Iestyn Woolway
2026 United Kingdom Award Finalist — Faculty
Current Position:
Reader & NERC Independent Research Fellow
Institution:
Bangor University
Discipline:
Physical Earth Sciences
Recognised for: Crucial work on forecasting freshwater response to climate change, revealing how these changes reshape lake ecologies while informing authorities how to preserve them.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Climatology, Earth System Science, Limnology
Previous Positions:
- PhD, University College London, UK (Advisor: Prof Jon French)
- Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Reading, UK (Advisor: Prof Chris Merchant)
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland (Advisor: Prof Eleanor Jennings)
- Research Fellow, European Space Agency Climate Office, UK
- NERC Independent Research Fellow, University of Reading, UK
- Visiting Research Fellow, University of Reading, UK
- Reader & NERC Independent Research Fellow, Bangor University, Wales
Research Summary:
Lakes provide drinking water and vital resources to billions of people, but until now researchers have lacked the tools to predict how climate change affects them globally. Iestyn Woolway, PhD, has developed satellite-based models revealing how warming disrupts lake ecosystems by causing "lake heatwaves," depleting oxygen levels, and forcing aquatic habitats to move faster than species can adapt. By creating the first comprehensive framework for monitoring and forecasting these changes across 1.4 million lakes worldwide, Woolway’s work enables conservationists and governments to protect freshwater resources proactively, ensuring safe drinking water and healthy ecosystems for future generations.
“Our planet’s lakes are mirrors of change—reflecting both the warming climate and our shared responsibility to protect Earth’s vital systems. I’m honoured that my work contributes to understanding these transformations and to inspiring global action toward a more resilient future.”
Key Publications:
- L. Li, D. Long, Y. Wang, & R.I. Woolway. Global dominance of seasonality in shaping lake-surface-extent dynamics. Nature (2025).
- R. I. Woolway, M.B. Kayastha, Y. Tong, L. Feng, H. Shi, & P. Xue. Subsurface heatwaves in lakes. Nature Climate Change (2025).
- R.I. Woolway, E. Jennings, T. Shatwell, M. Golub, D.C. Pierson, & S.C. Maberly. Lake heatwaves under climate change. Nature 589, 402–407 (2021).
- R.I. Woolway, & C.J. Merchant. Worldwide alteration of lake mixing regimes in response to climate change. Nature Geoscience 12, 271–276 (2019).
Other Honors:
2025 ENDS Power List 2025, UK’s 100 Most Impactful Environmental Professionals – ENDS Report
2025 Yentsch-Schindler Award –Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)
2023-2025 World’s Top 2% Scientists – Stanford/Elsevier
2024 Philip Leverhulme Prize – Leverhulme Trust
2024 Earth Observation Excellence Award -- European Space Agency
2024 Gill Memorial Award – Royal Geographical Society with IBG
2024 Distinguished Scientist fellowship – Chinese Academy of Sciences via the President's International Fellowship Initiative
2023 Dillwyn Medal for STEMM – Learned Society of Wales