Electromagnetic field studies with marine and fisheries biologist, Pangalia Environmental, UK - URI and Gill Andrew, Pangalia Environmental, UK have collaborated on electromagnetic field studies funded by U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Deepwater Wind, and National Grid.
- EMF Study of the Block Island Wind Farm Export and Inter-Array Cables, New Shoreham, Rhode Island. - Surveys EMF levels along the sea2shore cable as well as statistical analysis of possible effects on marine organisms.
Features
- Dr. John King Wins URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement Excellence Award - Dr. John King, Emeritus Professor of Oceanography at The University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography, is one of the select recipients of the 2020 URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement Excellence Award.
- URI Researchers Help Develop Protocols to Identify and Protect Ancient Native American Cultural Sites - Two URI researchers— David Robinson (Marine Archaeologist) and John King (Emeritus Professor of Oceanography) worked alongside the Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office to develop a set of best practice protocols for identifying and protecting ancient Native sites on the Continental Shelf. Known as drowned sites, these areas were submerged by rising sea levels over the last 16,000 years.