Robin McInnes

Professor Robin McInnes OBE (born 1 October 1949) is an English chartered geologist and chartered civil engineer who is an authority on coastal management and ground instability problems; he lives and works on the Isle of Wight, UK. He is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Geography & Environment, University of Southampton. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Geological Society of London, the Royal Geological Society and the Royal Society of Arts.

Robin McInnes read Geology BSc (Hons) at the University of Southampton (1968-1971) and completed a PhD in Integrated Coastal Zone Management at the University of Portsmouth in 2004. After working for local authorities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for thirty-five years (1972-2007) he established his own consultancy 'Coastal & Geotechnical Services' in 2007.

Professor McInnes has advised the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Commission (DGs Environment and Research) on issues relating to coastal management and natural hazards. He has developed and led successfully thirteen European Union projects; funded by LIFE Environment, Interreg and the VIth and VIIth Framework Programmes.

In December 2007 he was awarded the Crown Estate- Caird (National Maritime Museum) Research Fellowship (http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk). From 1995-2009 Professor McInnes was Technical Chairman of the Standing Conference of Problems with the Coastline (SCOPAC) (http://www.scopac.org.uk) and chaired the Coastal Groups of England and Wales from 1997-2009. In 2006 he was appointed OBE for 'Services to Flood and Coastal Defence'.

Robin has a particular interest in coastal risk management and landslide management and has written numerous technical papers, as well as non-technical guidance on coastal and geotechnical issues. He arranged an 'International Conference on Slope Stability' on the Isle of Wight in 1991, which was co-sponsored by the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was Chairman of the Organising Committee for the International Conference on 'Instability - Planning and Management' held at Ventnor, IW in May 2002 and was Chairman of the Organising Committees for the Institution of Civil Engineers' 'International Coastal Management Conferences' in 2003 and 2007. In 2007 he also chaired the Organising Committee for the International Conference on 'Climate Change and Landslides' held at Ventnor, IW in May 2007.

Since 2008, Professor McInnes has undertaken a range of research projects for The Crown Estate and Historic England that have bridged the disciplines of art and science by examining how historical images (paintings, prints, and old photographs) dating back to the late eighteenth century can improve the understanding and management of risks to coasts and coastal heritage sites.

Robin has particular interest in both British landscape and maritime art, and the history and art of the Isle of Wight, subjects on which he has written a number of books and made numerous illustrated presentations. He has written articles for Country Life, The Antiques Collector, and Island Life, he is a regular writer for Style of Wight magazine.