Dr Enrico Pirotta

Senior Research Fellow

Email: ep343@st-andrews.ac.uk

Research areas

I am a quantitative ecologist based in the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) and the School of Biology.

I work on multiple aspects of the ecology, behaviour, physiology and population biology of marine mammals and other marine predators, at the interface between biology and statistics. I am interested in developing and applying robust analytical tools to quantify the relationships of these species with their environment and their interactions with human activities. In particular, a lot of my research so far has focused on the assessment of the effects of both natural and anthropogenic stressors on marine mammals, ranging from individual responses through to consequences for populations.

I strive for my work to inform policy makers, managers, and the industry, and therefore to support the sustainable use of marine resources and the long-term conservation of marine wildlife.

PhD supervision

David Sweeney

Selected publications

Open access
A workflow of open-source tools for drone-based photogrammetry of marine megafauna
Bierlich, K. C., Hewitt, J., Bird, C. N., Johnston, D. W., Dale, J., Pirotta, E., Schick, R. S., Stewart, J. D., New, L., Chimienti, E., Goldbogen, J. A., Friedlaender, A. S., Cantor, M. & Torres, L. G., 12 Aug 2025, In: PeerJ. 13, p. 1-25 25 p., e19768.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Bayesian estimation of individual gray whale space use reveals differential exposure to stressors
Hildebrand, L., New, L., Pirotta, E., Stewart, J. D., Hildebrand, I., Newell, C., Bierlich, K., Bird, C. N., Fernandez Ajó, A., Turek, D. & Torres, L. G., May 2025, In: Ecology and Evolution. 15, 5, p. 1-15 15 p., e71330.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Body size, nutritional state and endocrine state are associated with calving probability in a long-lived marine species
Pirotta, E., New, L., Fernandez Ajó, A., Bierlich, K., Bird, C. N., Buck, C. L., Hildebrand, L., Hunt, K. E., Calambokidis, J. & Torres, L. G., Jul 2025, In: Journal of Animal Ecology. 94, 7, p. 1422-1434 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets
Sequeira, A. M. M., Rodríguez, J. P., Marley, S. A., Calich, H. J., van der Mheen, M., VanCompernolle, M., Arrowsmith, L. M., Peel, L. R., Queiroz, N., Vedor, M., da Costa, I., Mucientes, G., Couto, A., Humphries, N. E., Abalo-Morla, S., Abascal, F. J., Abercrombie, D. L., Abrantes, K., Abreu-Grobois, F. A. & Afonso, A. S. & 357 others, Afonso, P., Ahonen, H., Åkesson, S., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Andrews, R. D., Angelier, F., Antonopoulou, M., Arata, J. A., Araujo, G., Arauz, R., Arcos, J. M., Arregui, I., Arrizabalaga, H., Auger-Méthé, M., Bach, S., Bailleul, F., Baird, R. W., Balazs, G. H., Barco, S. G., Barnett, A., Baverstock, W., Baylis, A. M. M., Beard, A., Bécares, J., Belda, E. J., Bell, I., Bennison, A., Benson, S. R., Bernal, D., Berumen, M. L., Bessudo, S., Bezerra, N. P. A., Blaison, A. V., Blanco, G. S., Block, B. A., Bolton, M., Bond, M. E., Bonfil, R., Braun, C. D., Broderick, A. C., Brooke, M. D. L., Brooks, A. M. L., Brooks, E. J., Bruno, I. M., Burns, J. M., Byrne, M. E., Campana, S. E., Campbell, H. A., Campbell, R. A., Carlisle, A., Carmichael, R. H., Carroll, G., Casale, P., Ceia, F. R., Chapman, D. D., Chapple, T. K., Charrassin, J.-B., Chiaradia, A., Chisholm, J., Clarke, C. R., Clay, T. A., Cleguer, C., Clingham, E., Clua, E. E. G., Cochran, J. E. M., Constantine, R., Cooper, R. W., Crochelet, E., Cronin, M., Cuevas, E., DaCosta, K. P., Dagorn, L., Daly, R., Davis, R. W., de Bruyn, P. J. N., Delgado-Trejo, C., Dellinger, T., Derville, S., Diamant, S., DiMatteo, A., Dodge, K. L., Doherty, P. D., Double, M. C., Dove, A. D. M., Doyle, T. K., Drew, M. J., Dubbs, L. L., Duffy, C. A. J., Dutton, P. H., Edwards, E. W. J., Einoder, L. D., Erdmann, M. V., Espinoza, E., Esteban, N., Fagundes, A. I., Feare, C., Ferguson, S. H., Ferreira, L. C., Ferretti, F., Filmalter, J., Finucci, B., Fischer, G. C., Fitzpatrick, R. J., Fontes, J., Formia, A., Fossette, S., Francis, M. P., Friedlaender, A. S., Furtado, M., Gallagher, A. J., Garrigue, C., Gennari, E., Gilchrist, H. G., Godley, B. J., Goldsworthy, S. D., Gollock, M., Carman, V. G., Grecian, W. J., Green, J. R., Guinet, C., Gustafson, J., Guttridge, T. L., Guzman, H. M., Hamer, D., Hamer, K. C., Hammerschlag, N., Hammill, M. O., Harman, L., Harrison, E., Hart, C. E., Harris, A. E., Hastie, G., Hazin, F. H. V., Heard, M., Hearn, A. R., Heide-Jørgensen, M. P., Henry, L., Henry, R. W., Hernandez, V. G., Herrera, A. E., Hindell, M. A., Holdsworth, J. C., Holmes, B. J., Howey, L. A., Padilla, E. M. H., Huckstadt, L. A., Hueter, R. E., Lara, P. H., Hussey, N. E., Huveneers, C., Hyland, K., Irion, D. T., Jacoby, D. M. P., Jaeger, A., Jaidah, M. Y., Jessopp, M., Jewell, O. J. D., Johnson, R., Jones, C. G., Jonsen, I. D., Jordan, L. K. B., Jorgensen, S. J., Kato, A., Ketchum, J. T., Kitaysky, A. S., Klimley, A. P., Kock, A. A., Koen, P., Archila, F. L., Lana, F. O., Lane, J. V., Le Corre, M., Lea, M.-A., Lea, J., Leat, E. H. K., Lee, O. A., Levenson, J. J., Ley-Quiñonez, C. P., Llewellyn, F., Lockhart, G., Lopez, G. G., Mendilaharsu, M. L., Lowther, A. D., Luschi, P., Lutcavage, M. E., Lyon, W. S., Macena, B. C. L., Mackay, A. I., Madden, C. A., Mallory, M. L., Mangel, J. C., Manning, M., Mansfield, K. L., March, D., Marco, A., Marcoux, M., Acuña-Marrero, D., Marsh, H., Marshall, H., Mate, B., McAllister, J. D., McGuire, R. L., McKenzie, J., McLeay, L., McMahon, C. R., Modest, M., Morris, J., Muelbert, M. M. C., Namboothri, N., Nichols, W. J., Nicoll, M. A. C., Norman, B. M., Norris, K., Olsen, E., Oppel, S., Orlowski, S., Pagano, A. M., Page, B., Paiva, V. H., Palacios, D. M., Papastamatiou, Y. P., Parker, D. M., Pattiaratchi, C., Peckham, H., Peñaherrera-Palma, C. R., Pepperell, J. G., Phillips, R. A., Pierce, S. J., Pikesley, S. K., Pilcher, N. J., Pinet, P., Pinkerton, M., Pirotta, E., Plot, V., Powell, A. N., Powers, K. D., Prebble, C. E. M., Preston, T. J., Prieto, R., Prosdocimi, L., Quinn, J. L., Quintero, L. M., Raclot, T., Ramirez, I., Ramírez-Macías, D., Ramos, J. A., Read, A. J., Ream, R., Rees, A. F., Reina, R. D., Reisinger, R. R., Revuelta, O., Reynolds, S. D., Richardson, A. J., Riekkola, L., Riet-Sapriza, F. G., Robinson, D. P., Robinson, P. W., Rocha, C. F. D., Rogers, T. L., Rohner, C. A., Ropert-Coudert, Y., Ross, M., Rowat, D. R. L., Ruhomaun, K., Sagar, P. M., Samoilys, M. A., Sanchez, S., Sandoval-Lugo, A. G., Santos, E. A. P. D., Santos, A. M., Scales, K. L., Schofield, G., Semmens, J. M., Setyawan, E., Shaffer, S. A., Shanker, K., Sheaves, M., Shillinger, G. L., Shivji, M. S., Sianipar, A., Silk, J. R. D., Silva, M. A., Sim, J., Simpson, S. J., Skomal, G., Slip, D. J., Smale, M. J., Soler, G. A., Soria, M., Sousa, L. L., Southall, E. J., Stahl, J.-C., Stehfest, K. M., Sterling, J. T., Stevens, J. D., Stevens, G. M. W., Stewart, J. D., Swaminathan, A., Takahashi, A., Tatayah, V., Thiebot, J.-B., Thompson, P. M., Thorrold, S. R., Thums, M., Tomás, J., Torres, L. G., Towner, A., Trathan, P. N., Tyminski, J. P., van Buiten, R. S., Van Dam, R. P., Vandeperre, F., Varo-Cruz, N., Vaudo, J. J., Vely, M., Villegas-Amtmann, S., Vincent, C., Waayers, D., Wanless, S., Watanabe, Y. Y., Watt, C. A., Weber, S. B., Weber, N., Weise, M. J., Welch, L., Wells, R. S., Werry, J. M., Wetherbee, B. M., White, T. D., Whiting, S. D., Whiting, A. U., Wiebkin, A., Wienecke, B., Wildermann, N. E., Wiley, D. N., Will, A., Williams, S., Windstein, M., Wischnewski, S., Witt, M. J., Womersley, F. C., Wood, A. G., Wright, L. J., Xavier, J. C., Yamamoto, T., Yurkowski, D. J., Zarate, P. M., Zavala-Norzagaray, A., Zerbini, A. N., Costa, D. P., Harcourt, R., Meekan, M. G., Hays, G. C., Sims, D. W., Duarte, C. M. & Eguíluz, V. M., 5 Jun 2025, In: Science. 388, 6751, p. 1086-1097 12 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Historical anchored (Type A) tags were associated with negative effects on North Atlantic right whale survival and reproduction
Pirotta, E. & Thomas, L., 4 Apr 2025, In: Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 26, p. 65-76
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Linking ringed seal foraging behaviour to environmental variability
Nykänen, M., Niemi, M., Biard, V., Carter, M. I. D., Pirotta, E. & Kunnasranta , M., 25 Apr 2025, In: Movement Ecology. 13, p. 1-18 18 p., 31.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Multi-scale habitat modelling reveals contractions of harbour porpoise distribution within the northeast Atlantic
Goh, T., Giralt Paradell, O., Jessopp, M., Rogan, E. & Pirotta, E., Sept 2025, In: Marine Environmental Research. 210, p. 1-14 14 p., 107320.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Respiratory microbiomes reflect whale health
Miller, C. A., Pirotta, E., Grim, S., Moore, M. J., Durban, J. W., Tyack, P. L., Fearnbach, H., Leander, S. G. M., Knowlton, A. R., Warren, A. M., Zani, M. A., Asmutis-Silvia, R., Pettis, H. M. & Apprill, A., 12 Nov 2025, In: ISME Journal. 19, 1, p. 1-5 5 p., wraf231.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Size and body condition drive the energetic cost of a baleen whale foraging in shallow habitat
Bird, C. N., Pirotta, E., New, L., Cornelius, J. M., Sumich, J. L., Colson, K. M., Bierlich, K. C., Hildebrand, L., Fernández Ajó, A. A., Doron, A. & Torres, L. G., 30 Oct 2025, In: PeerJ. 13, p. 1-36 36 p., e20247.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open access
Variation in faecal testosterone levels in male gray whales on a foraging ground relative to maturity and timing
Fernandez Ajó, A., Buck, C. L., Hunt, K., Pirotta, E., New, L., Dillon, D., Bierlich, K., Hildebrand, L., Bird, C. & Torres, L., 20 Jan 2025, In: Conservation Physiology. 13, 1, 14 p., coae094.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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