Overview
I am a conservation ecologist and for my PhD studied the breeding biology - behaviours and threats of two sibling species of seabird (storm-petrels) that breed on the same islet in the Azores archipelago, but at different times of year. Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health, but they are also considered to be one of the most threatened avian groups globally. My work focuses on an offshore islet and combines fieldwork (to assess the behaviours, threats, breeding success and population dynamics), with computational analysis (of videos and GPS tracks).
“World of Seabirds: Praia Islet, Azores” - click here to see my World Seabird Video summarising some of my PhD fieldwork and islet life. Filmed and edited by Ben Porter.
Research
Research interests
- Current Reserach: Seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health, but they are also considered to be one of the most threatened avian groups globally. My research assesses the breeding biology of two sibling species that breed on the same islet within the Azores archipelago, but at different times of year. I combine traditional nest monitoring techniques alongside employing modern techniques – such as in and near nest cameras and GPS tracking of adult birds, as well as studying the wider population dynamics through mist-netting sessions. The results of my work will contribute to the conservation management of the two species as well as of the islet they both breed on.
- General Research Interests: My research interests sit broadly within wildlife ecology and conservation, although typically include the marine environment and more specifically seabirds. Within the area of seabird research, I am interested in studying their breeding biology, threats to their survival and their breeding success, with a view to integrating these findings into future conservation actions.
- Previous Research: I’ve previously worked within various habitats, studying a range of species, including:
- UK rocky intertidal temperate reefs, including specifically a species of kelp and the blue-rayed limpet (MRes dissertation - see published papers; internship project summary page; A Rocha UK and A Rocha International),
- Canadian barn and cliff swallow breeding success (A Rocha Canada; Report).
- Kenyan coral reef fish and invertebrates and tropical beach ghost crabs (A Rocha Kenya; BSc(Hons) dissertation; see published papers; Kenyan hawkfish project summary page)
- Qualifications:
- BSc(Hons) Wildlife Conservation (First Class), Nottingham Trent University, 2011-2015
- MRes Marine Biology (Distinction), The University of Plymouth, 2015-2017
- PhD, Cardiff University, 2018-2022
Teaching
- Co-supervised final year and masters student dissertations (2019-2020).
- Demonstrator on the Marine Field course (2021).
Thesis
The Conservation Biology of the Monteiro’s Storm-Petrel and Band-Rumped Storm-Petrel on Ilhéu da Praia, Azores
Funding source
NERC GW4+ DTP
Supervisors
Publications
2022
- Hereward, H. F. R. 2022. The conservation biology of the Monteiro’s storm-petrel
and band-rumped storm-petrel on Ilhéu da Praia, Azores. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2021
- Long, S. E., Devlin, J. J., Raposo, P., Porter, B. J. and Hereward, H. F. R. 2021. Habitat categorisation and mapping of a seabird reserve: Ilhéu da Praia, Azores. Seabird 33, pp. 53-65.
- Hereward, H. F. R. et al. 2021. Raspberry Pi nest cameras – an affordable tool for remote behavioural and conservation monitoring of bird nests. Ecology and Evolution 11(21), pp. 14585-14597. (10.1002/ece3.8127)
2020
- Hereward, H. F. R., King, N. G. and Smale, D. A. 2020. Intra-annual variability in responses of a canopy forming kelp to cumulative low tide heat stress: implications for populations at the trailing range edge. Journal of Phycology 56(1), pp. 146-158. (10.1111/jpy.12927)
2019
- Hereward, H. F. R., Gentle, L. K., Ray, N. D. and Sluka, R. D. 2019. Habitat associations of hawkfish: depth, distribution, and density at two sites in Kenya. Bulletin of Marine Science 95(2), pp. 265-276. (10.5343/bms.2018.0035)
2018
- Hereward, H. F., Foggo, A., Hinckley, S. L., Greenwood, J. and Smale, D. A. 2018. Seasonal variability in the population structure of a habitat-forming kelp and a conspicuous gastropod grazer: Do blue-rayed limpets (Patella pellucida) exert top-down pressure on Laminaria digitata populations?. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 506, pp. 171-181. (10.1016/j.jembe.2018.06.011)
- Cowburn, B. et al. 2018. The habitats and biodiversity of Watamu Marine National Park: evaluating our knowledge of one of East Africa's oldest marine protected areas. Atoll Research Bulletin(618) (10.5479/si.0077-5630.618)
2017
- Hereward, H. F. R., Gentle, L. K., Ray, N. D. and Sluka, R. D. 2017. Ghost crab burrow density at Watamu Marine National Park: An indicator of the impact of urbanisation and associated disturbance?. African Journal of Marine Science 39(1), pp. 129-133. (10.2989/1814232X.2017.1305990)