School of Biosciences

1.      Behavioural ecology and the evolution of fish schooling

This research theme addresses a question of key importance in animal behaviour and evolution of social living: how animals decide which group to join. I am investigating this topic in collaboration with Prof. A. Magurran (St Andrews University), Dr John Armstrong (Marine Scotland Science, Freshwater Laboratory, Pitlochry), Dr Alfredo Ojanguren and Dr James Orpwood. We are using the European minnow to test individual recognition abilities and the benefits of association between familiar groups of fish. This work links important behavioural parameters with ecology and conservation of wild fish and is taking place in the artificial stream system at the Almondbank Field Station, Marine Scotland Science.

James making observations of minnows in the artificial stream (photo by Anna Henley)

2.      Consequences of climate change for salmonid ecology

Climate change has major effects on the distribution patterns and community composition of stream organisms, and part of this work is a collaboration that is strongly linked with the research interests of Prof. Steve Ormerod, another member of the OnE (Organisms and Environment) Research Division, as well external collaborators - The Environment Agency and the South East Wales Rivers Trust. We are testing how habitat enhancement in S. Wales rivers, specifically maintenance and restoration of broadleaf trees in the riparian zone, increases Atlantic salmon resilience to climate change.

Other UK work is adopting a behavioural approach, examining Atlantic salmon time budgets, space use (including sheltering behaviour) and growth in indoor streams to investigate the mitigating effects of riparian shading on salmon ecology (with Dr John Armstrong, Marine Scotland Science and Dr James Orpwood, The Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre, SFCC). The sheltering behaviour of fish is an ongoing interest. Many fish, including Atlantic salmon, are nocturnal at cold temperatures (sheltering in interstitial habitats during daylight and emerging to forage at night). Factors that influence sheltering, including water temperature, light conditions and competition from invasive species have important predicted effects on survival through food intake, growth and predator avoidance.

3.       Understanding survival advantages of kin recognition for individual fish and the implications for patterns of genetic structure in fish populations

Juvenile Atlantic salmon parr: photo by David Hay.

This was one of my main interests when I began work in Cardiff as a NERC Research Fellow. The results were among the first to show that the surprising ability of salmonid fish to recognise kin has commercial and conservation benefits - populations of unrelated fish in the wild achieve better condition and biomass, accruing important survival advantages. This research theme was developed in collaboration with Dr J. Armstrong, (Marine Scotland Science, Freshwater Laboratory, Pitlochry) and Prof. Neil Metcalfe (Glasgow University). More recently, this work has expanded to include a molecular ecology component, which incorporates collaboration with Dr Anton Ibbotson (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) and Dr Bill Riley and Prof. Gordon Copp (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) as well as with Prof Mike Bruford (Cardiff School of Biosciences).

4.      Mate-choice behaviour and the role of immune genes (particularly the Major Histocompatibility Complex, MHC)

Siân adding synthetic peptide to water used to test female stickleback

This is a collaborative project with Prof. Manfred Milinski (Max Planck Institute of Limnology, Germany) and asks how variation in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, which function in immune defence, is maintained. Our work uses threespine stickleback as a model species, and was the first to identify the chemical (peptide) emitted by male fish that underlies odour-based mate-selection strategies in vertebrates. Female fish choose males with immune system (MHC) compatibility, providing offspring with optimal resistance to disease and parasites.

Grants

Current and recent sponsors of work include:

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

Christine Baltzer Parks Environmental Foundation

Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships

Marie Curie Individual Fellowship from the European Commission

Natural Environment Research Council

South East Wales Rivers Trust

The Environment Agency

Wessex Water

Current Members of Research Group

Dr Steven Kessel
Population dynamics of the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris). Funded by Christine Baltzer Parks Environmental Foundation

Stephen Thomas
Adapting Rivers to Climate Change to Support High Value Fish and Fisheries. Funded by KESS, South East Wales Rivers Trust & The Environment Agency

Phoebe Harris
The effect of artificial night light on river ecology. Cardiff University 125 scholarship.

Former Group Members

Postdoctoral

Dr Michele Drès
Molecular analysis of kin-biased spatial clustering of juvenile Atlantic salmon
Funded by the Cardiff Young Researcher Initiative

Dr Johan Höjesjö
Habitat adaptations in salmonids, effects of intra- and inter-specific competition
Funded by a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship

Dr Alfredo Ojanguren
The behavioural and ecological consequences of shoaling decisions in fish
Funded by the NERC (Natural Environment Research Council)  

Dr James Orpwood
The behavioural and ecological consequences of shoaling decisions in fish
Funded by the NERC (Natural Environment Research Council)     

Postgraduate Students

Dr Bart Adriaenssens 
Coping with divided attention: effects of the social and physical environment on the performance of fishes. In collaboration with Gothenburg University, Sweden.

Dr Demetra Andreou
Prevalence, impact and life cycle of an emerging endemic disease: the Rosette-like agent. Funded by CEH.

Dr Claire Bale
The Influence of Acid Episodes on the Behavioural Ecology of Freshwater Fish. Funded by the NERC

Dr Dean Burnard
The impact of the sex pheromones of alien fish species on the reproductive behaviour of native fish. Funded by the NERC

Dr Wendy Fernandes
Interactions between family traits, environment survival and migration strategies in Atlantic salmon.
Funded by Wessex Water, CEH, CEFAS

Dr Andrew Harwood
Competition among juvenile Atlantic salmon and Brown trout. Funded by the NERC.

Becky Marsh
The effect of temperature on refuge use in juvenile Atlantic salmon. Funded by LEA

Dr James Orpwood
Refuge use among stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon. Funded by Cardiff University

Dr Lois Richards-Hobbs 
Dietary conservatism in fish: its evolutionary consequences in social and solitary animals. Funded by the Waltham Foundation

Dr Keith Williams
The ecology of Atlantic salmon in relation to upland lochs. Funded by The Conon and Alness District Fisheries Board and Cardiff University

Collaborations

Aside from collaborations within the school (with Prof. Mike Bruford on molecular studies of declining salmon populations, Dr Jo Cable on parasite transmission among shoaling fish and Prof. Steve Ormerod on the effects of climate change on upland fish ecology) the following are external collaborators on funded projects.

Dr John Armstrong (Marine Scotland Science, Freshwater Laboratory, Pitlochry)
Behaviour and Ecology of juvenile Atlantic salmon

Prof Gordon Copp (Lowestoft Laboratory, CEFAS)
Ecology of juvenile Atlantic salmon

Dr Rodolphe Gozlan (Bournemouth University)
Non-native freshwater fish

Dr Johan Hojesjo (University of Gothenburg, Sweden)
Habitat adaptations in salmonids, effects of intra- and inter-specific competition

Dr Anton Ibbotson (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust)
Ecology of juvenile Atlantic salmon

Prof. Jörgen Johnsson (University of Gothenburg, Sweden)
Anti-predator responses of juvenile brown trout

Professor Anne Magurran (University of St Andrews)
Evolution of shoaling behaviour in European minnows

Professor Manfred Milinski (Max Planck Institute of Limnology, Germany).
Mate choice decisions of female sticklebacks

 Dr Alex Pollard (Eco-explore)
The effects of artificial night light on river ecology

Dr Bill Riley (Lowestoft Laboratory, CEFAS)
Ecology of juvenile salmon