• Room 02.007 - Biological Sciences

    United Kingdom

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

I am looking for a motivated student(s) to pursue a PhD relating to the critically endangered flapper skate and other large demersal elasmobranch species (blue skate, white skate etc). I am looking to answer questions reading to the location and parameterisation of egg laying sites, estimation of sexual maturation rates and bycatch vulnerability. I am also developing image based analysis techniques using towed cameras, BRUVs, AUVs and ROVs to answer fundamental questions relating to the ecology and associated habitats of these large, high conservation value species. I have plenty of data and funding secured to support field work and analyses. We would need to work together to secure stipend and fees (e.g. DAERA studentships etc).

20082024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research Focus

I am a marine biologist. My background is in benthic ecology, so I mostly work with animals and ecosystems associated with the seabed. My focus is on 'low data' systems from the shallow intertidal to the deep-sea.  I find working in these systems to be both challenging and interesting - so little is known as to make each discovery a game changer. My deep-sea research is related to mitigating the impacts of deep-sea mining. A lot of my shallow water research focuses on the interactions between animals across trophic levels. This has led to a relatively recent focus on the critically endangered flapper skate - who existed at the top of Ireland's benthic food chain. Through this, I helped establish the regional flapper skate working group and lead on a lot of research projects associated with increasing our understanding of these animals to further their conservation. This all ties into marine policy, so I guess you could say that my research on low data systems works to fill knowledge gaps by governments, allowing them to batter tailor environmental management.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water

Keywords

  • QH301 Biology
  • marine biology
  • deep-sea
  • conservation
  • QL Zoology
  • sharks
  • rays
  • marine
  • QH426 Genetics
  • taxonomy
  • demographics
  • TR Photography
  • structured light imaging
  • subsea imaging
  • drop camera
  • towed camera
  • ROV
  • QE Geology
  • hydrothermal vent
  • deep-sea mining

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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