TROPICAL AQUATIC ECOLOGY
My research falls under three broad themes: Patterns of aquatic biodiversity, aquatic invasive species and the behavioural ecology of the guppy.
Invasive guppies
My interest in guppies as invaders began in 2006, when I embarked on my PhD thesis under the supervision of Professor Anne Magurran. My thesis (published in 2010) concerned the behavioural ecology of invasive guppies. You can access it here.
A key question is: 'What makes the guppy such a successful invasive species?'
This research is based on the idea that we can learn a great deal about invasion biology in general, by studying such a well-known species in the context of invasion success.
Some of the main findings of this work have been published and can be accessed here and here.
Projects include:
(current projects in bold)
Guppies, Predators and Brain Morphology:
A key question is: 'What makes the guppy such a successful invasive species?'
This research is based on the idea that we can learn a great deal about invasion biology in general, by studying such a well-known species in the context of invasion success.
Some of the main findings of this work have been published and can be accessed here and here.
Projects include:
(current projects in bold)
Guppies, Predators and Brain Morphology:
- With Dr Alexander Kotrschal and Prof. Niclas Kolm of Stockholm University. Read more here.
- With Dr David Mitchell and Dr Catarina Vila Pouca of Stockholm University.
- With Dr S.K. Ghosh and Colleagues at the National Institute of Malaria Research in Bangalore, India, where I spent time investigating the foraging behaviour of introduced guppies in the context of biological control of mosquito larvae. Dr Anu Bhat and Prof. Anne Magurran are also involved in this work.
- With Dr Douglas Fraser on the interaction between guppies and the native killifish Rivulus hartii using a semi-naturalistic set up in Trinidad.
- With Dr Jeff Hill, Dr Quenton Tuckett and Katelyn Lawson, of the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory, on the interaction between native Gambusia and introduced guppies in Florida.
- How do deliberate and inadvertent selection affect traits that relate to invasive success?
- With Douglas Fraser and Fadilah Ali in Trinidad,
- With Allison Durland Donahou, Jeff Hill and Quenton Tuckett at the University of Florida.
Worldwide guppy distribution
Guppies are now found in at least 70 countries outside of their native range. We continue to pursue an interest in invasive guppies and welcome any distribution reports.
If you are aware of any introduced guppy populations please get in touch - we will supply you with a very short questionnaire that will assist in expanding our understanding of this invasive species. If you are an expert on the fish in your region and are fairly confident that guppies are not present, we am equally keen to hear from you! Tropical freshwater biodiversity |
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My postdoctoral research initiated a longitudinal study into temporal patterns of biodiversity, as part of the ERC-funded BioTIME project led by Professor Anne Magurran of the University of St Andrews and in collaboration with Professor Indar Ramnarine and Dr Dawn Phillip of The University of the West Indies.
Using the tropical freshwater 'model ecosystem' of Trinidad's Northern Range, we have been monitoring three distinct aquatic taxa: diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fish and how they vary in space and time. Some key findings of this work have been published here, here and here.
We also investigate the potential effects of recreational disturbance on these habitats, some of which are frequently used for 'river limes' -in other words eating, drinking, bathing and generally socialising by the river. Some of these findings have been published here.
A blog of fieldwork adventures can be found here.
Using the tropical freshwater 'model ecosystem' of Trinidad's Northern Range, we have been monitoring three distinct aquatic taxa: diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fish and how they vary in space and time. Some key findings of this work have been published here, here and here.
We also investigate the potential effects of recreational disturbance on these habitats, some of which are frequently used for 'river limes' -in other words eating, drinking, bathing and generally socialising by the river. Some of these findings have been published here.
A blog of fieldwork adventures can be found here.
Projects include:
Patterns of freshwater biodiversity in Trinidad & Tobago
Patterns of freshwater biodiversity in Trinidad & Tobago
- With Ada Fontronova-Eslava, Prof. Anne Magurran & Prof. Indar Ramnarine.
- With Haley Arnold, Prof. Anne Magurran, Dr Mark Hulme, Dr Alex Sansom & Dan Jaggernauth
- With Jennalee Ramnarine of the UWI Zoology Museum, the National Herbarium and the National Museum of Trinidad & Tobago.
- With Dr Mike Oatham, Guy Marley and many other colleagues at The UWI. A FAO/GEF-funded project.
Other projects
Processionary behaviour of Hylesia spp. caterpillars
This exciting work with Stefanie White in Trinidad was funded by an ASAB Research Grant and examines the fascinating social behaviour of Hylesia caterpillars.
We have found that two species of neotropical caterpillar (Hylesia metabus and H. nanus) coordinate their behaviour when found together on the same host tree, including their processions to the canopy to feed at dusk and back again at dawn. To our knowledge, this is the first time processions consisting of more than one species have been described in any animal. Our observations and follow-up experiments suggest the processions are an example of self-organized behaviour, governed by simple individual rules. Whether the shared behavioural mechanism between the species is adaptive, or an artifact of evolutionary history, remains to be explored. Read more about this work in our publications in Ecology's Scientific Naturalist, and the ESA Bulletin's Photo Gallery. |