Research

Research interests

I am ecologist with a particular interest in the fields of behaviour and conservation. Most of my work is field-based, and centres around topics such as: how anthropogenic changes impact on movement, foraging and population dynamics; the causes and consequences of individual specialisation; the conservation of a range of avian species. I have a long-standing interest in island ecology, where study can address a wide variety of broad ecological and applied questions in both terrestrial and marine environments. These include the effects of human-mediated disruption through both the introduction of invasive organisms and subsequent attempts to control such species; restoration of endangered species through to entire ecosystems; the consequences of individual variation; and the role of birds as ecosystem drivers. I am fortunate enough to study these questions in a range of vertebrate systems.

Invasive Rodents Rattus sp.

I currently hold a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Fellowship hosted by the Universities of Auckland, NZ and Exeter, UK in which I am investigating individual variation in invasive rats across a network of islands that differ in their ecosystem dynamics. This work will determine the extent, covariance and persistence of individual variation across multiple traits to address fundamental ecological questions around the processes of competition and predation. It will also provide answers for applied conservation management actions, including feeding into progress towards PredatorFreeNZ, and provide tools to address this global problem.

Reef Sharks Carcharhinus sp.

Examining how interactions between individuals shape behavioural responses provides an opportunity to investigate underlying mechanisms behind much broader phenomena. Combining individual-based modelling approaches and long-term tracking data on individual movements and behaviour, I collaborate on studies of black-tip and grey reef sharks at Palmyra Atoll. We have investigated how behavioural interactions at the individual level can lead to profound social and ecological consequences that impact on population and community dynamics, resulting in spatial separation across habitats while promoting stable associations among individuals.

Light-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota

Many components interact across the life cycles of organisms, and so their effects on individual fitness may carry over between stages, and can accumulate over time. I have investigated how the individual physiology and behavioural specialisations of these geese combine with both their broader social interactions, and the varying physical environments – from highly modified parkland and farmland to Arctic tundra – they experience during their long-distance migrations. Each individual has to make multiple trade-offs between these competing influences, and the causes and consequences of this variation offer insights into the impacts of individual specialisation and anthropogenic change on the ecology and evolution of migratory behaviour. This work would not be possible without the long-term commitment of a variety of volunteers and organisations who combine to form the Irish Brent Goose Research Group www.irishbrentgoose.org.

Northern Gannet Morus bassanus

Variation at the individual rather than the population level is increasingly seen as having important implications for species’ ecology, evolution and conservation. I have investigated the extent of intra- and inter-individual specialisation in foraging decisions in gannets using stable isotope analysis and fine-scale activity data collected from individuals across a range of intraspecific densities. In tandem with individual-based modelling approaches, this work has focused on the causes and consequences of specialisation, and how both intrinsic and extrinsic factors – for example body condition, intraspecific competition and fisheries discards – affect the presence and persistence of specialisations.

Northen Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Many landscapes and ecosystems have been drastically modified by human actions. Anthropogenic systems such as farmland still support a wide variety of wildlife, but also typically support an increased number of generalist predators that are well adapted to these habitats. I have worked on issues facing ground-nesting birds in human-modified landscapes, with a particular focus on the Northern Lapwing as a model species. This has included assessing the importance of crop types for breeding success, identifying key threats, and the potential to apply alternative management practices to mitigate predator-prey interactions.  

Research networks

Prof Stuart Bearhop, CEC, University of Exeter

Prof Jon Blount, CEC, University of Exeter

Dr Ian Cleasby, RSPB

Dr Kendrew Colhoun, RSPB

Dr James Grecian, University of St Andrews

Prof Keith Hamer, University of Leeds

Dr Andrew Jackson, Trinity College, Dublin

Dr Mark Jessopp, University College Cork

Prof Carl Jones, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Dr Becky Laidlaw, University of East Anglia

Dr Jenni McDonald, Cats Protection

Prof Robbie McDonald, ESI, University of Exeter

Dr Jason Newton, SUERC, University of Glasgow

Dr Steffen Oppel, RSPB

Dr Yannis Papastamatiou, Florida International University

Dr Samantha Patrick, University of Liverpool

Dr James Russell, University of Auckland

Dr Steve Votier, ESI, University of Exeter

Dr Freydis Vigfusdottir, University of Iceland

Dr Ewan Wakefield, University of Glasgow

Publications

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Teaching

Supervision / Group