Speakers for the Biosciences Seminar Series Spring 2021
Venue: Online via ZoomTime: 1pm
29 April
Title: Bio-inspired blueprints based on birds and bugs
AbstractI will present two recent examples of how fundamental bioscience research can teach us about animal ecology, and also offer solutions to engineering challenges.
Flying animals must perceive and avoid obstacles, often in environments deprived of visual sensory cues. In my first example, I will show how collision-avoidance in nocturnal mosquitoes can be mediated by mechanosensory feedback, based on modulations of their own induced aerodynamic and acoustic fields as they enter ground- or wall-effect. Our computational fluid dynamics and aeroacoustic simulations are derived from detailed wing kinematics extracted from high-speed recordings of freely flying Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Results reveal areas of relative pressure changes that are associated with close proximity to the ground and wall planes and that could provide useful information to the flight controller: a mechanism we term ‘aerodynamic imaging’. Using these insights we successfully built an aerial robotic prototype carrying a bio-inspired sensor package.
In my second example, I will present our work based on measuring the changing shape of birds in flight. I will show how they minimise drag in a different way from aeronautical design, and how they remain unperturbed by strong gusts. Our detailed three-dimensional reconstructions of surface geometries show how wing elevation around the shoulder joint acts as a suspension system that rejects gusts. The mechanism works most effectively when the aerodynamic centre of pressure is aligned with the mechanical centre of percussion, and therefore can be tuned either by changing wing shape or by the distribution of mass within the wing.
BiographyRichard’s research blends biology and engineering. He uses biomechanics as a tool to investigate evolutionary biology and how the physical environment determines the morphology and control systems of flying animals. He has worked on the sensory mechanisms of insects and birds, including flow-sensing, load-sensing, and optic flow. Richard’s work uses advanced equipment to investigate animal flight and understand their aerodynamic footprints by observing the motion of smoke or bubbles floating in the air. He has applied insights from biology to aerial robots inspired by birds and insects. Richard joined the Structure and Motion Laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 2013 after reading Biological Sciences at Exeter, undertaking a DPhil (PhD) in Oxford, postdoctoral positions in Oxford and Bath, and an EPSRC Fellowship. He is currently Professor of Comparative Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College and Vice Principal for Research.
13 May
Speaker: Dr Morena Mills (Imperial College London)
Title: Insight for catalysing environmental conservation
AbstractDespite billions of dollars spent annually on environmental conservation initiatives, such as private or state-led protected areas and community based resource management, we have very little knowledge of why some initiatives take off and spread around the world while others languish and disappear. In this talk, I will present new insights from an interdisciplinary research project on the factors that increase the speed and extent to which environmental conservation initiatives are adopted and spread. I will also tell some of the stories behind the conservation initiatives that have had rapid and widespread adoption, with potential to transform the relationship between people and nature. This project is a partnership between academic institutions and NGOs around the world, seeking to learn and develop the evidence-base needed for more effective steps towards sustainable resource use.
BiographyMorena is an environmental social scientist and focus on applied biodiversity conservation research. I am interested in improving environmental policy that impacts nature and people’s wellbeing. My research spans marine and terrestrial systems, and I run both global and local scale projects. For example, at a global scale, I am investigating what, how and why conservation and resource management initiatives are adopted and spread around the world. At a local scale, I investigate how policies aimed at conserving and restoring biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and coast can be improved.
27 May
Speaker: Dr James Robinson (Lancaster Environment Centre)
Title: Sustaining catch and nutrients from climate-impacted coral reef fisheries
AbstractMarine heatwaves are transforming coral reefs, with mass bleaching events causing regime shifts and biodiversity declines across the tropics. Extensive ecological research suggests that bleaching-driven ecosystem turnover will reduce the productivity of reef fisheries, with significant implications for food and nutrition security. Yet empirical evidence of changes to reef fisheries after bleaching is lacking, while the contribution of reef fish as sources of essential dietary micronutrients remain unknown. Here, we analyze over 20 years of fish abundance, catch and habitat data from Seychelles to assess long-term impacts of climate-driven coral mass mortality and regime shifts on nearshore coral reef trap fisheries. We also collect data on micronutrient concentrations to quantify the nutritional value of coral reef seafood, and examine the mechanisms by which climate may alter nutrient concentrations in fish. Seychelles’ coral reefs contradicted expectations that climate impacts will cause reef fisheries to collapse, owing to high post-bleaching productivity of low trophic level species, despite widespread macroalgal regime shifts. We also show that reef fish targeted by fisheries contain levels of calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids equivalent to or greater than other animal-source foods. If managed sustainably, coral reef fisheries could remain important micronutrient sources along climate-impacted tropical coastlines.
10 JuneSpeaker: Dr Bonnie Waring (Imperial College London)
Title: Ecosystem feedbacks to climate change: when and where do microbes matter?
AbstractSoils contain twice as much carbon as all land vegetation and the atmosphere combined, and net zero pathways depend on our ability to protect or even enhance the processes that promote soil carbon sequestration. Yet surprisingly little is known about the ecology of the microorganisms that control soil carbon formation and loss. This seminar will examine how shifts in the composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities impacts soil carbon loss, in ecosystems from tropical rainforests to Arctic tundras.
24 June
Speaker: Dr Arnaud Sentis (INRAE, France)
Title: Symptoms, acclimation, and adaptation to thermal stress: implication for species and their interactions
AbstractHow climate change may affect ectotherm species and their interactions? Will populations acclimate or adapt to climate change? What can we learn from theoretical models and laboratory experiments to improve our understanding of community persistence and stability in a warmer world? I will explore these different topics by combining theoretical and empirical approaches to investigate (1) how thermal stress (i.e., climate change) influences trophic interactions in more or less complex food-webs, (2) how acclimation can help predators to cope with thermal stress, (3) how body size shrinking with warming determine food web persistence under global change, and (4) how phenotypic plasticity and epigenetic inheritance can influence evolutionary response to predation.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Time: 1pm
29 April
Title: Bio-inspired blueprints based on birds and bugs
Abstract
I will present two recent examples of how fundamental bioscience research can teach us about animal ecology, and also offer solutions to engineering challenges.
Flying animals must perceive and avoid obstacles, often in environments deprived of visual sensory cues. In my first example, I will show how collision-avoidance in nocturnal mosquitoes can be mediated by mechanosensory feedback, based on modulations of their own induced aerodynamic and acoustic fields as they enter ground- or wall-effect. Our computational fluid dynamics and aeroacoustic simulations are derived from detailed wing kinematics extracted from high-speed recordings of freely flying Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Results reveal areas of relative pressure changes that are associated with close proximity to the ground and wall planes and that could provide useful information to the flight controller: a mechanism we term ‘aerodynamic imaging’. Using these insights we successfully built an aerial robotic prototype carrying a bio-inspired sensor package.
In my second example, I will present our work based on measuring the changing shape of birds in flight. I will show how they minimise drag in a different way from aeronautical design, and how they remain unperturbed by strong gusts. Our detailed three-dimensional reconstructions of surface geometries show how wing elevation around the shoulder joint acts as a suspension system that rejects gusts. The mechanism works most effectively when the aerodynamic centre of pressure is aligned with the mechanical centre of percussion, and therefore can be tuned either by changing wing shape or by the distribution of mass within the wing.
Biography
Richard’s research blends biology and engineering. He uses biomechanics as a tool to investigate evolutionary biology and how the physical environment determines the morphology and control systems of flying animals. He has worked on the sensory mechanisms of insects and birds, including flow-sensing, load-sensing, and optic flow. Richard’s work uses advanced equipment to investigate animal flight and understand their aerodynamic footprints by observing the motion of smoke or bubbles floating in the air. He has applied insights from biology to aerial robots inspired by birds and insects. Richard joined the Structure and Motion Laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 2013 after reading Biological Sciences at Exeter, undertaking a DPhil (PhD) in Oxford, postdoctoral positions in Oxford and Bath, and an EPSRC Fellowship. He is currently Professor of Comparative Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College and Vice Principal for Research.
13 May
Speaker: Dr Morena Mills (Imperial College London)
Title: Insight for catalysing environmental conservation
Despite billions of dollars spent annually on environmental conservation initiatives, such as private or state-led protected areas and community based resource management, we have very little knowledge of why some initiatives take off and spread around the world while others languish and disappear. In this talk, I will present new insights from an interdisciplinary research project on the factors that increase the speed and extent to which environmental conservation initiatives are adopted and spread. I will also tell some of the stories behind the conservation initiatives that have had rapid and widespread adoption, with potential to transform the relationship between people and nature. This project is a partnership between academic institutions and NGOs around the world, seeking to learn and develop the evidence-base needed for more effective steps towards sustainable resource use.
Biography
Morena is an environmental social scientist and focus on applied biodiversity conservation research. I am interested in improving environmental policy that impacts nature and people’s wellbeing. My research spans marine and terrestrial systems, and I run both global and local scale projects. For example, at a global scale, I am investigating what, how and why conservation and resource management initiatives are adopted and spread around the world. At a local scale, I investigate how policies aimed at conserving and restoring biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and coast can be improved.
27 May
Speaker: Dr James Robinson (Lancaster Environment Centre)
Speaker: Dr James Robinson (Lancaster Environment Centre)
Title: Sustaining catch and nutrients from climate-impacted coral reef fisheries
Abstract
Marine heatwaves are transforming coral reefs, with mass bleaching events causing regime shifts and biodiversity declines across the tropics. Extensive ecological research suggests that bleaching-driven ecosystem turnover will reduce the productivity of reef fisheries, with significant implications for food and nutrition security. Yet empirical evidence of changes to reef fisheries after bleaching is lacking, while the contribution of reef fish as sources of essential dietary micronutrients remain unknown. Here, we analyze over 20 years of fish abundance, catch and habitat data from Seychelles to assess long-term impacts of climate-driven coral mass mortality and regime shifts on nearshore coral reef trap fisheries. We also collect data on micronutrient concentrations to quantify the nutritional value of coral reef seafood, and examine the mechanisms by which climate may alter nutrient concentrations in fish. Seychelles’ coral reefs contradicted expectations that climate impacts will cause reef fisheries to collapse, owing to high post-bleaching productivity of low trophic level species, despite widespread macroalgal regime shifts. We also show that reef fish targeted by fisheries contain levels of calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids equivalent to or greater than other animal-source foods. If managed sustainably, coral reef fisheries could remain important micronutrient sources along climate-impacted tropical coastlines.
10 June
Speaker: Dr Bonnie Waring (Imperial College London)
Abstract
Title: Ecosystem feedbacks to climate change: when and where do microbes matter?
Soils contain twice as much carbon as all land vegetation and the atmosphere combined, and net zero pathways depend on our ability to protect or even enhance the processes that promote soil carbon sequestration. Yet surprisingly little is known about the ecology of the microorganisms that control soil carbon formation and loss. This seminar will examine how shifts in the composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities impacts soil carbon loss, in ecosystems from tropical rainforests to Arctic tundras.
24 June
Speaker: Dr Arnaud Sentis (INRAE, France)
Abstract
Speaker: Dr Arnaud Sentis (INRAE, France)
Title: Symptoms, acclimation, and adaptation to thermal stress: implication for species and their interactions
How climate change may affect ectotherm species and their interactions? Will populations acclimate or adapt to climate change? What can we learn from theoretical models and laboratory experiments to improve our understanding of community persistence and stability in a warmer world? I will explore these different topics by combining theoretical and empirical approaches to investigate (1) how thermal stress (i.e., climate change) influences trophic interactions in more or less complex food-webs, (2) how acclimation can help predators to cope with thermal stress, (3) how body size shrinking with warming determine food web persistence under global change, and (4) how phenotypic plasticity and epigenetic inheritance can influence evolutionary response to predation.
Speakers for the Biosciences Seminar Series Winter 2021
Venue: Online via ZoomTime: 1pm
Venue: Online via Zoom
Time: 1pm
28th January
Speaker: Dr Zarah Pattison (Newcastle University)
Abstract
11th February CANCELLED
Speaker: Dr Markus Zottl (Linnaeus University)
Abstract
11th March
Speaker: Dr Matthew Struebig (University of Kent)
Speaker: Dr Zarah Pattison (Newcastle University)
Title: Riverbanks as battlegrounds: the role of invasive alien plants in shaping riparian communities
Invasive alien species are recognised as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, costing the British economy an estimated £1.7 million. Riparian habitats are particularly vulnerable to invasion by alien plants, as they are dynamic and highly disturbed. Europe’s 'Dirty dozen' invasive alien plants which threaten native flora include Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica), although the impact of these species is hotly debated. I will discuss how invasive alien plants respond to changing environmental conditions in the UK and how this impacts native plant communities.
Website: https://zarahsinthefield.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @ZarahPattison
11th February CANCELLED
Speaker: Dr Markus Zottl (Linnaeus University)
Title: The social organisation of mole-rat societies
It has been suggested that social mole-rats may be organised in castes that differ in behaviour and physiology, suggesting that their social organisation resembles that of some eusocial insects. However, behavioural data are rare and the structure of wild mole-rat societies is poorly understood. Our research on Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damaransis) and naked mole-rats (Heterocephlus glaber) provides no evidence that non-reproductive individuals show fixed, divergent developmental pathways, or specialise in particular tasks or specific life-history trajectories. In wild populations of Damaraland mole-rats, breeders contribute substantially to cooperative foraging of the group and their reproductive success is high even when reproducing in absence of non-breeding helpers. Individuals that live in burrows alone after dispersal from their group show high annual survival rates. Together our research suggests that the breeding ecology and the social structure of mole-rat societies shows substantial differences to those of other cooperatively breeding vertebrates and social insects.
Website: https://lnu.se/en/staff/markus.zottl/
Abstract
25th February
Speaker: Professor Nicholas Casewell (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine)
Title: Evolutionary convergence: stories of venoms and poisons in the animal kingdom
Speaker: Professor Nicholas Casewell (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine)
Title: Evolutionary convergence: stories of venoms and poisons in the animal kingdom
Venoms and poisons have evolved on numerous occasions throughout the animal kingdom. These 'biochemical weapon systems' typically function to facilitate, or protect the producing animal from, predation. Most venomous/poisonous animals remain unstudied despite their toxins providing model systems for investigating predator-prey interactions, molecular evolution and functional convergence, and for identifying novel targets for pharmaceutical discovery. In this talk, I will highlight the utility of studying natural toxins to investigate the basis and consequences of convergent evolution. I will discuss how the evolution of resistance to poisons can be underpinned by parallel molecular changes in the target sites of diverse taxa, and how animal venom systems offer amenable models to investigate the impact of convergence on the genotype-phenotype continuum.
11th March
Speaker: Dr Matthew Struebig (University of Kent)
Title: Oil palm and biodiversity: towards more sustainable palm oil production in the tropics
Abstract
The environmental impacts of palm oil continue to attract controversy. Sustainability certification, through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, has a key role to play in improving prospects for wildlife and people. DICE research in Malaysia and Indonesia demonstrates how changes to landscape design and management can improve levels of biodiversity in plantation estates, helping oil palm companies adhere to ‘no-deforestation’ commitments. Our work at the science-policy interface is beginning to have some influence on the ground, leading to tangible positive impacts for conservation in the oil palm sector.
25th March
Speaker: Dr Dan Jones (Advanced Invasives)
Abstract
Speaker: Dr Dan Jones (Advanced Invasives)
Title: Japanese knotweed: Challenges for Evidence-Based Management
Abstract
Invasive plants are an increasing worldwide challenge for the environment and society. Japanese knotweed is perhaps one of the best-known invasive plant species in Europe and North America; this is in large part a consequence of invasive knotweeds possessing a range of biological properties that make them very difficult to control and manage. This presentation explores how invasive knotweed biology and ecology creates a unique set of legislative, legal and management challenges, the solutions to which require evidence-based, pragmatic and sustainable solutions. However, when the evidence points toward contentious (though environmentally sustainable) management solutions, changing stakeholder, public and government perception around the key issues can be quite difficult!
Website: http://www.advancedinvasives.com/
Speakers for the Biosciences Seminar Series Autumn 2020
Venue: Online via ZoomTime: 1pm
Venue: Online via Zoom
Time: 1pm
Speaker: Dr Stefanie Nolte (University of East Anglia, UK)
Title: Living on the Edge - Salt marshes under global change
Abstract TBA
15 October
Speaker: Dr Claudio Angione (Teesside University, UK)
Title: Building mechanism-aware machine learning pipelines to predict and characterize cell behaviour
Speaker: Dr Hannah Mumby (The University of Hong Kong, HK)Speaker: Dr Claudio Angione (Teesside University, UK)
Title: Building mechanism-aware machine learning pipelines to predict and characterize cell behaviour
Abstract TBA
29 October
Title: Ground shakers, fence breakers and ivory makers: Applications of behavioural ecology to conservation of elephants
Abstract TBA
12 NovemberSpeaker: Prof Julia Jones (Bangor University, UK)
Title: Does conservation work, and how can we know?
Abstract TBA
16 May
5 June @ 3pm
14 October
Speaker: Prof Carl G Jones (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, UK)
22 October
Speaker: Dr Cynthia Froyd (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Long-term ecology of the Galapagos Islands: applications to present day conservation
12 November
Speaker: Dr Tetsu Kudoh (University of Exeter, UK)
Title: Self-fertilising mangrove killifish as a genetic model for studying embryonic development
Abstract here
19 November
Speaker: Dr Hanna Nuuttila (SEACAMS, Swansea University, UK)
Title: Long time no see: Acoustic monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises
Abstract here
26 November
Speaker: Prof Graham R. Daborn (Tidal Energy Institute & Estuarine Research Centre, Acadia University, Canada)
23 April
Speaker: Prof. EJ Milner-Gulland (Imperial College London, UK)Title: Biodiversity offsetting: challenges in theory and practice
Abstract
01 May
Speaker: Dr. Virpi Lummaa (University of Sheffield, UK)
Title: How elephants grow old
Abstract
14 May
Speaker: Dr. Stephanie Wilson (Bangor University, UK)
Title: Zooplankton and the Scoop on Poop
Abstract
04 June
Speaker: Dr Sonia Consuegra (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Is genetic diversity really so important?
Abstract
18 June
Speaker: Dr Lucy Hawkes (University of Exeter, UK)
Title: Unravelling the secrets of the world's highest flying goose
Abstract
12 FebruarySpeaker: Prof. Georgina Mace (University College London, UK)Title: Biodiversity and ecosystem services: science-policy advances
Abstract
26 FebruarySpeaker: Dr Pippa Moore (Aberystwyth University, UK)Title: Climate change impacts in marine ecosystems: a global meta-analysis
Abstract
12 MarchSpeaker: Dr Samantha Patrick (University of Liverpool, UK)Title: Life history correlates of consistency, plasticity and variability in behaviour
Abstract
26 MarchSpeaker: Dr. Anna Wilkinson (University of Lincoln, UK)Title: Cold-blooded Cognition: The Missing Class
Abstract
10 April
Speaker: Dr. Andrea Manica (Cambridge University, UK)
Title: The long march of the human genes
08 May
Speaker: Dr. Owen Jones (University of Southern Denmark, DK)
Title: Exploring the landscape of ageing and lifespan in the tree of life
22 May
Speaker: Dr. Edward Codling (University of Essex, UK)
Title: Disease detection in dairy cows through the analysis of individual and social movement behaviour
05 June
Speaker: Dr Andrew L Jackson (Trinity College Dublin, IE)
Title: Evolution of Information Processing
19 June
Speaker: Prof. Simon Leather (Harper Adams University, UK)
Title: Fertilizers, insect pests and natural enemies
30 January
Speaker: Prof. Kam Tang (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Myth and Mystery of Mid-water Methane
13 February
Speaker: Dr. Gabriele Cozzi (University of Zurich, UK)
Title: Carnivore spatial ecology: interspecific interactions & population demography
27 February
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Ezard (University of Southampton, UK)
Title: The fitness costs of adaptation by genetic assimilation, phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects
13 March
Speaker: Dr. Christoph Scherber (University of Goettingen, D)
Title: Plant diversity, global change, and multitrophic interactions
20 March
Speaker: Prof. Adrian Thomas (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Evolutionary Biomechanics: adaptations for flight performance in birds
27 March
Speaker: Dr Eric Morgan (University of Bristol, UK)
Title: Spatial parasite transmission in wild ungulates and carnivores
03 October
Speaker: Dr. James Herbert Read (University of Upsala, Sweden)
Title: The Collective Behaviour of Fish Shoals
14 October (Note change of day!)
Speaker: Dr. Jason Chapman (Rothamsted Research, UK)
Title: Chasing the High-fliers: Recent Insights from Radar Studies of Insect Migration
07 November
Speaker: Dr. John N. Griffin (Swansea University, UK)
Title: The more the merrier? When, where and why does biodiversity matter for ecosystems?
19 November
Speaker: Dr. Jeanne A. Mortimer (University of Florida, USA & Island Conservation Society, Seychelles)
Title: Sea turtles research and conservation in the Indian Ocean
28 November
Speaker: Dr. Alex Thornton (University of Exeter, UK)
Title: Communication, culture and collective motion in corvid societies
05 December
Speaker: Prof. Andy Purvis (Natural History Museum, UK)
Title: Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - Towards a global model of local biodiversity
19 December
Speaker: Dr. Marc Verdegem (Wageningen University, Netherlands)
Title: Biological Management of Aquatic Systems
26 November
Speaker: Dr Tristram Wyatt (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Sexing Up Human Pheromones: Good scientists, bad science, reproducibility in the life sciences, and doing it betterAbstract TBA
26 November
Speaker: Dr Tristram Wyatt (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Sexing Up Human Pheromones: Good scientists, bad science, reproducibility in the life sciences, and doing it better
Abstract TBASpeakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2020
All TALKS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
All TALKS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
Speakers for the Biosciences Seminar Series Winter 2020
Venue: Zoology MuseumTime: 1pm
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
30 January
Speaker: Dr Daniele Silvestro (University of Gothenburg, Sweden)
Title: Inferring macroevolutionary processes from phylogenies and fossilsAbstract TBA
27 February
Speaker: Dr Isabella Capellini (Queen’s University Belfast, UK)
Title: The evolution and ecology of parental care diversity in AmphibiansAbstract here
05 March
Speaker: Prof. Helen Elizabeth Roy (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK)
Title: Unravelling the ecology of non-native species
Abstract here
19 March CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
26 March CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
Speaker: Prof. Helen Elizabeth Roy (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK)
Title: Unravelling the ecology of non-native species
Abstract here
Title: Unravelling the ecology of non-native species
Abstract here
19 March CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
26 March CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
Speakers for the Biosciences Seminar Series Autumn 2019
Venue: Zoology MuseumTime: 1pm
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
10 October
Speaker: Dr Nik Cole (Durrell Conservation Trust, UK & Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Mauritius)
Title: Rebuilding the reptile communities of MauritiusAbstract here
24 October
Speaker: Dr Amanda Melin (University of Calgary, Canada)
Title: Multimodal foraging and intraspecific sensory variation in wild capuchin monkeysAbstract here
07 November
Speaker: Dr Thomas Tscheulin (University of the Aegean, Greece)
Title: Unanticipated roles of consumers in mediating the functioning of marine ecosystemsAbstract here
28 November
Speaker: Professor Matthew Bracken (University of California, Irvine, USA)
Title: Unanticipated roles of consumers in mediating the functioning of marine ecosystems.Abstract here
05 December
Speaker: Dr Trisha Toop (Harper Adams University, UK)
Title: The importance of life cycle assessment in system design and how this relates to researchAbstract here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2019
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
11 April
Speaker: Dr Kiyoko Gotanda (University of Cambridge, UK)
Title: Adaptation in a changing world: human influences on evolution
Abstract: here
25 April
Speaker: Dr Emily O’Gorman (Macquarie University, Australia)
Title: Weaving worlds: Postcolonial and multispecies politics of plants
Abstract: here
09 May
Speaker: Dr Konstans Wells (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Disease spread in times of global change - the importance of community ecology
Abstract: here
16 May
Speaker: Dr John Fieberg (University of Minnesota, USA)
Title: Methods for modeling among-animal variability in habitat selection studies
Abstract: here
5 June @ 3pm
Title: Toward a Periodic Table of Niches, or Exploring the Lizard Niche Hypervolume
Abstract: here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series winter 2019
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
07 February
Title: Digestive adaptations to aerial lifestyle: bats are birds
Abstract here
28 February
Speaker: Dr Kristen Crandell (Bangor University)
Title: Bird flight, inside & out: the biomechanics of slow flight
Abstract here
07 March
Speaker: Dr Elizabeth Duncan (University of Leeds)
Title: Phenotypic Plasticity and the evolution of eusociality: How does the queen control reproduction in her workers?
Abstract here
14 March
Speaker: Dr Marianne Mugabo (University of Leeds)
Title: Eco-evolutionary dynamics in a host-parasitoid system exposed to environmental fluctuations
Abstract here
21 March
Speaker: Dr Sophie De Grissac (Swansea University)
Title: Gone with the wind: A story of naïve and plastic seabirds
Abstract here
Title: Digestive adaptations to aerial lifestyle: bats are birds
Title: Bird flight, inside & out: the biomechanics of slow flight
Speaker: Dr Elizabeth Duncan (University of Leeds)
Title: Phenotypic Plasticity and the evolution of eusociality: How does the queen control reproduction in her workers?
Abstract here
14 March
Speaker: Dr Marianne Mugabo (University of Leeds)
Title: Eco-evolutionary dynamics in a host-parasitoid system exposed to environmental fluctuations
Abstract here
21 March
Speaker: Dr Sophie De Grissac (Swansea University)
Title: Gone with the wind: A story of naïve and plastic seabirds
Abstract here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series autumn 2018
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
04 October
Title: From population modelling to popular science writing
Abstract here
25 October
Title: CO2 in fresh waters: photosynthesis, ecology & global carbon-cycles
Abstract here
01 November
Title: Species’ range shifting and the velocity of climate change
Abstract here
08 November
Title: From diet and habitat selection to demography: large herbivores in the Alps as a case study
Abstract here
15 November
Speaker: Dr Kevin Healy (University of St Andrews, UK)
Title: Comparative approaches to animal trophic ecology and life history strategies
Abstract here
22 November
Speaker: Dr James Higham (New York University, USA)
Title: Understanding primate variation: a perceptual ecology approach
Abstract here
25 October
08 November
15 November
22 November
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2018
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
03 May
Speaker: Dr Hannah Froy (The University of Edinburgh, UK)
Title: The ecology of ageing in wild animal populations
Abstract here
10 May
Speaker: Dr Manuela Gonzales (The University of Reading, UK)
Title: Using trait-based models to understand vulnerability to extinction and to threats
Abstract here
17 May
Title: Coping with environmental stress in natural populations
Abstract here
14 June
Speaker: Dr Almudena Ortiz-Urquiza (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Insect chemical communication: a nexus between behaviour and pest control
Abstract here
20 June (Note different time and week day!)
Speaker: Dr. Ángel Pérez Diz (University of Vigo, Spain)
Title: Genetic characterisation of mussel populations (Mytilus spp.) from the hybrid zone in southwestern England using SNP markers
Abstract here
10 May
17 May
20 June (Note different time and week day!)
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series winter 2018
Venue: Zoology MuseumTime: 1pm
01 February
Speaker: Dr Chris Cunningham (Swansea University, UK)
Title: The Genetics and Epigenetics of Parental Care
Abstract here
15 February
Speaker: Dr Colleen Farmer (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
Title: Tesla Valves and Turtle Lungs: The Loopy Evolution of Reptilian Respiratory System
Abstract here
08 March
Speaker: Prof Kathryn Monk (Natural Resources Wales, UK)
Title: Asking good research questions in a wicked world
Abstract here
15 March
Title: Mapping and modelling the impacts of dams, weirs, and road culverts
Abstract here
22 March
Title: Ecological drivers and predictors of coral reef carbonate budgets
Abstract here
01 February
15 February
08 March
15 March
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series autumn 2017
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
12 October
Speaker: Prof Kevin McCann (University of Guelph, Canada)
Title: Embracing variability: The adaptive capacity of aquatic ecosystems
Abstract here
&
Potential Oscillators and Keystone Modules in Food Webs
Abstract here
09 November
Speaker: Prof Tim Caro (University of California at Davis, USA)
Title: The evolutionary and mechanistic drivers of zebra stripes
Abstract here
16 November
Speaker: Dr Kayleigh Rose (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Investigating the links between locomotor morphology, gait and metabolic cost
Abstract here
23 November
Title: Marine megafaunal extinctions
Abstract here
30 November
12 October
16 November
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2017
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
27 April
Speaker: Dr Hazel Nichols (Liverpool John Moores University, UK)
Title: The Real Game of Thrones: Incest, Dominance and Warfare in Banded Mongooses
Abstract here
04 May
Speaker: Prof Yvonne Buckley (Trinity College Dublin, IRL)
Title: The Biogeography of Plant Population Performance
Abstract here
18 May
Speaker: Prof Rebecca Kilner (University of Cambridge, UK)
Title: Life after death: evolution in a grave
Abstract here
25 May
Speaker: Dr Anne Tierney (Edinburgh Napier University)
Title: More than just a Teaching Fellow
Abstract here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series winter 2017
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
19 January
Title: Improving marine management by accounting for spatial heterogeneity in management costs and stakeholder preferences
Abstract here
26 January
Speaker: Dr Sonya Clegg (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Microevolution in Pacific island white-eyes
Abstract here
09 February
Speaker: Prof Kate Jones (University College London, UK)
Title: Technology for Nature?
Abstract here
16 February
Speaker: Dr Lee Bryant (University of Bath, UK)
Title: The effects of oxygen availability and turbulence on water quality in lakes and reservoirs
Abstract here
23 March
Speaker: Dr Thomas Stringell (Natural Resources Wales, UK)
Title: Marine mammals in Wales: status and conservation
Abstract here
26 January
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series autumn 2016
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
13 October
Speaker: Dr William Allen (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Macrocolouration: the evolutionary ecology of animal colouration
Abstract here
25 October
Speaker: Prof Kristiina Hilden (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Title: Plant biomass degradation by white rot fungi
17 November
Speaker: Dr Roberto Salguero-Gómez (University of Sheffield, UK)
Title: The diversifiers of life history strategies in animals and plants
Abstract here
24 November
Speaker: Prof Rosie Woodroffe (Zoological Society of London, UK)
Title: Hot dogs: understanding climate change impacts in a tropical mammal
Title: The devil is in the details: on a quest for causality in ecology and evolution
Abstract here
08 December
Speaker: Dr Grant D Stentiford FRC Path (European Union Reference Laboratory for Crustacean Diseases & CEFAS Weymouth Laboratory, UK)
Title: Securing the global aquatic food supply - a shared responsibility between producer and consumer nations
Abstract here
13 October
Abstract here
08 December
Speaker: Dr Grant D Stentiford FRC Path (European Union Reference Laboratory for Crustacean Diseases & CEFAS Weymouth Laboratory, UK)
Title: Securing the global aquatic food supply - a shared responsibility between producer and consumer nations
Abstract here
Abstract here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2016
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
26 April
Speaker: Prof Rob Freckleton (University of Sheffield, UK)
Title: Measuring the rate and nature of evolution using comparative methods
Abstract here
05 May
Speaker: Dr Ben Collen (University College London, UK)
Title: Predicting environmental dynamics in a changing environment
Abstract here
12 May
Speaker: Dr Adriana De Palma (Natural History Museum London, UK)
Title: Land-use impacts on 'beeodiversity' and biodiversity: from data to models to policy
Abstract here
19 May
Speaker: Prof Tim Benton (University of Leeds, UK)
Title: Can sustainable agriculture give us a sustainable food system?
Abstract here
26 April
Speaker: Prof Rob Freckleton (University of Sheffield, UK)
Title: Measuring the rate and nature of evolution using comparative methods
Abstract here
05 May
Speaker: Dr Ben Collen (University College London, UK)
Title: Predicting environmental dynamics in a changing environment
Abstract here
12 May
Speaker: Dr Adriana De Palma (Natural History Museum London, UK)
Title: Land-use impacts on 'beeodiversity' and biodiversity: from data to models to policy
Abstract here
19 May
Speaker: Prof Tim Benton (University of Leeds, UK)
Title: Can sustainable agriculture give us a sustainable food system?
Abstract here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series winter 2016
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
28 January
Speaker: David Gilljam (Linköping University, SE)
Title: Structure and Stability of Ecological Networks - The role of dynamic dimensionality and species variability in resource use
Abstract here
18 February
Speaker: Prof Tim Guilford (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Spatial cognition in wide-ranging birds
Abstract here
25 February
Title: Diel colour changes in male Sapphirina nigromaculata (Cyclopoida, Copepoda)
Abstract here
17 March
Title: Reputation: a driving force in the evolution of cooperation and punishment
Abstract here
28 January
Speaker: David Gilljam (Linköping University, SE)
Title: Structure and Stability of Ecological Networks - The role of dynamic dimensionality and species variability in resource use
Abstract here
18 February
Speaker: Prof Tim Guilford (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Spatial cognition in wide-ranging birds
Abstract here
25 February
Title: Diel colour changes in male Sapphirina nigromaculata (Cyclopoida, Copepoda)
Abstract here
17 March
Title: Reputation: a driving force in the evolution of cooperation and punishment
Abstract here
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series autumn 2015
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
14 October
Speaker: Prof Carl G Jones (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, UK)
Title: Using Species Conservation to Drive the Restoration of Ecosystems
Abstract here22 October
Speaker: Dr Cynthia Froyd (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Long-term ecology of the Galapagos Islands: applications to present day conservation
12 November
Speaker: Dr Tetsu Kudoh (University of Exeter, UK)
Title: Self-fertilising mangrove killifish as a genetic model for studying embryonic development
Abstract here
19 November
Speaker: Dr Hanna Nuuttila (SEACAMS, Swansea University, UK)
Title: Long time no see: Acoustic monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises
Abstract here
26 November
Speaker: Prof Graham R. Daborn (Tidal Energy Institute & Estuarine Research Centre, Acadia University, Canada)
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2015
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
23 AprilSpeaker: Prof. EJ Milner-Gulland (Imperial College London, UK)Title: Biodiversity offsetting: challenges in theory and practice
Abstract
01 May
Speaker: Dr. Virpi Lummaa (University of Sheffield, UK)
Title: How elephants grow old
Abstract
14 May
Speaker: Dr. Stephanie Wilson (Bangor University, UK)
Title: Zooplankton and the Scoop on Poop
Abstract
04 June
Speaker: Dr Sonia Consuegra (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Is genetic diversity really so important?
Abstract
18 June
Speaker: Dr Lucy Hawkes (University of Exeter, UK)
Title: Unravelling the secrets of the world's highest flying goose
Abstract
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series winter 2015
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
29 January Speaker: Dr Ruth Callaway (Swansea University, UK)Title: Biodiversity, benthos and bivalves: linking ecological research to coastal management
Abstract
Abstract
12 FebruarySpeaker: Prof. Georgina Mace (University College London, UK)Title: Biodiversity and ecosystem services: science-policy advances
Abstract
26 FebruarySpeaker: Dr Pippa Moore (Aberystwyth University, UK)Title: Climate change impacts in marine ecosystems: a global meta-analysis
Abstract
12 MarchSpeaker: Dr Samantha Patrick (University of Liverpool, UK)Title: Life history correlates of consistency, plasticity and variability in behaviour
Abstract
26 MarchSpeaker: Dr. Anna Wilkinson (University of Lincoln, UK)Title: Cold-blooded Cognition: The Missing Class
Abstract
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series autumn 2014
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
02 October
Speaker: Dr Siân Griffiths (Cardiff University, UK)
Title: The effects of climate change on valuable river fish
16 October
Speaker: Dr. Natalie Cooper (Trinity College Dublin, IE)
Title: Dying without wings: ecological drivers of lifespan variation in mammals and birds
06 November
Speaker: Dr. Seirian Sumner (University of Bristol, UK)
Title: Social behaviour at the level of the genes
20 November
Speaker: Dr Lindsay Turnbull (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: How natural enemies shape plant defences
04 December
Speaker: Dr. Emily Shepard (Swansea University, UK)
Title: The energy in the air: How aerial currents affect movement paths, costs and interactions in soaring birds
02 October
Speaker: Dr Siân Griffiths (Cardiff University, UK)
Title: The effects of climate change on valuable river fish
16 October
Speaker: Dr. Natalie Cooper (Trinity College Dublin, IE)
Title: Dying without wings: ecological drivers of lifespan variation in mammals and birds
06 November
Speaker: Dr. Seirian Sumner (University of Bristol, UK)
Title: Social behaviour at the level of the genes
20 November
Speaker: Dr Lindsay Turnbull (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: How natural enemies shape plant defences
04 December
Speaker: Dr. Emily Shepard (Swansea University, UK)
Title: The energy in the air: How aerial currents affect movement paths, costs and interactions in soaring birds
Speaker: Dr Siân Griffiths (Cardiff University, UK)
Title: The effects of climate change on valuable river fish
16 October
Speaker: Dr. Natalie Cooper (Trinity College Dublin, IE)
Title: Dying without wings: ecological drivers of lifespan variation in mammals and birds
06 November
Speaker: Dr. Seirian Sumner (University of Bristol, UK)
Title: Social behaviour at the level of the genes
20 November
Speaker: Dr Lindsay Turnbull (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: How natural enemies shape plant defences
04 December
Speaker: Dr. Emily Shepard (Swansea University, UK)
Title: The energy in the air: How aerial currents affect movement paths, costs and interactions in soaring birds
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series spring 2014
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
10 April
Speaker: Dr. Andrea Manica (Cambridge University, UK)
Title: The long march of the human genes
08 May
Speaker: Dr. Owen Jones (University of Southern Denmark, DK)
Title: Exploring the landscape of ageing and lifespan in the tree of life
22 May
Speaker: Dr. Edward Codling (University of Essex, UK)
Title: Disease detection in dairy cows through the analysis of individual and social movement behaviour
05 June
Speaker: Dr Andrew L Jackson (Trinity College Dublin, IE)
Title: Evolution of Information Processing
19 June
Speaker: Prof. Simon Leather (Harper Adams University, UK)
Title: Fertilizers, insect pests and natural enemies
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series winter 2014
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
30 January
Speaker: Prof. Kam Tang (Swansea University, UK)
Title: Myth and Mystery of Mid-water Methane
13 February
Speaker: Dr. Gabriele Cozzi (University of Zurich, UK)
Title: Carnivore spatial ecology: interspecific interactions & population demography
27 February
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Ezard (University of Southampton, UK)
Title: The fitness costs of adaptation by genetic assimilation, phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects
13 March
Speaker: Dr. Christoph Scherber (University of Goettingen, D)
Title: Plant diversity, global change, and multitrophic interactions
20 March
Speaker: Prof. Adrian Thomas (University of Oxford, UK)
Title: Evolutionary Biomechanics: adaptations for flight performance in birds
27 March
Speaker: Dr Eric Morgan (University of Bristol, UK)
Title: Spatial parasite transmission in wild ungulates and carnivores
Speakers for the Biosciences seminar series autumn 2013
Venue: Zoology Museum
Time: 1pm
03 October
Speaker: Dr. James Herbert Read (University of Upsala, Sweden)
Title: The Collective Behaviour of Fish Shoals
14 October (Note change of day!)
Speaker: Dr. Jason Chapman (Rothamsted Research, UK)
Title: Chasing the High-fliers: Recent Insights from Radar Studies of Insect Migration
07 November
Speaker: Dr. John N. Griffin (Swansea University, UK)
Title: The more the merrier? When, where and why does biodiversity matter for ecosystems?
19 November
Speaker: Dr. Jeanne A. Mortimer (University of Florida, USA & Island Conservation Society, Seychelles)
Title: Sea turtles research and conservation in the Indian Ocean
28 November
Speaker: Dr. Alex Thornton (University of Exeter, UK)
Title: Communication, culture and collective motion in corvid societies
05 December
Speaker: Prof. Andy Purvis (Natural History Museum, UK)
Title: Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - Towards a global model of local biodiversity
19 December
Speaker: Dr. Marc Verdegem (Wageningen University, Netherlands)
Title: Biological Management of Aquatic Systems
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