Priority 14. Marine Science
Projects
Assessing the effects of offshore industry on marine mammals.
Priority Areas
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8. Renewable Energy;
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13. Biodiversity and Bioprospecting;
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14. Marine Science
Project description
The next 20 years will involve considerable development in offshore industries including renewable energy and exploration for oil and gas in deep water. These activities are likely to be happening simultaneously off Brazil and off over the continental shelf of Europe, especially around Scotland. There are considerable uncertainties around the effects that this industrial activity may have upon populations of marine mammals. Research to study this includes the assessment of risk to populations through quantitative approaches but there is a major requirement for data about the distribution, abundance and vulnerability of marine mammals to different technologies and activities. This includes the risk of collision and the risk associated with disturbance. The project(s) will involve focusing on specific aspects of this problem, including the estimation of marine mammal distribution and abundance; the collection of data to populate risk models and the development of potential mitigation advice and mitigation tools.
Availability
Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)
Supervisers
- University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):
Professor Peter Tyack, Dr Vincent Janik, Dr Mark Johnson, Dr Patrick Miller, Dr David Thompson, Dr Luke Rendell, Professor John Harwood and Professor Ian Boyd.
- Brazilian University Supervisor(s):
To be confirmed.
Additional notes
The work will be conducted within the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk/) which is a part of the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews but operates globally. SMRU is a globally-leading centre for marine mammal research and it is responsible for developing many of the current technologies used to study marine mammals including both instruments and software tools. It has a close working relationship with industry , through its commercial arm SMRU Ltd (http://www.smru.co.uk/).
Start date
September 2012 or February 2013
Assessing the Status of South American River Dolphins.
Priority Areas
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13. Biodiversity and Bioprospecting (Statistics)
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14. Marine science
Project description
Freshwater cetaceans are among the world’s most critically endangered mammals. They inhabit complex habitats in densely populated human environments, making them difficult to survey and promoting conflict between wildlife conservation and humans. Surveys of these species have been conducted on the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, but they require non-standard analysis methods and method development lags behind data gathering. We have access to survey data via a partnership with Fundacion Omacha, and we propose to develop appropriate survey and analysis methods via PhD studentships, to make Brazillian students self-sufficient in the conduct and analysis of surveys of these species.
Availability
Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil) or Full PhD (36 months in UK)
Supervisers
- University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):
- Brazilian University Supervisor(s): n/a
Additional notes
The Convention on Biological Diversity set targets to reduce biodiversity loss by 2010 and to meet them, sustainable management of the planet’s wildlife resources and biodiversity is required. This must be informed by appropriate quantification of the state of wildlife resources and how they are changing, which in turn requires estimation of trends in abundance and species turnover. The Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) specializes in developing statistical methods for such problems. The Science without Borders programme provides an opportunity for exchange of ideas and methods that are relevant for conservation problems of relevance to Brazil.
Start date
September 2012 or February 2013
Marine biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Priority Areas
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13. Biodiversity and Bioprospecting
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2. Biology, Biomedical and Health
- 14. Marine Science
Project description
Multiple stressors, including those form climate change, industrialization, fisheries and high levels of human population, on marine and coastal ecosystems can result in major changes in biodiversity. Some indicators suggest that most of these changes will lead to a greater prevalence of invasive species and the possibility that marine ecosystems could be less resilient to perturbation. This may result in an overall erosion of the goods and services supplied by coastal and marine ecosystems. A major challenge to this field is the development of underlying theory of ecosystem structure and function. In order to tackle this we need well developed case studies and also use, or build, ecosystem models to examine the stability and resilience of these ecological systems. These systems could include everything from coastal and benthic to pelagic. The projects(s) will involve specific studies of perturbed and unperturbed marine and coastal ecosystems and the use of validated ecosystem models to examine the potential dynamics of these systems.
Availability
Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)
Supervisers
- University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):
Dr Maria Dornelas, Professor David Paterson, Professor Chris Todd, Professor Ian Johnston, Prof Anne Magurran and Professor Andrew Brierley
- Brazilian University Supervisor(s):
To be confirmed.
Additional notes
The work will be conducted within the Scottish Oceans Institute (http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk/) at the University of St Andrews.
Start date
September 2012 or February 2013
Resource acquisition and use by marine mammals
Priority Areas
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13. Biodiversity and Bioprospecting
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14. Marine Science
Project description
Seals, whales and dolphins probably consume at least the same biomass of marine food as commercial fisheries on a global basis. With declines in commercial fish catches and general over-exploitation of commercial fish stocks, the effects this could be having upon marine mammals is difficult to estimate. Diet diversity could allow marine mammals to switch prey to more abundant but non-commercial species. Thus, in some cases, marine mammals could benefit from the presence of marine fisheries but in others direct competition could lead to reductions in marine mammals populations. Moreover, direct killing of marine mammals, usually through by-catch in coastal gillnet and trawl fisheries is likely to be a common problem in most parts of the world. The project(s) will assess or measure, with respect to Brazilian fisheries and marine mammals, the overlap between marine mammals and fisheries, any evidence for a functional relationship between marine mammal population trajectories and fisheries or fish stock status, and the extent of by-catch of marine mammals as a potential problem within Brazilian fisheries. The project could also assess the health status of marine mammals in relation to chemical and biological pollution, including harmful algal blooms.
Availability
Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)
Supervisers
- University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):
Professor Phil Hammond, Dr Simon Northridge, Dr Jason Matthiopoulos, Dr Ailsa Hall, Dr Bernie McConnell, Dr Paddy Pomeroy, Dr Sascha Hooker, Professor Ian Boyd.
- Brazilian University Supervisor(s): To be confirmed
Additional notes
The work will be conducted within the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) which is a part of the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews but operates globally. SMRU is a globally-leading centre for marine mammal research and it is responsible for developing many of the current technologies used to study marine mammals including both instruments and software tools. It has a close working relationship with industry, through its commercial arm SMRU Ltd.
Start date
September 2012 or February 2013
Using passive acoustics to study marine mammal behaviour and social structure.
Priority Areas
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13. Biodiversity and Bioprospecting
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2. Biology, Biomedical and Health
- 14.Marine Science
Project description
Apart from Man, marine mammals have probably evolved the most advanced form of acoustic communication of any species. This ability is particular to cetaceans that use active sound production underwater. Through the development of acoustic monitoring systems that can be deployed on the animals or using sub-sea and surface-mounted systems it has been possible to open a up a whole new field in marine mammal passive acoustic measurement. This can be directed towards testing models of social structure and the functional typology of cetacean vocalizations as well as simply allowing these animals to be surveyed to assess their distribution and abundance. The project(s) will involve the application of these methods to study marine mammals either within coastal regions of Brazil or in the Amazon Basin.
Availability
Co-tutelle PhD (12 months UK, 24 in Brazil)
Supervisers
- University of St Andrews Supervisor(s):
Dr Luke Rendell, Professor Peter Tyack; Dr Vincent Janik; Dr Mark Johnson; Dr Patrick Miller
- Brazilian University Supervisor(s):
n/a
Additional notes
The work will be conducted within the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) which is a part of the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews but operates globally. SMRU is a globally-leading centre for marine mammal research and it is responsible for developing many of the current technologies used to study marine mammals including both instruments and software tools. It has a close working relationship with industry , through its commercial arm SMRU Ltd.
Start date
September 2012 or February 2013
