- High Resolution geophysics - near surface multi-method geophysics, high-resolution marine geophysics for biological habitat appraisal, environmental geosciences and archaeological geosciences - Multi-component seismics - shear wave anisotropy, compressional wave AVA for fractured oil and gas reservoirs i in Rocky Mountain Basins, N. Africa and N. Sea

See Sedimentary Systems Research Unit for more information.

Publications in international, citation indexed, peer reviewed journals:

Quinn, J. L., Cole, E. F., Bates, J., Payne, R., & Cresswell, W. (2011) Personality predicts individual responsiveness to risk of starvation and predation. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B in press.

Couchoux, C. & Cresswell, W. (2011) Personality constraints versus flexible anti-predation behaviours: how important is boldness in risk management of redshanks (Tringa totanus) foraging in a natural system. Behavioral ecology doi: 10.1093/beheco/arr185.

Quinn, J.L. & Cresswell, W. (2011) Local prey vulnerability increases with multiple attacks by a predator. Oikos in press.

Cox, D.T.C, Brandt, M.J., McGregor, R., Ottosson, U., Stevens, M.C. & Cresswell, W. (2011) Patterns of seasonal and yearly mass variation in West African tropical savannah birds. Ibis in press.

Cresswell, W. (2011) Predation in bird populations. Journal of Ornithology 152 (Suppl 1):S251-S263.

Lord, A.M, McCleery, R. & Cresswell, W. (2011) Incubation prior to clutch completion accelerates embryonic development and so hatch date for eggs laid earlier in a clutch in the Great tit, Parus major. Journal of Avian Biology 42: 187-191.

Cresswell, W. & Quinn, J.L. (2011) Predicting the optimal group-size from predator hunting behaviour. Journal of Animal Ecology 80: 310-319.

Wilson, J.M. & Cresswell , W. (2010) Densities of Palearctic warblers and Afrotropical species within the same guild in Sahelian West Africa. Ostrich 81:225-232.

Cresswell, W. & Quinn, J.L. (2010) Attack frequency, attack success and choice of prey group size for two predators with contrasting hunting strategies. Animal Behaviour 80: 643-648.

Manu, S., Imong, I.S. & Cresswell W. (2010) Bird species richness and diversity at montane IBA sites in South Eastern Nigeria. Bird Conservation International 20:231-239.

Wilson, J.M. & Cresswell , W. (2010) The Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe in the Sahel of West Africa: distribution, seasonal variation in abundance and habitat associations. Ostrich 81:115-121.

Stevens, M.C., Sheehan, D.K., Wilson, J.M., Buchanan, G.M. & Cresswell, W. (2010) Changes in Sahelian bird biodiversity and tree density over a five year period in Northern Nigeria. Bird Study 57:156-174.

Cresswell, W., Lind, J. & Quinn, J.L. (2010) Predator hunting success and prey vulnerability: quantifying the spatial scale over which lethal and non-lethal effects of predation occur. Journal of Animal Ecology 79:556-562.

Jones, T. & Cresswell, W. (2010) The phenology mismatch hypothesis: Are declines of migrant birds linked to uneven global change? Journal of Animal Ecology 79:98-108.

Sansom, A., Lind, J. & Cresswell, W. (2009) Individual behaviour and survival: the roles of predator avoidance, foraging success and vigilance. Behavioral Ecology 20:1168-1174.

Cresswell, W., Clark, J. & Macleod, R. (2009) How climate change might influence the starvation-predation risk trade-off response. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B 276: 3553-3560.

W. Cresswell, W., Butler, S., Whittingham, M.J. &  Quinn. J.L. (2009) Very short delays prior to escape from potential predators may function efficiently as adaptive risk-assessment periods. Behaviour 146:795-813.

Brandt, M.J. & Cresswell W. (2009) Diurnal foraging routines in a tropical bird, the rock finch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis: how important is predation risk? Journal of Avian Biology 40:90-94.

Macleod, R., Clark, J. & Cresswell, W. (2008) The starvation-predation risk trade-off, body mass and population status in the Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris. Ibis 150 S1:199-208.

Cresswell W. & Whitfield D.P. (2008) How starvation risk in Redshanks results in predation mortality from Sparrowhawks. Ibis 150 S1:209-218.

Brandt, M.J. & Cresswell W. (2008) Breeding behaviour, home range and habitat selection in Rock Firefinches (Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis) in the wet and dry season in central Nigeria. Ibis 150:495-507.

Sansom, S., Cresswell W., Minderman, J. & Lind, L. (2008) Vigilance benefits and competition costs in groups: do individual redshanks gain an overall foraging benefit? Animal Behaviour 75:1869-1875.

Cresswell, W. (2008) Non-lethal effects of predation risk in birds. Ibis150:3-17.

Garcia-del-Rey, E., Cresswell, W., Perrins, C.M. & Gosler, A.G. (2007). Evolutionary trends and extreme cases of life history traits in the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) on oceanic islands (Canary Islands). Ardeola 54:27-39.

Garcia-del-Rey, E., & Cresswell, W.  (2007). The breeding biology of the endemic Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus berthelotii in a harsh oceanic island environment (Tenerife, Canary Islands). Ostrich 78:583-589.
 
MacLeod, R., Lind,J., Clark J., & Cresswell W. (2007) Mass regulation in response to predation risk can indicate population declines. Ecology Letters 10: 945-955.

McGregor, R., Whittingham, M.J. & Cresswell, W. (2007) Survival rates of tropical birds in Nigeria, West Africa. Ibis 149:615-618.

Cresswell, W., Wilson, J.M., Vickery J., Jones, P. & Holt, S. (2007) Changes in densities of Sahelian bird species in response to recent habitat degradation. Ostrich 78:247-253.

Wilson, J.M. & Cresswell, W. (2007) Identification of potentially competing Afrotropical and Palearctic bird species in the Sahel. Ostrich 78:363-368.

McGregor, R.M., Ottosson, U. & Cresswell W. (2007) Moult of guinea savanna passerines in West Africa. Ostrich 78:287-290.

Manu, S. & Cresswell W. (2007) Addressing sampling bias in counting forest birds: a West African case study. Ostrich 78:281-286.

Cresswell, W., Lind, J., Quinn, J.L., Minderman, J. & Whitfield, D.P.  (2007) Ringing or colour-banding does not increase predation mortality in redshanks. Journal of Avian Biology 38:309-316.

Manu, S., Peach, W. & Cresswell, W. (2007) The effects of fragment size and degree of isolation on avian species richness in highly fragmented forest in West Africa. Ibis 149:287-297.

Watson, M., Aebischer, N.J. & Cresswell W. (2007) Vigilance and fitness in grey partridges Perdix perdix: the effects of group size and foraging-vigilance trade-offs on predation mortality. Journal of Animal Ecology 76:211-221.

Quinn, J.L., Whittingham, M.J., Butler, S.J. & Cresswell, W. (2006) Noise, predation risk compensation and vigilance in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Journal of Avian Biology 37:601-608.

Wilson, J.M. & Cresswell, W. (2006) How robust are Palearctic migrants to habitat loss and degradation in the Sahel? Ibis 148:789-800.

Quinn, J.L. & Cresswell, W. (2006) Testing domains of danger in the selfish herd: sparrowhawks target widely spaced redshanks in flocks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B 273:2521-2526.

Watson M., Wilson J. M., Koshkin M., Sherbakov B., Karpov F., Gavrilov A., Schielzeth, H., Brombacher M., Collar N.J. & Cresswell W. (2006) Nest survival and productivity of the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarious. Ibis 148:489-502.

Garcia-del-Rey, E., Cresswell, W., Perrins, C. & Gosler, A. (2006) Variable effects of laying date on clutch size in the Canary Island Blue Tits (group). Ibis 148:564-567.   

Minderman, J., Lind, J. & Cresswell W. (2006) Behaviourally mediated indirect effects: Interference competition increases predation mortality in foraging redshanks. Journal of Animal Ecology 75:713-723.

Lind, J. & Cresswell, W. (2006) Anti-predation behaviour during bird migration; the benefit of studying multiple behavioural dimensions. Journal of Ornithology 147:310-316.

MacLeod R., Barnett P., Clark J., Cresswell W. (2006) Mass-dependent predation risk as a mechanism for house sparrow declines? Biology Letters 2:43-46.

Butler,S.J., Whittingham,M.J., Quinn,J.L. & Cresswell,W. (2006) Time in captivity and individual differences influence experimental success: foraging trials on wild-caught chaffinches. Behaviour 143: 535-548.

Garcia-del-Rey, E. & Cresswell, W. (2006) Population size and habitat selection of the Feurteventura Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus degener). Ostrich 77:105-108.

Garcia-del-Rey, E. & Cresswell, W. (2005) Density estimates, microhabitat selection, and foraging behaviour of the endemic blue chaffinch Fringilla teydae teydae on Tenerife (Canary Islands). Ardeola 52: 305-317.

Manu, S., Peach, W., Bowden, C. & Cresswell W. (2005) The effects of forest fragmentation on the population density and distribution of the globally endangered Ibadan Malimbe Malimbus ibadanensis. Bird Conservation International 15: 275-285.

Quinn, J.L. & Cresswell, W. (2005) Personality and anti-predation behaviour in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Behaviour 142: 1383-1408.

MacLeod, R., Gosler, A. & Cresswell, W. (2005). Diurnal mass gain strategies and perceived predation risk in the great tit, Parus major. Journal of Animal Ecology 74:956-964.

Lind, J. & Cresswell, W. (2005). Determining the fitness consequences of anti-predation behaviour. Behavioral Ecology 16:945-956.

Quinn, J.L. & Cresswell, W. (2005) Escape response delays in wintering redshank Tringa totanus flocks are explained by the perceptual limit and economic hypotheses. Animal Behaviour 69:1285-1292.

Githiru, M., Lens, L. & Cresswell W. (2005) Nest predation in a fragmented Afrotropical forest: evidence from natural and artificial nests. Biological Conservation 123:189-196.

MacLeod, R., Barnett, R.B., Clark, J. & Cresswell, W. (2005) Body mass change strategies in blackbirds Turdus merula: the starvation-predation risk trade-off. Journal of Animal Ecology 74:292-302.

Butler,S.J., Whittingham,M.J., Quinn,J.L. & Cresswell,W. (2005) Quantifying the interaction between food density and habitat structure in determining patch selection. Animal Behaviour 69:337-343.

Whittingham,M.J., Butler,S.J., Quinn,J.L. & Cresswell,W. (2004) The effect of limited visibility on vigilance behaviour and speed of predator detection. Oikos 106:377-385.

Cresswell, W., Holt, S., Reid, J.M., Whitfield, D.P., Mellanby, R.J., Norton, D., & Waldron, S. (2004) The energetic costs of egg heating constrain incubation attendance but do not determine daily energy expenditure in the Pectoral Sandpiper. Behavioral Ecology 15:498-507.

Catry, P., Campos, A., Almada, V. & Cresswell, W. (2004) Winter segregation of migrant European Robins Erithacus rubecula in relation to sex, age and size. Journal of Avian Biology 35:204-209.

Quinn, J.L. & Cresswell, W. (2004). Predator hunting behaviour and prey vulnerability. Journal of Animal Ecology 73:143-154.

Cresswell, W. & Quinn, J. (2004). Faced with a choice, predators select the most vulnerable group: implications for both predators and prey for monitoring relative vulnerability. Oikos 104:71-76.

Yasué, M., Quinn, J.L. & Cresswell, W. (2003). Multiple effects of weather on the starvation and predation risk trade-off in choice of feeding location in redshanks. Functional Ecology 17:727-736.

Cresswell, W., Lind, J., Kaby, U., Quinn, J.L. & Jakobsson, S. (2003). Does an opportunistic predator preferentially attack non-vigilant prey? Animal Behaviour 66: 643-648.

Cresswell,W. (2003). Testing the mass-dependent predation hypothesis: in European blackbirds poor foragers have higher overwinter body reserves. Animal Behaviour 65:1035-1044.

Cresswell, W., Quinn, J.L., Whittingham, M.J., & Butler, S. (2003). Good foragers can also be good at detecting predators. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B 270:1069-1076.

Cresswell W. & McCleery, R. (2003) How great tits maintain synchronisation of their hatch date with food supply in response to long term variability in temperature. Journal of Animal Ecology 72:356-366.

Cresswell, W., Holt, S., Reid, J.M., Whitfield, D.P. & Mellanby, R.J. (2003) Do the energetic demands of incubation constrain incubation scheduling in a biparental species. Behavioral Ecology 14:97-102.

Smith, R.D., Ruxton, G.D. & Cresswell, W. (2002) Do kleptoparasites reduce their own foraging effort in order to detect kleptoparasitic opportunities? An empirical test of a key assumption of kleptoparasitic models. Oikos 97: 205-212.

Reid, J.M., Cresswell, W., Holt, S., Mellanby, R.J., Whitfield, D.P. & Ruxton, G.D. (2002). Nest scrape design and clutch heat loss in Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos). Functional Ecology 16:305-312.

McGowan, A., Cresswell, W. & Ruxton, G.D. (2002) The effects of daily weather variation on foraging and responsiveness to disturbance in overwintering Red Knot (Calidris canutus). Ardea 90:229-237.

Smith, R.D., Ruxton, G.D. & Cresswell, W. (2001) Patch choice decisions of wild blackbirds: the role of pre-harvest public information Animal Behaviour 61:1113-1124.

Smith, R.D., Ruxton, G.D. & Cresswell, W. (2001) Dominance and feeding interference in small groups of blackbirds Behavioral Ecology 12:475-481.

Cresswell, W. (2001). Relative competitive ability does not change over time in blackbirds. Journal of Animal Ecology 70:218-227.

Cresswell, W. , Smith, R.D. & Ruxton, G.D. (2001). Absolute foraging rate and susceptibility to interference competition in blackbirds varies with patch conditions. Journal of Animal Ecology 70:228-236.

Cresswell, W. Hilton, G.M.,& Ruxton, G.D. (2000) Evidence for a rule governing the avoidance of superfluous escape flights. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B 267:1069-1076.

Cresswell, W. (1999). Travel distance and mass gain in wintering blackbirds. Animal Behaviour 58:1109-1116.

Hilton, G.M., Ruxton, G.D. & Cresswell, W. (1999) Choice of foraging area with respect to predation risk in redshanks: the effects of weather and predator activity. Oikos 87:295-302.

Hilton, G.M., Cresswell, W. & Ruxton, G.D. (1999) Intra-flock variation in the speed of escape-flight response on attack by an avian predator. Behavioural Ecology 10: 391-395.

Whitfield D.P., Cresswell W., Ashmole N.P., Clark N.A. & Evans A.D. (1999) No evidence for Sparrowhawks selecting Redshanks according to size and condition. Journal of Avian Biology 30:31-39.

Cresswell, W., Yerokhov, S., Berezovikov, N., Mellanby, R., Bright, S., Catry, P., Chaves, J., Freile, J., Gretton, A., Zykin, A., McGregor, R. & McLaughlin, D. (1999). Important wetlands in northern and eastern Kazakstan. Wildfowl 50:181-194.

Vickery, J., Thomas D., Rowcliffe, M., Cresswell, W., Jones, P. & Holt, S. (1999) Habitat selection of whitethroats during spring passage in the Sahel zone of northern Nigeria. Bird Study 46: 348-355.

Cresswell, W., M. Hughes, R. Mellanby, S. Bright, P. Catry, J. Chaves, J. Freile, A. Gabela, H. Martineau, R. MacLeod, F. McPhee, N. Anderson, S. Holt, S. Barabas, C. Chapel & T. Sanchez (1999) Densities and habitat preferences of Andean cloud-forest birds in pristine and degraded habitats in northeastern Ecuador. Bird Conservation International 9:124-145.

Cresswell, W. (1998) Relative competitive ability changes with competitor density: evidence from foraging blackbirds. Animal Behaviour 56:1367-1373.

Cresswell, W. (1998) Variation in the strength of interference competition with resource density in blackbirds Turdus merula. Oikos 81:152-160.

Cresswell, W. (1998) Diurnal and seasonal mass variation in blackbirds Turdus merula: consequences for mass-dependent predation risk. Journal of Animal Ecology 67:78-90.

Cresswell, W. (1997) Interference competition at low competitor densities in blackbirds Turdus merula. Journal of Animal Ecology 66:461-471.

Cresswell, W. (1997) Nest predation rates and nest detectability at different stages of breeding in blackbirds Turdus merula. Journal of Avian Biology 28:296-302.

Cresswell, W. (1997) Nest predation: the relative effects of nest characteristics, clutch size and parental behaviour. Animal Behaviour 53:93-103.

Cresswell, W., Irwin, M., Jensen, M., Mee, A., Mellanby, R., McKean, M. & Milne, L. (1997) Population estimates and distribution changes of landbirds on Silhouette Island, Seychelles. Ostrich 68: 50-57.

Cresswell, W. (1996) Surprise as a winter hunting strategy in Sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus, Peregrines Falco peregrinus and Merlins F. columbarius. Ibis 138:684-692.

Jones, P., Vickery, J., Holt, S., & Cresswell, W. (1996) A preliminary assessment of some factors influencing the density and distribution of Palearctic passerine migrants wintering in the Sahel zone of West Africa. Bird Study 43:73-84.

Cresswell, W. (1995) Selection of avian prey by wintering sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus in southern Scotland. Ardea 83:381-389.

Cresswell, W. (1994) Age-dependent choice of redshank (Tringa totanus) feeding location: profitability or risk? Journal of Animal Ecology 63:589-600.

Cresswell, W. (1994) Flocking is an effective anti-predation strategy in Redshanks, Tringa totanus. Animal Behaviour 47: 433-442.

Cresswell, W. (1994) The function of alarm calls in redshanks, Tringa totanus. Animal Behaviour 47:736-738.

Cresswell, W. (1994) Song as a pursuit-deterrent signal, and its occurrence relative to other anti-predation behaviours of skylark (Alauda arvensis) on attack by merlins (Falco columbarius). Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 34:217-223.

Cresswell, W. & Whitfield, D.P. (1994) The effects of raptor predation on wintering wader populations at the Tyninghame estuary, southeast Scotland. Ibis 136:223-232.

Cresswell, W. (1993) Escape responses by redshanks, Tringa totanus, on attack by avian predators. Animal Behaviour 46:609-611.
 

Other peer reviewed publications:

Cresswell, W. (2010) Empirical studies of predator and prey behaviour. In Breed, M. D. & Moore, J., eds. Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior , pp 633-638. Oxford: Academic Press.

Cresswell, W., Boyd, M. & Stevens, M. (2009). Movements of Palearctic and Afrotropical bird species during the dry season (November–February) within Nigeria. pp. 18–28. In: Harebottle, D.M., Craig, A.J.F.K., Anderson, M.D., Rakotomanana, H. & Muchai. (eds). Proceedings of the 12th Pan African Ornithological Congress, 2008. Cape Town, Animal Demography Unit.

Cresswell, W. (2009) The use of mass and fat reserve measurements from ringing studies to assess body condition. Ringing & Migration 24: 227-232.

Manu, S., Peach, W. & Cresswell, W. (2005). Notes on the natural history of the Ibadan Malimbe Malimbus ibadanensis, a threatened Nigerian endemic. Malimbus 27:33-39.
Cresswell, W. (2004) Kleptoparasitism rates and aggressive interactions between raptors. In Raptors Worldwide: Proceedings of the 6th World Conference on Birds of Prey and Owls. Chancellor, R. D. & B.-U. Meyburg eds. pp 805 – 814.

Manu, S. & Cresswell, W. (2002). The effects of forest fragmentation on Palearctic migrants in south western Nigeria. In Wings Over Africa: Proceedings of the International Seminar on Bird Migration: Research, Conservation, Education and Flight Safety (Eds. Leshem, Y., Froneman, A., Mundy, P. Shamir, H.), pp 143 – 150. International Center for the Study of Bird Migration, Israel.

Cresswell, W., R. Mellanby, S. Bright, P. Catry, J. Chaves, J. Freile, A. Gabela, M. Hughes, H. Martineau, R. MacLeod, F. McPhee, , N. Anderson, S. Holt, S. Barabas, C. Chapel & T. Sanchez. (1999) Birds of the Guandera Reserve, Carchi province, northeastern Ecuador. Cotinga 11:55-63.

Cresswell, W. (1997). Carrion crows catching waders. British Birds 90:366.

Cresswell, W. (1997). Caching of prey by carrion crows. British Birds 90 366-367.

 

Current Research Projects

Predicting the impacts of adverse weather on power distribution networks

This is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between ourselves and Scottish and Southern Energy. It is a 3-year project finishing at the end of 2011. We are building predictive models that will identify the likely type and location of faults given weather forcast data. This provides the basis of a cost-benefit analysis for resource distribution e.g. the deployment of resource crews/materials and the probable extent of customer power interruptions. Several other research paths have already branched from this main thread.

Risk mitigation for low-frequency military sonar

There is concern about the potential impacts of new powerful low-frequency sonars (typically military) on the marine environment, marine mammals in particular. We have been collaborating with commercial partners in the production of software that quantifies potential impacts on marine mammals and advises on mitigation possibilities. This software is currently deployed in its first version and is the result of 2 years collaboration. Further extensions and variants are currently being developed. 

Smoothing over complex 2D surfaces

Ecology, physiology and life history of marine mammals.

Interactions between the foraging behaviour and diving physiology: Interactions between foraging ecology and reproductive success; parental investment; interactions between marine mammals and the exploitation of marine resources; use of telemetry and remote sensing to study marine mammals at sea.

Interactions between the foraging behaviour and diving physiology:Interactions between foraging ecology and reproductive success;parental investment; interactions between marine mammals and theexploitation of marine resources; use of telemetry and remotesensing to study marine mammals at sea.

Research group:

NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit

Research students:

Mr. David Thompson (with J. Parker, University of Liverpool)

Funded collaborations:

ELIFONTS (FRS Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen; Department of MarineSciences and Coastal Management, University of Newcastle; Institutefor Terrestrial Ecology, Banchory; Danish Institute for FisheriesResearch, Copenhagen); IBN-DLO, Netherlands; Australian AntarcticDivision.

Population dynamics and ecology

Foraging behaviour and diet of seals and cetaceans. Estimation of animal abundance. Statistical and mathematical modelling of marine mammal population parameters and processes. Interactions between marine mammals and man: management of whaling, cetacean bycatch in fisheries, seal-fishery interactions; conservation of vulnerable species.

Population dynamics and ecology

Foraging behaviour and diet of seals and cetaceans. Estimation of animal abundance. Statistical and mathematical modelling of marine mammal population parameters and processes. Interactions between marine mammals and man: management of whaling, cetacean bycatch in fisheries, seal-fishery interactions; conservation of vulnerable species.

I am interested in the evolution of complexity in communication systems and how this complexity can affect social interaction. This work takes two different approaches. On the one hand I investigate environmental constraints that influence the design of vocal communication systems, and on the other I study the underlying cognitive skills required to overcome or circumvent such constraints. Much of this work concentrates on vocal communication in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). This species combines the ability of vocal learning with complex cognitive skills that exceed those of most other animals. Furthermore, dolphins rely almost exclusively on acoustic communication which avoids the difficulties connected with studying multi-modal communication systems.

Mechanisms and content of marinemammal vocal interactions

Two of the main questions we ask in our lab is how marine mammalscommunicate and what kind of information they exchange. This requiresthedetailed analysis of vocal interactions in captivity and in the wild.We usepassive acoustic localization to ascribe sounds to individuals. Thisallows usto correlate different types of vocalizations or interactions withbehaviouralcontexts. Using these methods we describe the use of vocalizationsduringforaging and social interactions in dolphins and seals. This alsoincludes theexperiemtnal investigation of vocal learning, one of the mechanismsthat can beused to introduce novel signals into a communication system.

Referential communication andindividual identity

Signature whistles are individually distinctive signals given bybottlenosedolphins in isolation contexts. Unlike isolation calls of other animalstheyare learned and can be copied by conspecifics. This kind of copying canbe usedto address a specific individual. Our studies investigate whetherdolphins arecapable to use voice cues and how background noise and water pressureaffectdolphin signals and consequently voice recognition. We also study theindividual recognition skills of dolphins to explore their naturalability touse learned labels, a crucial step in the evolution of referentialcommunication.This is done by using playback techniques in the wild anddiscriminationexperiments with captive individuals. Comparative work on other speciestriesto identify conditions that lead to the evolution of these skills.

Geographic variation and traditions in behaviour patterns

Marine mammals show a substantialamount of geographic variation in their behaviour patterns. Even withinthesame species vocal repertoires differ between different sites. This maybecaused directly by differences in habitat or indirectly through theeffects ofthe environment on the social behaviour and social structure of apopulation.To fully explore all possible causes of variation I am interested in avarietyof other factors that may affect communication behaviour. These includerangingpatterns, foraging behaviour and association patterns of dolphins.

Reactions to changes in the acoustic environment

While conspecifics certainly providevery relevant acoustic information to marine mammals, they areexposed to atremendous variety of different sound types. These can provideadditionalinformation about threats (e.g. predators) or opportunities (e.g.foraging). Weuse playback experiments to investigate communication distances andacousticmasking as well as reactions to other species or non-biological soundsources. These studies help us to understand what kind of information marine mammals extract from their acoustic environment and how they adjust their own calling behaviour to achieve optimal transmission of information. These studies also inform conservation efforts by giving details on howmarinemammals react to different kinds of noise.

I am a Senior Research Fellow at the University of St. Andrews. I have worked in the NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) for over 25 years during which time I have published on the movement and behaviour of marine mammals – from the Antarctic to the Arctic. I co-manage the Instrumentation Group within the SMRU that has developed a novel set of telemetry systems to study the biology of marine mammals at sea. This group is internationally acknowledged as a world leader in the development of novel telemetry system for marine mammals and has an annual turnaround of c. £0.6M.

I have been the recipient of numerous awards from public agencies, the telecommunications industry and Research Councils.  My other academic interests include networks and the application of wireless sensor networks in ecology and population biology

Ecology and dynamics of coastal depositional systems

Research on the functional ecology and dynamics of coastal systems. Research into the primary productivity of coastal systems and the infuence of the catchment use on coastal areas and the importance of ecosystem fuction. The resiliance of these systems to global change. The interdisciplinary study of "biogenic stabilisation", defined as an increase in the critical threshold force for sediment re-suspension brought about by biological activity. The development of techniques to measure the stability of sediments in situ. Development of freeze fracture and HPLC techniques to allow microspatial discrimination (1005m scale) of the physical (density, porosity, mineralogy) and biological (pigments, organics, polymeric substances, microbes) properties of cohesive sediments. Structural analysis of sediments by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy. Modelling of biogenic effects on sediment erosion and transport. Light climate and primary productivity in cohesive sediments using fluorescence and light microsensor systems. Influence of pigment distribution of spectral reflectance properties of sediments and the potential of using reflectance data for the remote sensing and modelling of biomass distribution on mudflat systems.

I am a Marine Biologist with post-doctoral experience in cancer and physiological research.  My research and teaching interests encompass diving physiology, scientific diving techniques, the value of fieldwork in effective teaching and the development of employability through leadership and management experience in fieldwork.

My primary research goals involve blending field data, geochronology and numerical modelling to increase our quantitative understanding earth's surface processes and how different rates of processes combine in ancient and modern sedimentary systems.

Currently active research includes: constraining surface process rates using luminescence and cosmogenic dating of alluvial sediments in NW Argentina (with Joel Spencer, St Andrews, Manfred Strecker, Potsdam and Bill Phillips, Edinburgh)

numerical modelling of 1) fluvial planform development and 2) surface deformation, sediment erosion, transport and deposition in modern and ancient settings (with Greg Tucker, Oxford)

tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Carboniferous eastern Midland Valley, onshore Fife (with Phil Shell [Badley Ashton], and Bernard Owens, Sheffield)

For further information, see the Environmental Change Research Group and the Sedimentary Systems Research Unit

Current Research Projects

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MPhil/PhD project opportunities:

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Our research interests embrace a variety of marine ecological topics, ranging from the development and dynamics of hard substratum epifaunal ("fouling") communities, to responses of invertebrate larvae at metamorphosis and the population genetics of marine molluscs and crustaceans

My postgraduate research concerned various aspects of the ecology of intertidal nudibranch molluscs. Subsequently, I became especially interested in the evolution of differing reproductive 'strategies' among marine invertebrates, and continued to use nudibranch molluscs as an experimental model system. This topic has been investigated by us both from functional energetic, conceptual and population genetics standpoints. In addition, however, I have also more general interests in benthic community ecology. This latter has concerned especially the development and dynamics of intertidal and sublittoral marine epifaunal ('fouling') assemblages on natural hard substrata on the west coast of Scotland and the applied importance of artificial reefs.
Our recent interests have focused on epifaunal larval settlement responses to specific substratum-associated biofilm cues and the presence of previously settled post-larvae. With specific reference to the intertidal barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides, we have developed an effective and very simple laval trap for deployment on rocky shores and we are now also assessing the importance of wave crash and wind strength/direction on the larval input to benthic intertidal substrata.

Ecological Genetics of Parasitic Sea Lice

Inducible Morphology in Marine Bryozoans

Larval Dispersal

Biofilms and Larval Settlement

Bryozoans

Salmonid Parasites