Working with natural systems for sustainable futures
Environment and Sustainability InstitutePeopleProfile

Profile

Dr Matthew Witt

Dr Matthew Witt

Associate Professor in Natural Environment and Chair of the Biosciences Ethics Committee

 M.J.Witt@exeter.ac.uk

 2268

 01392 722268

 Hatherly C6D

 

Hatherly Building, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK

Overview

My research group works at the intersection of marine ecology and human-wildlife conflict, looking specifically at the distribution and behaviour of marine species and habitats with respect to human acitivity. Acquiring this knowledge is often challenging so our work uses a wide range of technologies, including satellite tracking, video-based systems and acoustic tracking and detection.

Qualifications

2007 PhD Biological Sciences, Exeter
2004 MRes Marine Biology, Plymouth
2003 MSc Oceanography, Southampton

Career

2020 Associate Professor, University of Exeter
2015-2020 Senior Lecturer, University of Exeter
2012-2015 Lecturer, University of Exeter 
2008-2012 Research Fellow (PRIMaRE, MERiFIC, Darwin)

Links

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

  • Distribution and behaviour of marine vertebrates
  • Human-wildlife space conflict and habitat use
  • Ecological effects of marine renewable energies
  • Remote data collection technologies

Research projects

  • Ecological effects of offshore wind farms (funder: The Crown Estate)
  • Atlantic bluefin tuna spatial ecology in the northeast Atlantic (funder: Defra & EMFF)
  • Post-release behaviour of sharks in recreational fishing (funder: EMFF)
  • Ocean Health Index+ for southwest England (funder: EMFF)
  • Basking shark satellite and acoustic tracking (funder: NatureScot)
  • Strategic Environmental Assessment for Wave Energy (funder: CINEA)
  • Clean Energy from Ocean Waves (funder: Horizon 2020)
  • Tracking the movements of leatherback turtles in the South Atlantic (funder: Gabon Government)

Research grants

  • 2022 The Crown Estate
    Predators and Prey Around Renewable Energy Developments (PrePARED)
  • 2022 Scottish Natural Heritage
    Acoustic tracking of basking sharks
  • 2018 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
    Ocean Health Index+ for the English South West Marine Plan Area
  • 2018 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
    Satellite tracking of bluefin tuna in the English Channel and Celtic Sea
  • 2018 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
    Shark catch and release survivability in recreational fishing
  • 2018 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
    Strategic Environmental Assessment for Wave Energy (SEA Wave)
  • 2015 Horizon 2020
    Clean Energy from Ocean Waves (Cefow)

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Publications

Journal articles

Witt M, Godley B, Bicknell A, Doherty P, Sheehan E (In Press). Assessing the impact of introduced infrastructure at sea with cameras: a case study for spatial scale, time and statistical power. Marine Environmental Research
Dolton H, Gell F, Hall J, Hall G, Hawkes L, Witt MJ (In Press). Assessing the importance of Isle of Man waters for the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). Endangered Species Research
Witt M, Hawkes L, Exeter O, Kerry C, Rudd J, Henderson S, Kukulya A, Yoda N, Whelan S (In Press). Autonomous underwater videography and tracking of basking sharks. Animal Biotelemetry
Witt M, Godley BJ (In Press). Basking shark breaching behaviour observations West of Shetland. Marine Biodiversity Records
Rudd JR, Bartolomeu T, Dolton HR, Exeter OM, Kerry C, Hawkes L, Henderson SM, Shirley M, Witt MJ (In Press). Basking shark sub-surface behaviour revealed by animal-towed cameras. PLoS One
Witt M (In Press). Development of epibenthic assemblages on artificial habitat associated with marine renewable infrastructure. ICES Journal of Marine Science
Witt M, Hawkes L, Exeter O, Kerry C, Rudd J, Hall J, Hall G, Henderson S (In Press). High resolution biologging of breaching by the world's second largest shark species. Scientific Reports
Nelms S, Godley B, Richardson P, Eyles L, Solandt J-L, Selley H, Witt M (In Press). Investigating the distribution and regional occurrence of anthropogenic litter in English Marine Protected Areas using 25 years of citizen-science beach clean data. Environmental Pollution
Witt M, Hawkes L, Pikesley SK, Doherty P, Solandt J-L, Speedie C, Johnson L, Henderson S, Inger R (In Press). Predicting habitat suitability for basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in UK waters using ensemble ecological niche modelling. Journal of Sea Research
Witt M, Pikesley S, Trundle C, Solandt J-L (In Press). Revisiting UK Marine Protected Areas governance: a case study of a collaborative approach to management of an English MPA. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Doherty P, Hawkes LA, Godley BJ, Witt M, Henderson S, Graham R, Hall J, Hall G, Speedie C, Johnson L, et al (In Press). Seasonal changes in basking shark vertical space-use in the north-east Atlantic. Marine Biology
Witt M, Exeter O, Bicknell A, Kerry C, Htut T, Kyi MM, Mizrahi M, Turner R (In Press). Shining light on data-poor coastal fisheries. Frontiers in Marine Science
Witt M, Hawkes L, Horton T, Block B, Schallert R, Stokesbury M, Drumm A, O'Cuaig M, O Maoileidgh N, O'Neill R, et al (In Press). Tracking Atlantic bluefin tuna from foraging grounds off the west coast of Ireland. ICES Journal of Marine Science: journal du conseil
Horton TW, Birch S, Block BA, Hawkes LA, van der Kooij J, Witt MJ, Righton D (2024). Correction to: Maximising the value of transmitted data from PSATs tracking marine fish: a case study on Atlantic bluefin tuna (Animal Biotelemetry, (2024), 12, 1, (2), 10.1186/s40317-023-00356-9). Animal Biotelemetry, 12(1). Abstract.
Ferreira‐Airaud B, Vieira S, Branco M, Pina A, Soares V, Tiwari M, Witt M, Castilho R, Teodósio A, Hawkes LA, et al (2024). Green and Hawksbill Sea turtles of Eastern Atlantic: New insights into a globally important rookery in the Gulf of Guinea. Ecology and Evolution, 14(3). Abstract.
Horton TW, Birch S, Block BA, Hawkes LA, van der Kooij J, Witt MJ, Righton D (2024). Maximising the value of transmitted data from PSATs tracking marine fish: a case study on Atlantic bluefin tuna. Animal Biotelemetry, 12(1). Abstract.
Hawkes LA, Davies P, Hall AE, Horton TW, Stamp T, Witt MJ, Sheehan EV (2024). People behind the “pings”; limiting authorship threatens collaboration in telemetry. Journal of Fish Biology
Macleod KL, Jenkins TL, Witt MJ, Stevens JR (2024). Rare, long‐distance dispersal underpins genetic connectivity in the pink sea fan, <i>Eunicella verrucosa</i>. Evolutionary Applications, 17(3). Abstract.
Horton TW, Exeter O, Garzon F, Gordon C, Hawkes LA, Hood A, Righton D, Silva JF, Witt MJ (2023). Best practices for catch-and-release shark angling: current scientific understanding and future research. Fisheries Research, 267 Abstract.
Casale P, Abitsi G, Agamboue PD, Augowet E, Bayet JP, Billes A, Bitsindou A, Collins T, Doherty PD, Faure FE, et al (2023). Conservation-relevant reproductive parameters from long-term tagging of two globally important sea turtle nesting aggregations in Central Africa. AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, 33(11), 1200-1217.  Author URL.
Morten JM, Buchanan PJ, Egevang C, Glissenaar IA, Maxwell SM, Parr N, Screen JA, Vigfúsdóttir F, Vogt‐Vincent NS, Williams DA, et al (2023). Global warming and arctic terns: Estimating climate change impacts on the world's longest migration. Global Change Biology, 29(19), 5596-5614. Abstract.
Baremore IE, Graham RT, Owen SRD, Witt MJ (2023). Small-scale fishing has affected abundance and size distributions of deepwater snappers and groupers in the MesoAmerican region. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 33(4), 1547-1568. Abstract.
Garzon F, Barrientos C, Anvene RE, Mba FE, Fallabrino A, Formia A, Godley BJ, Gonder MK, Prieto CM, Ayetebe JM, et al (2023). Spatial ecology and conservation of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting in Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. PLoS One, 18(6). Abstract.  Author URL.
Corr S, Dudley R, Brereton T, Clear N, Crosby A, Duncan S, Evans PGH, Jones D, Sayer S, Taylor T, et al (2023). Using citizen science data to assess the vulnerability of bottlenose dolphins to human impacts along England's South Coast. Animal Conservation
Andrzejaczek S, Lucas TCD, Goodman MC, Hussey NE, Armstrong AJ, Carlisle A, Coffey DM, Gleiss AC, Huveneers C, Jacoby DMP, et al (2022). Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology. Sci Adv, 8(33). Abstract.  Author URL.
Morten JM, Burgos JM, Collins L, Maxwell SM, Morin E-J, Parr N, Thurston W, Vigfúsdóttir F, Witt MJ, Hawkes LA, et al (2022). Foraging Behaviours of Breeding Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea and the Impact of Local Weather and Fisheries. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8 Abstract.
Metcalfe K, White L, Lee ME, Fay JM, Abitsi G, Parnell RJ, Smith RJ, Agamboue PD, Bayet JP, Mve Beh JH, et al (2022). Fulfilling global marine commitments; lessons learned from Gabon. Conservation Letters, 15(3). Abstract.
Merchant ND, Fristrup KM, Johnson MP, Tyack PL, Witt MJ, Blondel P, Parks SE (2022). Measuring acoustic habitats (vol 6, pg 257, 2015). METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 13(4), 933-933.  Author URL.
Conners MG, Sisson NB, Agamboue PD, Atkinson PW, Baylis AMM, Benson SR, Block BA, Bograd SJ, Bordino P, Bowen WD, et al (2022). Mismatches in scale between highly mobile marine megafauna and marine protected areas. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9
Kerry CR, Exeter OM, Witt MJ (2022). Monitoring global fishing activity in proximity to seamounts using automatic identification systems. Fish and Fisheries, 23(3), 733-749. Abstract.
Kot CY, Åkesson S, Alfaro‐Shigueto J, Amorocho Llanos DF, Antonopoulou M, Balazs GH, Baverstock WR, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Bruno I, et al (2022). Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: a tool for conservation prioritization. Diversity and Distributions, 28(4), 810-829. Abstract.
Sayer S, Allen R, Bellman K, Beaulieu M, Cooper T, Dyer N, Hockin K, Hockley K, Jarvis D, Jones G, et al (2022). Post release monitoring of rehabilitated gray seal pups over large temporal and spatial scales. Marine Mammal Science, 38(2), 539-556. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Solandt JL, Trundle C, Witt MJ (2021). Benefits beyond 'features': Cooperative monitoring highlights MPA value for enhanced seabed integrity. Marine Policy, 134 Abstract.
Horton TW, Block BA, Davies R, Hawkes LA, Jones D, Jones H, Leeves K, Maoileidigh NO, Righton D, van der Kooij J, et al (2021). Evidence of increased occurrence of Atlantic bluefin tuna in territorial waters of the United Kingdom and Ireland. ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE, 78(5), 1672-1683.  Author URL.
Baremore IE, Graham RT, Witt MJ (2021). Fishing down the reef slope: Characteristics of the nearshore deepwater fisheries of MesoAmerica. Ocean and Coastal Management, 211 Abstract.
Garzon F, Graham RT, Baremore I, Castellanos D, Salazar H, Xiu C, Seymour Z, Witt MJ, Hawkes LA (2021). Nation-wide assessment of the distribution and population size of the data-deficient nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum). PLoS ONE, 16(8 August). Abstract.
Cardiec F, Bertrand S, Witt MJ, Metcalfe K, Godley BJ, McClellan C, Vilela R, Parnell RJ, le Loc'h F (2020). "Too Big to Ignore": a feasibility analysis of detecting fishing events in Gabonese small-scale fisheries. PLoS One, 15(6). Abstract.  Author URL.
Jonsen ID, Patterson TA, Costa DP, Doherty PD, Godley BJ, Grecian WJ, Guinet C, Hoenner X, Kienle SS, Robison PW, et al (2020). A continuous-time state-space model for rapid quality-control of Argos. locations from animal-borne tags. Mov Ecol, 8 Abstract.  Author URL.
Davies BFR, Attrill MJ, Holmes L, Rees A, Witt MJ, Sheehan EV (2020). Acoustic Complexity Index to assess benthic biodiversity of a partially protected area in the southwest of the UK. Ecological Indicators, 111 Abstract.
Palmer A, Greenhough B, Hobson-West P, Message R, Aegerter JN, Belshaw Z, Dennison N, Dickey R, Lane J, Lorimer J, et al (2020). Animal Research beyond the Laboratory: Report from a Workshop on Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs) in the UK. Animals, 10(10), 1868-1868. Abstract.
Colman LP, Lara PH, Bennie J, Broderick AC, de Freitas JR, Marcondes A, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2020). Assessing coastal artificial light and potential exposure of wildlife at a national scale: the case of marine turtles in Brazil. Biodiversity and Conservation, 29(4), 1135-1152. Abstract.
Garzon F, Graham RT, Witt MJ, Hawkes LA (2020). Ecological niche modeling reveals manta ray distribution and conservation priority areas in the Western Central Atlantic. Animal Conservation, 24(3), 322-334. Abstract.
Botterell Z, Penrose R, Witt M, Godley B (2020). Long-term insights into marine turtle sightings, strandings and captures around the UK and Ireland (1910-2018). The Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
Lieber L, Hall G, Hall J, Berrow S, Johnston E, Gubili C, Sarginson J, Francis M, Duffy C, Wintner SP, et al (2020). Spatio-temporal genetic tagging of a cosmopolitan planktivorous shark provides insight to gene flow, temporal variation and site-specific re-encounters. Scientific Reports, 10(1). Abstract.
Sayer S, Allen R, Hawkes LA, Hockley K, Jarvis D, Witt MJ (2019). Pinnipeds, people and photo identification: the implications of grey seal movements for effective management of the species. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 99(5), 1221-1230. Abstract.
Trew BT, Grantham HS, Barrientos C, Collins T, Doherty PD, Formia A, Godley BJ, Maxwell SM, Parnell RJ, Pikesley SK, et al (2019). Using Cumulative Impact Mapping to Prioritize Marine Conservation Efforts in Equatorial Guinea. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6
Pikesley SK, Agamboue PD, Bayet JP, Bibang JN, Bonguno EA, Boussamba F, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Du Plessis P, Faure FE, et al (2018). A novel approach to estimate the distribution, density and at-sea risks of a centrally-placed mobile marine vertebrate. Biological Conservation, 221, 246-256. Abstract.
Horton T, Hawkes L, Witt M (2018). Bluefin tuna off Britain and Ireland: Return of the giant tunny?. British Wildlife, 29(6), 402-408.
Snape RTE, Broderick AC, Çiçek BA, Fuller WJ, Tregenza N, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2018). Conflict between Dolphins and a Data-Scarce Fishery of the European Union. Human Ecology, 46(3), 423-433. Abstract.
Maxwell SM, Witt MJ, Abitsi G, Aboro MP, Agamboue PD, Asseko GM, Boussamba F, Chartrain E, Gnandji MS, Mabert BDK, et al (2018). Sea turtles and survivability in demersal trawl fisheries: Do comatose olive ridley sea turtles survive post-release?. Animal Biotelemetry, 6(1). Abstract.
Duffy J, Shutler J, Witt M, DeBell L, Anderson K (2018). Tracking fine-scale structural changes in coastal dune morphology using kite aerial photography and uncertainty-assessed Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry. Remote Sensing Abstract.
Metcalfe K, Bréheret N, Chauvet E, Collins T, Curran BK, Parnell RJ, Turner RA, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2018). Using satellite AIS to improve our understanding of shipping and fill gaps in ocean observation data to support marine spatial planning. Journal of Applied Ecology, 55(4), 1834-1845. Abstract.
Casale P, Abitsi G, Aboro MP, Agamboue PD, Agbode L, Allela NL, Angueko D, Bibang Bi Nguema JN, Boussamba F, Cardiec F, et al (2017). A first estimate of sea turtle bycatch in the industrial trawling fishery of Gabon. Biodiversity and Conservation, 26(10), 2421-2433. Abstract.
Bjorndal KA, Bolten AB, Chaloupka M, Saba VS, Bellini C, Marcovaldi MAG, Santos AJB, Bortolon LFW, Meylan AB, Meylan PA, et al (2017). Ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic. Global Change Biology, 23(11), 4556-4568. Abstract.
Wilkes M, MacInnis MJ, Witt MJ, Vergalla M, Verschave Keysers M, Thomas A, Hawkes LA (2017). Free Flight Physiology: Paragliding and the Study of Extreme Altitude. High Altitude Medicine and Biology, 18(1), 90-91.
Long S, Ffrench Constant R, Witt MJ (2017). Have Centuries of Inefficient Fishing Sustained a Wild Oyster Fishery: a Case Study. Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal, 08(02).
Parr N, Bearhop S, Douglas DC, Takekawa JY, Prosser DJ, Newman SH, Perry WM, Balachandran S, Witt MJ, Hou Y, et al (2017). High altitude flights by ruddy shelduck Tadorna ferruginea during trans-Himalayan migrations. Journal of Avian Biology, 48(10), 1310-1315. Abstract.
Dawson TM, Formia A, Agamboué PD, Asseko GM, Boussamba F, Cardiec F, Chartrain E, Doherty PD, Fay JM, Godley BJ, et al (2017). Informing Marine Protected Area Designation and Management for Nesting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Using Satellite Tracking. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4
Doherty PD, Baxter JM, Gell FR, Godley BJ, Graham RT, Hall G, Hall J, Hawkes LA, Henderson SM, Johnson L, et al (2017). Long-term satellite tracking reveals variable seasonal migration strategies of basking sharks in the north-east Atlantic. Scientific Reports, 7 Abstract.
Nelms SE, Coombes C, Foster LC, Galloway TS, Godley BJ, Lindeque PK, Witt MJ (2017). Marine anthropogenic litter on British beaches: a 10-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data. Science of the Total Environment, 579, 1399-1409. Abstract.
Shipley ON, Olin JA, Polunin NVC, Sweeting CJ, Newman SP, Brooks EJ, Barker S, Witt MJ, Talwar B, Hussey NE, et al (2017). Polar compounds preclude mathematical lipid correction of carbon stable isotopes in deep-water sharks. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 494, 69-74. Abstract.
Scott R, Biastoch A, Agamboue PD, Bayer T, Boussamba FL, Formia A, Godley BJ, Mabert BDK, Manfoumbi JC, Schwarzkopf FU, et al (2017). Spatio-temporal variation in ocean current-driven hatchling dispersion: Implications for the world's largest leatherback sea turtle nesting region. Diversity and Distributions, 23(6), 604-614. Abstract.
Shipley ON, Polunin NVC, Newman SP, Sweeting CJ, Barker S, Witt MJ, Brooks EJ (2017). Stable isotopes reveal food web dynamics of a data-poor deep-sea island slope community. Food Webs, 10, 22-25. Abstract.
Cox SL, Witt MJ, Embling CB, Godley BJ, Hosegood PJ, Miller PI, Votier SC, Ingram SN (2017). Temporal patterns in habitat use by small cetaceans at an oceanographically dynamic marine renewable energy test site in the Celtic Sea. Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 141, 178-190. Abstract.
Doherty PD, Baxter JM, Godley BJ, Graham RT, Hall G, Hall J, Hawkes LA, Henderson SM, Johnson L, Speedie C, et al (2017). Testing the boundaries: Seasonal residency and inter-annual site fidelity of basking sharks in a proposed Marine Protected Area. Biological Conservation, 209, 68-75. Abstract.
Metcalfe K, Collins T, Abernethy KE, Boumba R, Dengui J, Miyalou R, Parnell RJ, Plummer KE, Russell DJF, Safou GK, et al (2016). Addressing Uncertainty in Marine Resource Management; Combining Community Engagement and Tracking Technology to Characterize Human Behavior. Conservation Letters, 10(4), 460-469. Abstract.
Hammerschlag N, Bell I, Fitzpatrick R, Gallagher AJ, Hawkes LA, Meekan MG, Stevens JD, Thums M, Witt MJ, Barnett A, et al (2016). Behavioral evidence suggests facultative scavenging by a marine apex predator during a food pulse. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 70(10), 1777-1788. Abstract.
Bicknell AWJ, Godley BJ, Sheehan EV, Votier SC, Witt MJ (2016). Camera technology for monitoring marine biodiversity and human impact. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14(8), 424-432. Abstract.
Garrett JK, Blondel P, Godley BJ, Pikesley SK, Witt MJ, Johanning L (2016). Long-term underwater sound measurements in the shipping noise indicator bands 63 Hz and 125 Hz from the port of Falmouth Bay, UK. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 110(1), 438-448. Abstract.
Varo-Cruz N, Bermejo JA, Calabuig P, Cejudo D, Godley BJ, López-Jurado LF, Pikesley SK, Witt MJ, Hawkes LA (2016). New findings about the spatial and temporal use of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean by large juvenile loggerhead turtles. Diversity and Distributions Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Godley BJ, Latham H, Richardson PB, Robson LM, Solandt J-L, Trundle C, Wood C, Witt MJ (2016). Pink sea fans (Eunicella verrucosa) as indicators of the spatial efficacy of Marine Protected Areas in southwest UK coastal waters. Marine Policy, 64, 38-45.
Grecian WJ, Witt MJ, Attrill MJ, Bearhop S, Becker PH, Egevang C, Furness RW, Godley BJ, González-Solís J, Grémillet D, et al (2016). Seabird diversity hotspot linked to ocean productivity in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Biology Letters, 12(8). Abstract.
Bjorndal KA, Chaloupka M, Saba VS, Diez CE, Van Dam RP, Krueger BH, Horrocks JA, Santos AJB, Bellini C, Marcovaldi MAG, et al (2016). Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective. Ecosphere, 7(5). Abstract.
Merchant ND, Brookes KL, Faulkner RC, Bicknell AWJ, Godley BJ, Witt MJ (2016). Underwater noise levels in UK waters. Scientific Reports, 6(1). Abstract.
Hammerschlag N, Broderick AC, Coker JW, Coyne MS, Dodd M, Frick MG, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Griffin DBB, Hartog K, et al (2015). Evaluating the landscape of fear between apex predatory sharks and mobile sea turtles across a large dynamic seascape. Ecology, 96(8), 2117-2126. Abstract.
Ellis CD, Knott H, Daniels CL, Witt MJ, Hodgson DJ (2015). Geographic and environmental drivers of fecundity in the European lobster (Homarus gammarus). ICES Journal of Marine Science, 72, i91-i100. Abstract.
Metcalfe K, Agamboué PD, Augowet E, Boussamba F, Cardiec F, Fay JM, Formia A, Kema Kema JR, Kouerey C, Mabert BDK, et al (2015). Going the extra mile: Ground-based monitoring of olive ridley turtles reveals Gabon hosts the largest rookery in the Atlantic. Biological Conservation, 190, 14-22. Abstract.
Merchant ND, Fristrup KM, Johnson MP, Tyack PL, Witt MJ, Blondel P, Parks SE (2015). Measuring acoustic habitats. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 6(3), 257-265. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Broderick AC, Cejudo D, Coyne MS, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Lopez P, López-Jurado LF, Elsy Merino S, Varo-Cruz N, et al (2015). Modelling the niche for a marine vertebrate: a case study incorporating behavioural plasticity, proximate threats and climate change. Ecography, 38(8), 803-812. Abstract.
Hart CE, Blanco GS, Coyne MS, Delgado-Trejo C, Godley BJ, Jones TT, Resendiz A, Seminoff JA, Witt MJ, Nichols WJ, et al (2015). Multinational tagging efforts illustrate regional scale of distribution and threats for east pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas agassizii). PLoS One, 10(2). Abstract.  Author URL.
Doherty PD, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Hodgson DJ, Mangel JC, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2014). Big catch, little sharks: Insight into Peruvian small-scale longline fisheries. Ecology and Evolution, 4(12), 2375-2383. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Godley BJ, Ranger S, Richardson PB, Witt MJ (2014). Cnidaria in UK coastal waters: Description of spatio-temporal patterns and inter-annual variability. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 94(7), 1401-1408. Abstract.
Hawkes LA, Mcgowan A, Broderick AC, Gore S, Wheatley D, White J, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2014). High rates of growth recorded for hawksbill sea turtles in Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Ecology and Evolution, 4(8), 1255-1266. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Broderick AC, Cejudo D, Coyne MS, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Lopez P, López-Jurado LF, Elsy Merino S, Varo-Cruz N, et al (2014). Modelling the niche for a marine vertebrate: a case study incorporating behavioural plasticity, proximate threats and climate change. Ecography
Fossette S, Witt MJ, Miller P, Nalovic MA, Albareda D, Almeida AP, Broderick AC, Chacón-Chaverri D, Coyne MS, Domingo A, et al (2014). Pan-Atlantic analysis of the overlap of a highly migratory species, the leatherback turtle, with pelagic longline fisheries. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281(1780). Abstract.
Hawkes LA, McGowan A, Godley BJ, Gore S, Lange A, Tyler CR, Wheatley D, White J, Witt MJ, Broderick AC, et al (2013). Estimating sex ratios in Caribbean hawksbill turtles: Testosterone levels and climate effects. Aquatic Biology, 18(1), 9-19. Abstract.
Griffin DBB, Murphy SR, Frick MG, Broderick AC, Coker JW, Coyne MS, Dodd MG, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Hawkes LA, et al (2013). Foraging habitats and migration corridors utilized by a recovering subpopulation of adult female loggerhead sea turtles: Implications for conservation. Marine Biology, 160(12), 3071-3086. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Agamboue PD, Bonguno EA, Boussamba F, Cardiec F, Michael Fay J, Formia A, Godley BJ, Laurance WF, Mabert BDK, et al (2013). Here today, here tomorrow: Beached timber in Gabon, a persistent threat to nesting sea turtles. Biological Conservation, 162, 127-132. Abstract.
Fuller WJ, Godley BJ, Hodgson DJ, Reece SE, Witt MJ, Broderick AC (2013). Importance of spatio-temporal data for predicting the effects of climate change on marine turtle sex ratios. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 488, 267-274. Abstract.
Richardson PB, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Gore S, Gumbs JC, Pickering A, Ranger S, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2013). Leatherback turtle conservation in the Caribbean UK overseas territories: Act local, think global?. Marine Policy, 38, 483-490. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Maxwell SM, Pendoley K, Costa DP, Coyne MS, Formia A, Godley BJ, Klein W, Makanga-Bahouna J, Maruca S, et al (2013). On the front line: Integrated habitat mapping for olive ridley sea turtles in the Southeast Atlantic. Diversity and Distributions, 19(12), 1518-1530. Abstract.
Richardson PB, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Ekanayake L, Kapurusinghe T, Premakumara C, Ranger S, Saman MM, Witt MJ, Godley BJ, et al (2013). Satellite telemetry reveals behavioural plasticity in a green turtle population nesting in Sri Lanka. Marine Biology, 160(6), 1415-1426. Abstract.
Weber N, Weber SB, Godley BJ, Ellick J, Witt M, Broderick AC (2013). Telemetry as a tool for improving estimates of marine turtle abundance. Biological Conservation, 167, 90-96. Abstract.
Pincheira-Donoso D, Tregenza T, Witt MJ, Hodgson DJ (2013). The evolution of viviparity opens opportunities for lizard radiation but drives it into a climatic cul-de-sac. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 22(7), 857-867. Abstract.
Hawkes LA, Balachandran S, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Douglas DC, Frappell PB, Hou Y, Milsom WK, Newman SH, et al (2013). The paradox of extreme high-altitude migration in bar-headed geese Anser indicus. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 280(1750). Abstract.
Mangel JC, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Witt MJ, Hodgson DJ, Godley BJ (2013). Using pingers to reduce bycatch of small cetaceans in Peru's small-scale driftnet fishery. ORYX, 47(4), 595-606. Abstract.
Grecian WJ, Witt MJ, Attrill MJ, Bearhop S, Godley BJ, Grémillet D, Hamer KC, Votier SC (2012). A novel projection technique to identify important at-sea areas for seabird conservation: an example using Northern gannets breeding in the North East Atlantic. Biological Conservation, 156, 43-52. Abstract.
Merchant ND, Witt MJ, Blondel P, Godley BJ, Smith GH (2012). Assessing sound exposure from shipping in coastal waters using a single hydrophone and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 64(7), 1320-1329. Abstract.
Merchant ND, Witt MJ, Blondel P, Godley BJ, Smith GH (2012). Assessing sound exposure from shipping in coastal waters using a single hydrophone and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. Marine Pollution Bulletin
Witt MJ, Sheehan EV, Bearhop S, Broderick AC, Conley DC, Cotterell SP, Crow E, Grecian WJ, Halsband C, Hodgson DJ, et al (2012). Assessing wave energy effects on biodiversity: the Wave Hub experience. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 370(1959), 502-529. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Hardy T, Johnson L, McClellan CM, Pikesley SK, Ranger S, Richardson PB, Solandt JL, Speedie C, Williams R, et al (2012). Basking sharks in the northeast Atlantic: Spatio-temporal trends from sightings in UK waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 459, 121-134. Abstract.
Pikesley SK, Witt MJ, Hardy T, Loveridge J, Loveridge J, Williams R, Godley BJ (2012). Cetacean sightings and strandings: Evidence for spatial and temporal trends?. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 92(8), 1809-1820. Abstract.
Scott R, Hodgson DJ, Witt MJ, Coyne MS, Adnyana W, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Canbolat AF, Catry P, Ciccione S, et al (2012). Global analysis of satellite tracking data shows that adult green turtles are significantly aggregated in Marine Protected Areas. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 21(11), 1053-1061. Abstract.
Merchant ND, Witt MJ, Blondel P, Godley BJ, Smith GH (2012). Long-term monitoring of sound exposure from shipping in coastal waters. 11th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics 2012, ECUA 2012, 34 2(PART 3), 1026-1033.
Leeney RH, Witt MJ, Broderick AC, Buchanan J, Jarvis DS, Richardson PB, Godley BJ (2012). Marine megavertebrates of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: Relative abundance and distribution. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 92(8), 1823-1833. Abstract.
Hawkes LA, Tomás J, Revuelta O, León YM, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Fish M, Raga JA, Witt MJ, Godley BJ, et al (2012). Migratory patterns in hawksbill turtles described by satellite tracking. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 461, 223-232. Abstract.
Graham RT, Witt MJ, Castellanos DW, Remolina F, Maxwell S, Godley BJ, Hawkes LA (2012). Satellite tracking of manta rays highlights challenges to their conservation. PLoS ONE, 7(5). Abstract.
Garnier J, Hill N, Guissamulo A, Silva I, Witt M, Godley B (2012). Status and community-based conservation of marine turtles in the northern Querimbas Islands (Mozambique). ORYX, 46(3), 359-367. Abstract.
Hawkes LA, Witt MJ, Broderick AC, Coker JW, Coyne MS, Dodd M, Frick MG, Godfrey MH, Griffin DB, Murphy SR, et al (2011). Home on the range: Spatial ecology of loggerhead turtles in Atlantic waters of the USA. Diversity and Distributions, 17(4), 624-640. Abstract.
Mangel JC, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Witt MJ, Dutton PH, Seminoff JA, Godley BJ (2011). Post-capture movements of loggerhead turtles in the southeastern Pacific Ocean assessed by satellite tracking. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 433, 261-272. Abstract.
Weber SB, Blount JD, Godley BJ, Witt MJ, Broderick AC (2011). Rate of egg maturation in marine turtles exhibits 'universal temperature dependence'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 80(5), 1034-1041. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Bonguno EA, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Formia A, Gibudi A, Mounguengui GAM, Moussounda C, Nsafou M, Nougessono S, et al (2011). Tracking leatherback turtles from the world's largest rookery: Assessing threats across the South Atlantic. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278(1716), 2338-2347. Abstract.
Maxwell SM, Breed GA, Nickel BA, Makanga-Bahouna J, Pemo-Makaya E, Parnell RJ, Formia A, Ngouessono S, Godley BJ, Costa DP, et al (2011). Using satellite tracking to optimize protection of long-lived marine species: Olive ridley sea turtle conservation in central africa. PLoS ONE, 6(5). Abstract.
Leeney RH, Broderick AC, Mills C, Sayer S, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2010). Abundance, distribution and haul-out behaviour of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, UK. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 90(5), 1033-1040. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Åkesson S, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Ellick J, Formia A, Hays GC, Luschi P, Stroud S, Godley BJ, et al (2010). Assessing accuracy and utility of satellite-tracking data using Argos-linked Fastloc-GPS. Animal Behaviour, 80(3), 571-581.
Votier SC, Bearhop S, Witt MJ, Inger R, Thompson D, Newton J (2010). Individual responses of seabirds to commercial fisheries revealed using GPS tracking, stable isotopes and vessel monitoring systems. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47(2), 487-497. Abstract.
Witt MJ, McGowan A, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Gore S, Wheatley D, White J, Godley BJ (2010). Inferring vertical and horizontal movements of juvenile marine turtles from time-depth recorders. Aquatic Biology, 8, 169-177.
Blumenthal JM, Austin TJ, Bothwell JB, Broderick AC, Ebanks-Petrie G, Olynik JR, Orr MF, Solomon JL, Witt MJ, Godley BJ, et al (2010). Life in (and out of) the lagoon: Fine-scale movements of green turtles tracked using time-depth recorders. Aquatic Biology, 9(2), 113-121. Abstract.
Grecian WJ, Inger R, Attrill MJ, Bearhop S, Godley BJ, Witt MJ, Votier SC (2010). Potential impacts of wave-powered marine renewable energy installations on marine birds. Ibis, 152(4), 683-697. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Hawkes LA, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Broderick AC (2010). Predicting the impacts of climate change on a globally distributed species: the case of the loggerhead turtle. Journal of Experimental Biology, 213(6), 901-911. Abstract.
Mangel JC, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Van Waerebeek K, Cáceres C, Bearhop S, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2010). Small cetacean captures in Peruvian artisanal fisheries: High despite protective legislation. Biological Conservation, 143(1), 136-143. Abstract.
Godley BJ, Barbosa C, Bruford M, Broderick AC, Catry P, Coyne MS, Formia A, Hays GC, Witt MJ (2010). Unravelling migratory connectivity in marine turtles using multiple methods. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47(4), 769-778. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Baert B, Broderick AC, Formia A, Fretey J, Gibudi A, Mounguengui GAM, Moussounda C, Ngouessono S, Parnell RJ, et al (2009). Aerial surveying of the world's largest leatherback turtle rookery: a more effective methodology for large-scale monitoring. Biological Conservation, 142(8), 1719-1727. Abstract.
Blumenthal JM, Austin TJ, Bothwell JB, Broderick AC, Ebanks-Petrie G, Olynik JR, Orr MF, Solomon JL, Witt MJ, Godley BJ, et al (2009). Diving behavior and movements of juvenile hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata on a Caribbean coral reef. Coral Reefs, 28(1), 55-65. Abstract.
Pade NG, Queiroz N, Humphries NE, Witt MJ, Jones CS, Noble LR, Sims DW (2009). First results from satellite-linked archival tagging of porbeagle shark, Lamna nasus: Area fidelity, wider-scale movements and plasticity in diel depth changes. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 370(1-2), 64-74. Abstract.
Fuller WJ, Broderick AC, Hooker SK, Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2009). Insights into habitat utilization by Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) during the inter-nesting period animal-borne digital cameras. Marine Technology Society Journal, 43(3), 51-59. Abstract.
Inger R, Attrill MJ, Bearhop S, Broderick AC, James Grecian W, Hodgson DJ, Mills C, Sheehan E, Votier SC, Witt MJ, et al (2009). Marine renewable energy: Potential benefits to biodiversity? an urgent call for research. Journal of Applied Ecology, 46(6), 1145-1153. Abstract.
Mcgowan A, Broderick AC, Frett G, Gore S, Hastings M, Pickering A, Wheatley D, White J, Witt MJ, Godley BJ, et al (2008). Down but not out: Marine turtles of the British Virgin Islands. Animal Conservation, 11(2), 92-103. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Formia A, Ngouessono S, Parnell RJ, Sounguet GP, Godley BJ (2008). Satellite tracking highlights difficulties in the design of effective protected areas for Critically Endangered leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea during the inter-nesting period. ORYX, 42(2), 296-300. Abstract.
Godley BJ, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Godfrey MH, Hawkes LA, Witt MJ (2008). Satellite tracking of sea turtles: Where have we been and where do we go next?. Endangered Species Research, 4(1-2), 3-22. Abstract.
Sims DW, Southall EJ, Humphries NE, Hays GC, Bradshaw CJA, Pitchford JW, James A, Ahmed MZ, Brierley AS, Hindell MA, et al (2008). Scaling laws of marine predator search behaviour. Nature, 451(7182), 1098-1102. Abstract.
Leeney RH, Amies R, Broderick AC, Witt MJ, Loveridge J, Doyle J, Godley BJ (2008). Spatio-temporal analysis of cetacean strandings and bycatch in a UK fisheries hotspot. Biodiversity and Conservation, 17(10), 2323-2338. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Godley BJ (2007). A step towards seascape scale conservation: Using vessel monitoring systems (VMS) to map fishing activity. PLoS ONE, 2(10). Abstract.
Witt MJ, Broderick AC, Johns DJ, Martin C, Penrose R, Hoogmoed MS, Godley BJ (2007). Prey landscapes help identify potential foraging habitats for leatherback turtles in the NE Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 337, 231-243. Abstract.
Witt MJ, Penrose R, Godley BJ (2007). Spatio-temporal patterns of juvenile marine turtle occurrence in waters of the European continental shelf. Marine Biology, 151(3), 873-885. Abstract.
Shepard ELC, Ahmed MZ, Southall EJ, Witt MJ, Metcalfe JD, Sims DW (2006). Diel and tidal rhythms in diving behaviour of pelagic sharks identified by signal processing of archival tagging data. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 328, 205-213. Abstract.
Sims DW, Witt MJ, Richardson AJ, Southall EJ, Metcalfe JD (2006). Encounter success of free-ranging marine predator movements across a dynamic prey landscape. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273(1591), 1195-1201. Abstract.
Southall EJ, Sims DW, Witt MJ, Metcalfe JD (2006). Seasonal space-use estimates of basking sharks in relation to protection and political-economic zones in the North-east Atlantic. Biological Conservation, 132(1), 33-39. Abstract.
Richardson AJ, Walne AW, John AWG, Jonas TD, Lindley JA, Sims DW, Stevens D, Witt M (2006). Using continuous plankton recorder data. Progress in Oceanography, 68(1), 27-74. Abstract.

Chapters

(2016). Lack of Cross-Scale Linkages Reduces Robustness of Community-Based Fisheries Management. In  (Ed) Fisheries Management and Conservation, Taylor & Francis, 167-185.
Hawkes LA, Broderick AC, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, Witt MJ (2014). The impacts of climate change on marine turtle reproductive success. In  (Ed) Coastal Conservation, Cambridge University Press, 287-310.

Conferences

Hawkes LA, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Frappell PB, Milsom WK, Natsagdorj T, Newman SH, Scott GR, Spivey RS, et al (2017). Do bar-headed geese train for high altitude flights?.  Author URL.
Hawkes LA, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Frappell PB, Meir JU, Milsom WK, Natsagdorj T, Parr N, Scott GR, et al (2017). Do bar-headed geese train for high altitude flights?. Abstract.

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Teaching

Modules

2023/24


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Supervision / Group

Postdoctoral researchers

Postgraduate researchers

Research Technicians

Alumni

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