Dr Tim Malthus

Tim Malthus

Tim Malthus has been a senior scientist with CSIRO since 2009. He has 30+ years experience in remote sensing of water quality with a focus on optics, calibration and validation, field spectroscopy and sensor development. Tim’s most recent research has focussed on tools for the detection of harmful algal blooms in both inland and coastal waters. This has ranged from the development of low cost optical sensors, apps for use by citizen scientists and observations using satellites in space. Tim is a co-creator of CSIRO’s patented HydraSpectra near surface sensor for the measurement of water quality parameters. As part of the AquaWatch Australia Mission he leads the In Situ Sensor Networks Work Package working with optical and electronic engineers and scientists overseeing the challenge of development and deployment of sensor networks at wide spatial scales.

Tim was previously Research Group Leader of the Coastal Monitoring, Modelling and Informatics Group in the Coastal Management and Development Program of CSIRO’s Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship; and Program Leader of the Environmental Earth Observation Program in the CSIRO Division of Land and Water.

Prior to joining CSIRO, Dr Malthus was Senior Lecturer in Remote Sensing, University of Edinburgh and Director of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Field Spectroscopy Facility based at the University. He oversaw the expansion and diversification of the Facility to maintain its world leading status in field spectroscopy research and related instrumentation. Tim has a BSc and PhD from the University of Otago, New Zealand and has also worked at the Universities of Nottingham and Wolverhampton and at the Centre for Limnology in the Netherlands.