CURRENT MEMBERS
Tom Webb
I am a marine macroecologist with broad interests in describing and understanding large-scale patterns in the distribution and abundance of life in the seas. Previously a Royal Society University Research Fellow, I am now a lecturer in marine ecology and conservation in the Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield. I collaborate widely, for instance with the European marine biodiversity data community as part of EMODnet, contributing marine data expertise to various projects in the UK (1, 2 3), and working on deep sea macroecology with the McClain lab in the US. I am trying to get better at putting useful bits of code on GitHub.
Francesca Quell
I am a PhD student (started in 2018) investigating the macroecology of biological traits in marine ecosystems, focusing on benthic invertebrates (particularly Molluscs). My research aim is to determine the key traits which determine invasiveness in marine species, and to propose methods based on trait profiling which may be able to predict non-indigenous species likely to cause the greatest impact. By comparing the life history and biological traits of known non-indigenous and invasive species to native and threatened species, I hope to also determine whether invasive and imperilled species represent opposite ends of the life history continuum.
Sylvan Benaksas
I am a PhD student (started in 2020) investigating resource competition within UK fisheries. My research focuses on fishing effects on ecosystems and developing methods to make fisheries more sustainable. My current project applies this to commercial fisheries for forage fish in the UK by combining long-term datasets with novel fish acoustic data to model the spatial distributions of predation, competition and fishing pressure in the North and Celtic Seas. My work should feed into the ecosystem-based fisheries management reference points for the UK government’s 25-year plan, UK Marine Strategy and UK Fisheries Bill as the UK prepares to leave the Common Fisheries Policy.
Loreto pino
I am Loreto Pino, a Chilean marine biologist and PhD student (started in 2017) researching the macroecology of benthic marine invertebrates throughout the Chilean exclusive economic zone. The aim of my research is to describe the spatial distribution patterns of these species and how functionally diverse are their assemblages. Chile has an interesting latitudinal gradient, covering at around 39° of latitude. I want to describe how do key environmental drivers and human activities vary along this gradient, and how they could influence the distribution patterns of the benthic invertebrates’ assemblages. I am really interested in identifying diversity hotspots areas with the aim to provide information to support initiatives that seek to protect potentially threatened zones by the aquaculture and mining industry.
Natalie Johnson
I am an MRes student (started in 2020) looking at the effects of marine heatwaves on seaweeds, particularly at an organismal level. I am interested in how this will affect future distributions under climate change, and how we can apply findings to create a viable and sustainable macroalgal aquaculture industry.
Dina-Leigh Simons
I'm a third-year PhD student at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and the Marine Biological Association. My research interests include understanding the complex drivers of marine biodiversity loss and shifts in community dynamics as well as understanding how to optimise conservation strategies in light of growing anthropogenic pressures such as climate change. My current project explores the effectiveness of environmental DNA (eDNA for short) as a tool for monitoring intertidal biodiversity in light of climate change (funded by the ACCE DTP). I enjoy sharing my research and academic journey through science communication online. Being a first-generation student, it's important for me to help make science accessible for all.
dina.leigh.simons@gmail.com | @Dina_Simons_Sci | personal website
Bryan Tan
I am an MBiolSci student (started in 2020) investigating the effects of climate change and overfishing on the global distribution of forage fish - small pelagic fish that are imperative as the conduit of energy transfer in marine ecosystems, as inputs for fish oil and fish meal productions, and as the main source of protein for many countries. Understanding the changes in their distribution, based on existing literature, could help fishery industries to implement appropriate ecosystem-based management that promotes sustainable fishing practices.
Saleh Al Jaafari
I’m a PhD student from Oman who has been studying at the University of Sheffield since 2020. My research interest is to integrate the traditional morphological analysis of fish diet with enhanced genetic analysis techniques to get a more accurate analysis of fish dietary profiles. My project is about investigating the impact of intensive harvesting by commercial trawlers on forage fishes, particularly Indian oil sardines, yellowfin tuna, and longtail tuna caught from the northern Indian ocean as they have a strong predator-prey relationship in the area. From my research, I would like to share with the Oman government the potential negative impacts reductions in Indian oil sardine populations could cause to the marine food web in Arabian seas and the Sea of Oman. I previously completed my bachelor degree at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, before undertaking a masters degree at James Cook University in Australia. My ambition is to achieve the stability and sustainability of small scale fishers who are more vulnerable in this time to global climate changes and unmanaged and unfair commercial activities occurring in national waters.
Connor Peach
Shelf seas are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, with the benthic invertebrates found throughout them forming a significant and highly diverse component of marine food webs, establishing complex communities, and acting as indicators of environmental change. My research at the University of Sheffield aims to quantify variation within marine benthic communities across both space and time, investigating the alterations to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in response to anthropogenic and environmental drivers. The creation of linkages between benthic community change and complementary spatial data products will enable an assessment of multiple dimensions of diversity, seabed habitats, and marine protected area networks, highlighting spatial priorities to protect benthic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
Harry Bond-Taylor
Marine biodiversity is in decline as a result of multiple major threats including climate change, pollution and overexploitation. This project will consider the interactions between climate change and chemical pollution on marine fish, particularly within the North Sea. Marine fish are exposed to a wide variety of chemical pollutants, which can accumulate throughout the marine food web. Climate change alters the movement of fish communities and so this project will track how the chemical risk changes as fish species distributions track our changing climate. A focus will be placed on exploring climate induced changes on the vulnerability of marine fish communities to anthropogenic pollutants for the wider marine food web, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services. I completed my undergraduate degree in 2022 at Sheffield Hallam University, developing an interest in anthropogenic contaminants and their associated ecological impact after studying the impacts of heavy metals on antibiotic resistant genes. Following this I remained at Sheffield Hallam University to complete a secondary science PGCE, allowing me to understand the importance of public scientific outreach which I will ensure to incorporate throughout my time in research.
PAST MEMBERS
HAYLEY BANNISTER
Hayley is now a Data Scientist for Ravelin Technology, an award-winning fraud detection and prevention platform for online merchants and the payments industry. She has also worked with Cefas as a fisheries scientist.
ALUN JONES
Alun is now a Postdoctoral Fellow at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) focusing on marine indicators and ecological big data. He has also worked with JNCC in the past as a data specialist.
CHRIS GRIFFITHS
Chris is now a NERC funded Postdoctoral Research Associate in Andrew Beckerman's lab at the University of Sheffield. His team collaborates closely with researchers at the Université de Montréal, the University of Tasmania and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research.
Emma John
Emma graduated from her PhD in 2020.
Miriam grace
Miriam worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate on the Marine Ecosystems Research Programme. She is now a research associate at UEA.
REMI VERGNON
Remi was a postdoctoral researcher working with the NERC/Defra-funded Marine Ecosystems Research Programme (MERP) from 2014-2017. He used quantitative tools to test macroecological hypotheses describing the functioning of complex, large-scale ecological systems, and collecting and formatting of data sets. Remi now applies his data skills as a civil servant in the Department of Health.
LEIGh howarth
Leigh worked on thermal traits of European marine species as a post-doc supported by EMODnet biology in 2017-18. He was interested in deriving thermal traits from OBIS occurrence data and various gridded temperature datasets. He is now a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie University working on benthic ecology and aquaculture.
BETH MINDEL
Beth completed her NERC-funded PhD on variation in deep-sea fish communities over space and time in 2016. She was particularly interested in how certain aspects of assemblages change along the depth gradient of the continental slope, including morphological traits, diversity metrics, and size-based indicators. After a spell as a MERP post-doc with Axel Rossberg at QMUL, she now works on data at the NHS.
abigail marshall
Abigail completed her NERC-CASE PhD (with Cefas) on environmental and fisheries drivers of changes in body size in North Sea fish in 2017. She worked on incorporating additional environmental variables (in particular oxygen) into existing size-based marine ecosystem models. She now uses her quantitative and oceanographic skills at the Ministry of Defence.
Samiya selim
Samiya completed her NERC CASE PhD (with NEIFCA) on coastal ecosystem service provision in 2015. She was interested in cultural ecosystem services on the Yorkshire coast, and on shifting baselines in the context of Yorkshire fisheries. She is now Associate Professor and Director of Centre for Sustainable Development at University of Liberal Arts in Bangladesh
Anna krystalli
Anna completed her NERC-funded PhD on the macroecology of zooplankton in 2014. She used CPR Survey data to model the distributions of key copepod species in the North Sea. Anna is now a Research Software Engineer at the University of Sheffield.
beth churn
Beth graduated with an MBiolSci in 2018. She worked on functional diversity in Scottish marine biodiversity, in particular how well covered this is by the current MPA network.
Aaron lines
Aaron graduated with an MBiolSci in 2018. He worked range shifts in European fish, comparing rates of movement in juveniles vs. adults.
Laura Abels
Laura graduated with an MBiolSci in 2017. She worked on hotspots of UK marine biodiversity. She went on to work for the Environment Agency.
Luke williams
Luke graduated with an MBiolSci in 2017. He worked on Sexual Size Dimorphism in sharks.
Joe bostock jones
Joe was an MRes student in our group, graduating in 2017. He worked on the community thermal index and temperature of the catch of North Sea fish. He went on to work at Chester Zoo.
JOSH PARKER
Josh was a Masters student who worked on the distribution of marine biodiversity around the UK, in particular identifying hotspots of biodiversity. He graduated with an MBiolSci in 2015 and went on to work as a marine advisor for Natural England.
NATACHA CHENEVOY
Natacha visited our group in 2015 as part of her Masters degree in Paris, working on Biodiversity Informatics, more specifically on mapping the geographical distribution of zooplankton genetic knowledge by cross mapping distribution databases (such as OBIS) with Genbank.
Conor waldock
Conor graduated with an MBiolSci in 2014. He worked on the scaling of space use in marine predators. He went on to study for a PhD with Amanda Bates in Southampton and Andy Purvis at the Natural History Museum.
Jake bedford
Jake graduated with an MBiolSci in 2014. He worked on how the timing of seabird reproduction is linked to temperature, zooplankton, and fish phenology. He went on to study for a PhD on zooplankton and marine policy with Abigail McQuatters-Gollop at Plymouth.