Latest News
A new PhD student joins the group
5 February 2024
As the new year starts, the team expands. We are joined by James Bazely who will be working on epigenetics of sea turtle adaptation. Here are a few introduction words from James.
New PhD position Available - Epigenetics of Sea turtles
6 October 2023
Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Loggerhead Turtles – an Epigenetic Perspective
New Comer: Dr. James Gilbert
5 November 2022
With a bit of delay, it is time to introduce Dr. James Gilbert, who joined us before the summer. Here is a short introduction from James:
Get ready for BES 2022
22 October 2022
As the British Ecological Society annual conference comes closer, Ceci, Stuart and Sam were informed they will be giving talks about their PhD projects. Great opportunities to show recent progress on cool topics! Enjoy the abstracts until the talks.
New Comer
19 October 2022
Last week our new team member, Jessica Wright, started her PhD. Here are a few words of introduction from Jess.
New Article
16 October 2022
The successful collaboration with Dr. Schofield lab continues. In this new paper, we showed that loggerhead turtles can be used as umbrella species in the Mediterranean Sea for marine megafauna. We also tested the efficiency of the Natura2000 marine protected areas. Congratulations to Liam for leading this work!
New Comer
1 April 2021
This month, the group expands again with new NERC DTP students. Here we welcome Charley and here are a few words from her:
New Comer
1 April 2021
This month, the group expands again with new NERC DTP students. Here we welcome Sam and here are a few words from him:
Welcome to Ana and Frazer new MSc students!
23 April 2020
Today we give a warm welcome to Ana and Frazer another two of the students that joined the team this year.
New paper released!
21 April 2020
Experimental parasite infection causes genome-wide changes in DNA methylation
Welcome to Carles and Amelia, new MSc students!
7 April 2020
Meet Carles Ferré and Amelia Ramage, two of our latest students joining the group
Leading a symposium at the International Marine Conservation Congress in Kiel
18 February 2020
Members of our group will be leading a symposium at the International Marine Conservation Congress
Welcome to Inês and Reiss, new MSc students!
27 March 2019
Meet Inês Afonso and Reiss Bush, two of our latest students joining the group
New group member
15 January 2019
We are all very happy to announce the arrival of a new PhD student, Ceci Hijar from Mexico.
New paper
13 December 2018
The diversity of eco-evolutionary dynamics: comparing the feedbacks between ecology and evolution across scales.
New paper
14 November 2018
Eco-evolutionary feedback - theoretical models and perspectives.
New paper
31 July 2018
Transgenerational plasticity and selection shape the adaptive potential of sticklebacks to salinity change
Recruitment!
21 June 2018
We are recruiting a field assistant to work with us in Cape Verde on Loggerhead turtles
New group member
30 March 2018
New group member: Leila Fouda
We are really happy to announce the arrival of a new PhD student, Leila Fouda. Leila joins us from the fourth cohort of the London NERC DTP. She will be working as part of our loggerhead turtle contingent.
New Post: Encouraging lab visits
23 February 2018
Encouraging lab visits
The last weeks have been quite busy for the group. Firstly, it grew quite significantly with the recent addition of three very promising PhD students: Miles (genomics of host-parasite interactions), Perla (mathematical characterization of turtle movement) and Leila (evolution of feeding strategies in turtles). Seeing new group members integrating a running lab is always fascinating, but also quite scary, as group cohesion has to be maintained - a crucial aspect for a vibrant environment. So far, it seems that everything is going well. The “old” group members are sharing their experience and the new ones are discovering the hidden, but demanding, sides of complex research projects (no need to say that PIs can also be demanding).
New paper
9 January 2018
Integrating population genomics and biophysical models towards evolutionary-based fisheries management.
This opinion/review/perspective paper comes from a collaboration with a former PhD student of our group Miguel Baltazar-Soares (now Post-doc at Bournemouth University, UK) and Hans-Harald Hinrichsen (Research Associate at GEOMAR, Germany). We discuss the need to integrate evolutionary biology into fisheries management. We propose that combining molecular ecology with ocean modelling may offer solutions to facilitate the detection of management stocks and determine the adaptive potential of exploited species. The manuscript is in ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Post from Alberto Queiruga
9 January 2018
Scientific coordinator at Turtle Foundation.
New group member
26 October 2017
New group member: Miles Thorburn
With the new academic year, the group continues growing. Miles is joining us as a PhD-student to strengthen the host-parasite interaction side of the group.
New Video
7 September 2017
New Video about our fieldwork with turtles!
Sahmorie prepared a new video, this time briefly detailing the processes involved in deploying movement tags on turtles. Since 2010 and the first devices we deployed, we have not gained significant experience, being able to track turtles on both extremely large scales as well as very local geographic scales. We use data storage tags to identify environmental characteristics preferred by turtles to match marine protected areas with their needs.
New paper
16 August 2017
Hook, Line and Infection: A Guide to Culturing Parasites, Establishing Infections and Assessing Immune Responses in the Three-Spined Stickleback.
New Post
28 July 2017
Meet the leaders of Project Biodiversity
Founded in 2015, Project Biodiversity is the only environmental organisation working in the Island of Sal. We started collaborating in the summer of 2016, including Sal Island to our network of field associates.
PB Team Picture
New Post
24 July 2017
Higher Education, Science and Engagement.
For the second consecutive year, our MSc students from the Freshwater and Marine Ecology programme have spent 2 weeks on the islands of Maio. The goals of this field course are threefold:
New paper
6 July 2017
Impacts of Nitrogen and Phosphorus: From Genomes to Natural Ecosystems and Agriculture.
This work is the result of a large collaborative effort led by Maite Guignard now at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. In this manuscript we bring together the effects on both ecosystem and species' evolution of limitations in Nitrogen and Phosphorus. From this large review, it is obvious that we still poorly understand the consequences of elements limitations which can impact multiple organization levels from genes to whole ecosystem and up to eco-evo dynamics. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
New paper
6 July 2017
Mate choice in sticklebacks reveals that immunogenes can drive ecological speciation.
New opinion paper
23 June 2017
Animal Navigation: The Eel’s Magnetic Guide to the Gulf Stream
The geographic distribution of migratory species can span thousands of kilometers. Yet, traits that enable large-scale migrations are poorly understood. A recent study demonstrated that juvenile eels uses the Earth's magnetism for their dispersal, with possible implications for their evolution. Current Biology.
New group member
10 May 2017
New group member: Adrienne Kerley
Since April 1st (and I was told it was not a joke), Adrienne has joined our group as part of the London NERC DTP programme.
Poster Prize!
6 March 2017
Best poster prize to Emma!
Last week, the graduate school of Chemistry and Biology had its annual symposium where all students contribute talks and posters. By the end of a full day, prizes are distributed. We are proud of Emma who won the prize for the best poster. This work summarizes a good teamwork which started with an undergraduate project conducted by Liam Nash and together with Sahmorie who showed that infected turtles use different isotopic niches than uninfected turtles. Emma had then the idea of investigating the consequences of infection on hatchling fitness.
New Video
23 February 2017
Last year, I had the chance to be interviewed by the National Centre for Public Engagement. This interview is now online. I can't thank enough the NCCPE for shortlisting our project for the national award. The entire lab is also so grateful for the tremendous support from the many collaborators in Cape Verde.
New Post
31 October 2016