Dr Eoin O'Gorman
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Email
e.ogorman@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 876389
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Location
3SW.3.14A, Colchester Campus
Profile
Biography
My research is focused on understanding the impacts of global change across multiple levels of biological organisation. Just as the human body is made up of individual cells, which combine to form tissues, which in turn form organs and organ systems; DNA is the blueprint of all organisms, which form populations that interact in ecological communities, which carry out important ecosystem processes. We cannot understand how either the human body or ecosystems function without studying the emergent properties at each new level of organisation and how they respond to stress, such as increasing temperature or chemicals. I have undertaken research within this general framework in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, seeking common responses to environmental and anthropogenic stressors across these different ecosystem types. I seek simple rules that lead to stabilising structures, with a particular focus on body size as a key functional attribute that drives interactions and self-organisation in food webs.
Qualifications
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BSc University College Cork, (2004)
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PhD University College Cork, (2009)
Appointments
糖心Vlog
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Lecturer in Ecology, School of Life Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/2/2019 - present)
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NERC Fellow, School of Life Sciences, 糖心Vlog (1/2/2019 - 30/9/2019)
Other academic
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NERC Fellow, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London (1/10/2014 - 31/1/2019)
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Postdoctoral Researcher, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London (1/3/2013 - 30/9/2014)
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Postdoctoral Researcher, Queen Mary University of London (1/10/2011 - 28/2/2013)
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IRC Research Fellow, University College Dublin (27/12/2010 - 30/9/2011)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Climate change
Our planet is warming at an unprecedented rate. This will have consequences for individuals (e.g. metabolism), interactions (e.g. feeding rate), communities (e.g. diversity), and entire ecosystems (e.g. carbon cycling). I study the impacts of warming across all these levels of biological organisation.
Food webs
Species do not exist in isolation. They are part of complex networks of interacting organisms. Understanding the fate of individual species in the face of environmental change requires knowledge of their consumers and their resources. I am interested in studying broadscale patterns in the structure and stability of food webs to identify vulnerable organisms and cascading effects in ecosystems.
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Introduction to Global Sustainability Challenges (BS106)
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Marine Biology Field Skills (BS114)
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Quantitative methods for Life Sciences (BS141)
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Professional skills for Ecological and Marine Scientists (BS257)
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Addressing Global Sustainability Challenges (BS259)
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Climate Change and Pollution (BS345)
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Freshwater Ecology (BS352)
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Research Project in Life Sciences (BS832)
Current supervision
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Biological Sciences
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 23/9/2024
Publications
Journal articles (67)
Albini, D., Ransome, E., Dumbrell, AJ., Pawar, S., O鈥橤orman, EJ., Smith, TP., Bell, T., Jackson, MC. and Woodward, G., (2025). Warming alters plankton body-size distributions in a large field experiment. Communications Biology. 8 (1), 162-
Zhang, P., Zhang, H., Wang, S., Woodward, G., O'Gorman, EJ., Jackson, MC., Hansson, L., Hilt, S., Frenken, T., Wang, H., Zhou, L., Wang, T., Zhang, M. and Xu, J., (2025). Multiple Stressors Simplify Freshwater Food Webs. Global Change Biology. 31 (3), e70114-
Eskuche-Keith, P., Hill, SL., Taylor, ML., Hollyman, P., Collins, MA. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2025). Morphological traits distinguish feeding guilds in a Southern Ocean demersal fish community. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 82 (4)
Chen, Z., Cameron, TC., Couce, E., Garcia, C., Hicks, N., Thomas, GE., Thompson, MSA., Whitby, C. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2024). . Science of the Total Environment. 929, 172536-172536
Eskuche Keith, P., Hill, SL., L贸pez-L贸pez, L., Rosenbaum, B., Saunders, RA., Tarling, GA. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2024). . Nature Communications. 15 (1), 3979-
Hawkins, ER., Macrina, L., Malcolm-McKay, A., Cotterill, N., Miliou, A. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2024). . Ecology and Evolution. 14 (8), e70135-
Jackson, MC., O'Gorman, EJ., Gallo, B., Harpenslager, SF., Randall, K., Harris, DN., Prentice, H., Trimmer, M., Sanders, I., Dumbrell, AJ., Cameron, TC., Layer-Dobra, K., Bespalaya, Y., Aksenova, O., Friberg, N., Moliner Cachazo, L., Brooks, SJ. and Woodward, G., (2024). . Global Change Biology. 30 (10), e17518-
Jackson, MC., Friberg, N., Moliner Cachazo, L., Clark, DR., Mutinova, PT., O'Gorman, EJ., Kordas, RL., Gallo, B., Pichler, DE., Bespalaya, Y., Aksenova, OV., Milner, A., Brooks, SJ., Dunn, N., Lee, KWK., 脫lafsson, JS., G铆slason, GM., Millan, L., Bell, T., Dumbrell, AJ. and Woodward, G., (2024). . Communications Biology. 7 (1), 316-
Gauzens, B., Kalinkat, G., Antunes, AC., Boy, T., O'Gorman, EJ., Jacob, U., Jochum, M., Kortsch, S., Rosenbaum, B., Figueiredo, L. and Brose, U., (2024). . Scientific Data. 11 (1), 236-
O'Gorman, EJ., Vieira, RP. and Sturrock, AM., (2024). Editorial: Fish habitat ecology in a changing climate.. Journal of Fish Biology. 105 (2), 385-391
Gauzens, B., Rosenbaum, B., Kalinkat, G., Boy, T., Jochum, M., Kortsch, S., O'Gorman, EJ. and Brose, U., (2024). . Nature Climate Change. 14 (4), 387-392
Gupta, A., Figueroa H., D., O'Gorman, E., Jones, I., Woodward, G. and Petchey, OL., (2023). . Food Webs. 34, e00269-e00269
Eskuche-Keith, P., Hill, SL., Hollyman, P., Taylor, ML. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2023). . Frontiers in Marine Science. 9
O'Gorman, EJ., Zhao, L., Kordas, RL., Dudgeon, S. and Woodward, G., (2023). . Nature Ecology and Evolution. 7 (12), 1983-1992
(2023). Warming induces a trophic cascade in freshwater streams. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 7 (12), 1967-1968
Gonz谩lez-Ferreras, AM., Barqu铆n, J., Blyth, PSA., Hawksley, J., Kinsella, H., Lauridsen, R., Morris, OF., Pe帽as, FJ., Thomas, GE., Woodward, G., Zhao, L. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2023). . Nature Communications. 14 (1), 8309-
L贸pez-L贸pez, L., Genner, MJ., Tarling, GA., Saunders, RA. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2022). . Ecosystems. 25 (2), 457-470
Kratina, P., Rosenbaum, B., Gallo, B., Horas, EL. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2022). . Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9
Robinson, SI., O'Gorman, EJ., Frey, B., Hagner, M. and Mikola, J., (2022). . Global Change Biology. 28 (12), 3929-3943
O'Gorman, EJ., (2022). . Science. 377 (6609), 918-919
Kordas, RL., Pawar, S., Kontopoulos, D-G., Woodward, G. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2022). . Nature Communications. 13 (1), 2161-
Kreiling, A-K., O'Gorman, EJ., P谩lsson, S., Benha茂m, D., Leblanc, CA., 脫lafsson, JS. and Kristj谩nsson, BK., (2021). . Hydrobiologia. 848 (3), 531-545
O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). . Ecology. 102 (3), e03274-
Robinson, SI., Mikola, J., Ovaskainen, O. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). . Journal of Animal Ecology. 90 (5), 1217-1227
Ferguson, RMW., O'Gorman, EJ., McElroy, DJ., McKew, BA., Coleman, RA., Emmerson, MC. and Dumbrell, AJ., (2021). . Global Change Biology. 27 (13), 3166-3178
Sohlstr枚m, EH., Archer, LC., Gallo, B., Jochum, M., Kordas, RL., Rall, BC., Rosenbaum, B. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). . Global Change Biology. 27 (16), 3765-3778
Warner, E., Marteinsd贸ttir, B., Helmutsd贸ttir, VF., Ehrl茅n, J., Robinson, SI. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). . OIKOS. 130 (9), 1572-1582
O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). . The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 102 (2)
Eitzinger, B., Roslin, T., Vesterinen, EJ., Robinson, SI. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). Temperature affects both the Grinnellian and Eltonian dimensions of ecological niches 鈥� A tale of two Arctic wolf spiders. Basic and Applied Ecology. 50, 132-143
Woodward, G., Morris, O., Barqu铆n, J., Belgrano, A., Bull, C., de Eyto, E., Friberg, N., Gu冒bergsson, G., Layer-Dobra, K., Lauridsen, RB., Lewis, HM., McGinnity, P., Pawar, S., Rosindell, J. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2021). . Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9
O'Gorman, EJ., Chemshirova, I., McLaughlin, 脫B. and Stewart, RIA., (2021). . Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9
Romero, GQ., Marino, NAC., MacDonald, AAM., Ce虂re虂ghino, R., Trzcinski, MK., Mercado, DA., Leroy, C., Corbara, B., Farjalla, VF., Barberis, IM., De虂zerald, O., Hammill, E., Atwood, TB., Piccoli, GCO., Bautista, FO., Carrias, J-F., Leal, JS., Montero, G., Antiqueira, PAP., Freire, R., Realpe, E., Amundrud, SL., de Omena, PM., Campos, ABA., Kratina, P., O'Gorman, EJ. and Srivastava, DS., (2020). . Nature Communications. 11 (1), 3215-
Wiederkehr, F., Wilkinson, CL., Zeng, Y., Yeo, DCJ., Ewers, RM. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2020). . Biological Conservation. 249, 108634-108634
Cloyed, CS., Dell, AI., Hayes, T., Kordas, RL. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2019). . Journal of Animal Ecology. 88 (6), 833-844
O'Gorman, EJ., Petchey, OL., Faulkner, KJ., Gallo, B., Gordon, TAC., Neto-Cerejeira, J., 脫lafsson, JS., Pichler, DE., Thompson, MSA. and Woodward, G., (2019). . Nature Climate Change. 9 (8), 611-616
Archer, LC., Sohlstr枚m, EH., Gallo, B., Jochum, M., Woodward, G., Kordas, RL., Rall, BC. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2019). . Journal of Animal Ecology. 88 (11), 1670-1683
Kratina, P., Watts, TJ., Green, DS., Kordas, RL. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2019). . Environmental Pollution. 255 (Pt 2), 113259-113259
Brose, U., Archambault, P., Barnes, AD., Bersier, L-F., Boy, T., Canning-Clode, J., Conti, E., Dias, M., Digel, C., Dissanayake, A., Flores, AAV., Fussmann, K., Gauzens, B., Gray, C., H盲ussler, J., Hirt, MR., Jacob, U., Jochum, M., K茅fi, S., McLaughlin, O., MacPherson, MM., Latz, E., Layer-Dobra, K., Legagneux, P., Li, Y., Madeira, C., Martinez, ND., Mendon莽a, V., Mulder, C., Navarrete, SA., O'Gorman, EJ., Ott, D., Paula, J., Perkins, D., Piechnik, D., Pokrovsky, I., Raffaelli, D., Rall, BC., Rosenbaum, B., Ryser, R., Silva, A., Sohlstr枚m, EH., Sokolova, N., Thompson, MSA., Thompson, RM., Vermandele, F., Vinagre, C., Wang, S., Wefer, JM., Williams, RJ., Wieters, E., Woodward, G. and Iles, AC., (2019). . Nature Ecology and Evolution. 3 (6), 919-927
Gordon, TAC., Neto-Cerejeira, J., Furey, PC. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2018). . Current Zoology. 64 (2), 231-242
Collins, RA., Wangensteen, OS., O'Gorman, EJ., Mariani, S., Sims, DW. and Genner, MJ., (2018). . Communications Biology. 1 (1), 185-
Robinson, SI., McLaughlin, 脫B., Marteinsd贸ttir, B. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2018). . Journal of Animal Ecology. 87 (3), 634-646
Scrine, J., Jochum, M., 脫lafsson, JS. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2017). . Ecology and Evolution. 7 (22), 9333-9346
O'Gorman, EJ., Zhao, L., Pichler, DE., Adams, G., Friberg, N., Rall, BC., Seeney, A., Zhang, H., Reuman, DC. and Woodward, G., (2017). . Nature Climate Change. 7 (9), 659-663
Nishar, A., Bader, MK-F., O'Gorman, EJ., Deng, J., Breen, B. and Leuzinger, S., (2017). . Frontiers in Plant Science. 8, 249-
Brose, U., Blanchard, JL., Ekl枚f, A., Galiana, N., Hartvig, M., R Hirt, M., Kalinkat, G., Nordstr枚m, MC., O'Gorman, EJ., Rall, BC., Schneider, FD., Th茅bault, E. and Jacob, U., (2017). . Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 92 (2), 684-697
Zhao, L., Zhang, H., O'Gorman, EJ., Tian, W., Ma, A., Moore, JC., Borrett, SR. and Woodward, G., (2016). . Ecology Letters. 19 (9), 1032-1040
O'Gorman, EJ., 脫lafsson, 脫P., Demars, BOL., Friberg, N., Gu冒bergsson, G., Hannesd贸ttir, ER., Jackson, MC., Johansson, LS., McLaughlin, 脫B., 脫lafsson, JS., Woodward, G. and G铆slason, GM., (2016). . Global Change Biology. 22 (9), 3206-3220
O'Gorman, EJ., (2016). It's only a matter of time: the altered role of subsidies in a warming world. Journal of Animal Ecology. 85 (5), 1133-1135
Donohue, I., Hillebrand, H., Montoya, JM., Petchey, OL., Pimm, SL., Fowler, MS., Healy, K., Jackson, AL., Lurgi, M., McClean, D., O'Connor, NE., O'Gorman, EJ. and Yang, Q., (2016). . Ecology Letters. 19 (9), 1172-1185
Gray, C., Hildrew, AG., Lu, X., Ma, A., McElroy, D., Monteith, D., O'Gorman, E., Shilland, E. and Woodward, G., (2016). . Advances in Ecological Research. 55, 475-534
McElroy, DJ., O'Gorman, EJ., Schneider, FD., Hetjens, H., Le Merrer, P., Coleman, RA. and Emmerson, M., (2015). . Global Change Biology. 21 (11), 3971-3981
Plebani, M., Fussmann, KE., Hansen, DM., O'Gorman, EJ., Stewart, RIA., Woodward, G. and Petchey, OL., (2015). . Freshwater Biology. 60 (8), 1561-1570
O'Gorman, EJ., (2014). Integrating comparative functional response experiments into global change research. Journal of Animal Ecology. 83 (3), 525-527
Gray, C., Baird, DJ., Baumgartner, S., Jacob, U., Jenkins, GB., O'Gorman, EJ., Lu, X., Ma, A., Pocock, MJO., Schuwirth, N., Thompson, M. and Woodward, G., (2014). . Journal of Applied Ecology. 51 (5), 1444-1449
O'Gorman, EJ., Benstead, JP., Cross, WF., Friberg, N., Hood, JM., Johnson, PW., Sigurdsson, BD. and Woodward, G., (2014). . Global Change Biology. 20 (11), 3291-3299
Salvaterra, T., Green, DS., Crowe, TP. and O鈥橤orman, EJ., (2013). Impacts of the invasive alga Sargassum muticum on ecosystem functioning and food web structure. Biological Invasions. 15 (11), 2563-2576
Adams, GL., Pichler, DE., Cox, EJ., O'Gorman, EJ., Seeney, A., Woodward, G. and Reuman, DC., (2013). . Global Change Biology. 19 (11), 3540-3552
Hudson, LN., Emerson, R., Jenkins, GB., Layer, K., Ledger, ME., Pichler, DE., Thompson, MSA., O'Gorman, EJ., Woodward, G. and Reuman, DC., (2013). . Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 4 (1), 99-104
O'Gorman, EJ., Fitch, JE. and Crowe, TP., (2012). Multiple anthropogenic stressors and the structural properties of food webs. Ecology. 93 (3), 441-448
Jochum, M., Schneider, FD., Crowe, TP., Brose, U. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2012). Climate-induced changes in bottom-up and top-down processes independently alter a marine ecosystem. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 367 (1605), 2962-2970
O'Gorman, EJ. and Hone, DWE., (2012). . PLoS ONE. 7 (12), e51925-e51925
Longmore, C., Trueman, CN., Neat, F., O鈥橤orman, EJ., Milton, JA. and Mariani, S., (2011). Otolith geochemistry indicates life-long spatial population structuring in a deep-sea fish, Coryphaenoides rupestris. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 435, 209-224
O'Gorman, EJ., Yearsley, JM., Crowe, TP., Emmerson, MC., Jacob, U. and Petchey, OL., (2011). Loss of functionally unique species may gradually undermine ecosystems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 278 (1713), 1886-1893
O'Gorman, EJ. and Emmerson, MC., (2011). Body mass鈥揳bundance relationships are robust to cascading effects in marine food webs. Oikos. 120 (4), 520-528
O鈥橤orman, EJ., Jacob, U., Jonsson, T. and Emmerson, MC., (2010). Interaction strength, food web topology and the relative importance of species in food webs. Journal of Animal Ecology. 79 (3), 682-692
O'Gorman, EJ. and Emmerson, MC., (2009). . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA. 106 (32), 13393-13398
O鈥橤orman, EJ., Enright, RA. and Emmerson, MC., (2008). Predator diversity enhances secondary production and decreases the likelihood of trophic cascades. Oecologia. 158 (3), 557-567
Book chapters (9)
McLaughlin, 脫B., Emmerson, MC. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2013). Habitat Isolation Reduces the Temporal Stability of Island Ecosystems in the Face of Flood Disturbance. In: Global Change in Multispecies Systems: Part 3. Editors: Woodward, G. and O'Gorman, EJ., . Elsevier. 225- 284. 978-0-12-417199-2
Hannesd贸ttir, ER., G铆slason, GM., 脫lafsson, JS., 脫lafsson, 脫P. and O'Gorman, EJ., (2013). Increased Stream Productivity with Warming Supports Higher Trophic Levels. In: Global Change in Multispecies Systems: Part 3. Editors: Woodward, G. and O'Gorman, EJ., . Elsevier. 285- 342. 978-0-12-417199-2
O'Gorman, EJ., Pichler, DE., Adams, G., Benstead, JP., Cohen, H., Craig, N., Cross, WF., Demars, BOL., Friberg, N., G铆slason, GM., Gudmundsd贸ttir, R., Hawczak, A., Hood, JM., Hudson, LN., Johansson, L., Johansson, MP., Junker, JR., Laurila, A., Manson, JR., Mavromati, E., Nelson, D., 脫lafsson, JS., Perkins, DM., Petchey, OL., Plebani, M., Reuman, DC., Rall, BC., Stewart, R., Thompson, MSA. and Woodward, G., (2012). . In: Global Change in Multispecies Systems Part 2. Editors: Woodward, G., Jacob, U. and O'Gorman, EJ., . Elsevier. 81- 176. 978-0-12-398315-2
Hagen, M., Kissling, WD., Rasmussen, C., De Aguiar, MAM., Brown, LE., Carstensen, DW., Alves-Dos-Santos, I., Dupont, YL., Edwards, FK., Genini, J., Guimar茫es, PR., Jenkins, GB., Jordano, P., Kaiser-Bunbury, CN., Ledger, ME., Maia, KP., Marquitti, FMD., Mclaughlin, 脫., Morellato, LPC., O'Gorman, EJ., Tr酶jelsgaard, K., Tylianakis, JM., Vidal, MM., Woodward, G. and Olesen, JM., (2012). Biodiversity, Species Interactions and Ecological Networks in a Fragmented World. In: Global Change in Multispecies Systems Part 1. Editors: Woodward, G. and Jacob, U., . Elsevier. 89- 210. 978-0-12-396992-7
Olesen, JM., Dupont, YL., O'Gorman, EJ., Ings, TC., Layer, K., Meli谩n, CJ., Tr酶jelsgaard, K., Pichler, DE., Rasmussen, C. and Woodward, G., (2010). From Broadstone to Zackenberg: Space, time and hierarchies in ecological networks. In: Ecological Networks. Editors: Woodward, G., . Elsevier. 1- 69. 978-0-12-381363-3
Woodward, G., Benstead, JP., Beveridge, OS., Blanchard, J., Brey, T., Brown, LE., Cross, WF., Friberg, N., Ings, TC., Jacob, U., Jennings, S., Ledger, ME., Milner, AM., Montoya, JM., O'Gorman, EJ., Olesen, JM., Petchey, OL., Pichler, DE., Reuman, DC., Thompson, MSA., Van Veen, FJF. and Yvon-Durocher, G., (2010). Ecological Networks in a Changing Climate. In: Ecological Networks. Editors: Woodward, G., . Elsevier. 71- 138. 978-0-12-381363-3
O'Gorman, EJ. and Emmerson, MC., (2010). Manipulating Interaction Strengths and the Consequences for Trivariate Patterns in a Marine Food Web. In: Ecological Networks. Editors: Woodward, G., . Elsevier. 301- 419. 978-0-12-381363-3
Griffin, JN., O鈥橤orman, EJ., Emmerson, MC., Jenkins, SR., Klein, A-M., Loreau, M. and Symstad, A., (2009). Biodiversity and the stability of ecosystem functioning. In: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing. Oxford University PressOxford. 78- 93. 0199547955
Petchey, OL., O鈥橤orman, EJ. and Flynn, DFB., (2009). A functional guide to functional diversity measures. In: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing. Oxford University PressOxford. 49- 59. 0199547955
Other (1)
O'Gorman, EJ., (2014).Trout in hot water. Planet Earth(Autumn),NERC Planet Earth Stories
Grants and funding
2024
WebDNA - Food web reconstruction through environmental DNA analysis
Leverhulme Trust
2023
Predicting the Impacts of Global Environmental Change on Ecological Networks
Natural Environment Research Council
2022
ORBIT: Offshore Renewables: winds of change for Benthic communities?
Natural Environment Research Council
2021
Pyramids of Life: Working with nature for a sustainable future
Natural Environment Research Council
From Ions to Ecosystems: A Novel Framework for the Biomonitoring and Management of Vulnerable and Commercial Fishes
Medical Research Council
Environmental drivers of food web structure and energy flux in marine ecosystems
糖心Vlog
2020
Functionality and Ecological Connectivity of Man-Made Structures (FuECoMMS)
Natural Environment Research Council
2019
Impacts of Habitat Fragmentation in a Warming World
Natural Environment Research Council
