Matt Carter

Spatial overlap alone downplays the level of interaction between a central place forager and the local fishery While spatial overlap is commonly used to quantify interactions, it may underestimate the true degree of competition between foraging predators and fishing vessels. Our alternative population-level m...

My first PhD paper is now out! We calculate overlap intensity between African penguins and the local purse seine fishery 🐧🐟

Check it out in @jappliedecology.bsky.social
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Bird Flu Ravaged the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Study Finds

Bird Flu Ravaged the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Study Finds www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/s...

Survival and recovery of three shark species in North-East Atlantic recreational fisheries Abstract. Understanding how sharks respond to catch and release (C&R) recreational fisheries is an important requirement for effective management. Post

NEW PAPER: Survival and recovery of three shark species in North-East Atlantic recreational fisheries.

academic.oup.com/icesjms/arti...

@garzonfrancesco.bsky.social @drmjwitt.bsky.social
🦑🐟🧪🌐🌊🎣

New study, collab with @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social: reduced adult survival for harbour seals in areas of pop. decline in Scotland. tinyurl.com/ys4hc3jw Mark-recapture models applied to photo-ID data from 3 sites with contrasting pop. trajectories to generate concurrent survival and fecundity rates.

Great Masters by Research opportunity working with Prof @darrencroft.bsky.social and collaborative team on killer whales!

More info in Darren's original post. ⬇️

🦑🌍🐬🧪🦤🌐
#AcademicSky

Our new publication with @strandings.bsky.social & #SMRUsealpred contributors. A first attempt at quantifying grey seal predation of marine mammals and the potential impact on declining harbour seal populatons. Check it out! doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Intraguild predation in sympatric seals and the effect on a declining population This study examined the prevalence, spatial extent, and temporal trends of grey seal intraguild predation (IGP). We demonstrated the utility of integrating disparate datasets to address conservation ....

New study led by SMRU's @izzylangley.bsky.social in collaboration with @strandings.bsky.social: evidence for grey seal predation of grey seals, harbour seals and harbour porpoises across Scotland, at levels that could prevent recovery of depleted populations. tinyurl.com/4r3wka6a

an event poster. the main image is a black and white photograph of a stranded, deceased killer whale, laying on its side on the sand of a beach setting. overlay text reads ' signals from the shore: what cetacean strandings reveal about pollution. weds 15th oct, huxley lecture theatre, zsl, 6-7.30pm, FREE.' there are logos for ZSL and CSIP at the top.

What can strandings of cetaceans tell us about the impact of marine pollution? 🐬

This @zslofficial.bsky.social and CSIP event, brings together experts (including our @sarahenelms.bsky.social) to explore major forms of marine pollution in our waters.

Free, online/in-person - lnkd.in/eEUiEbdH
🦑🐬🌊🌍🧪🌐

NEW RESEARCH
Application of spatially robust stereo-BRUV sampling for quantifying fish assemblages in UK marine protected areas

Watch the video to learn more, and find the paper here - esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

@owenexeter.bsky.social @kristianmetcalfe.bsky.social
🦑🧪🌍🐟

New @seamammalresearch.bsky.social & @smruinstrument.bsky.social research out today in @currentbiology.bsky.social, using #NIRS integrated into SMRU phone tags to measure the diving behaviour and physiology of the most incredible human divers - the all-female Haenyeo

www.cell.com/current-biol...

Photos of a reef manta ray, red-footed booby, and a hawsbill turtles with biologging devices attached to them. The journal logo is also featured, alongside the article title and author list. Some text reads: "Tracking data reveal that very large marine protected areas offer protection for mobile marine megafauna including benthic foragers (turtles), pelagic planktivores (manta ray), and oceanic predators (seabirds)".

New research led by @alicetrevail.bsky.social combines tracking data to show the value of large marine protected areas in encompassing diverse megafauna movements 🐢

doi.org/10.1111/1365...

@jappliedecology.bsky.social @iomarinescience.bsky.social @exetermarine.bsky.social @zslofficial.bsky.social

Immersion patterns alone can predict vessel following by albatrosses 📊🧪

Albatrosses show distinct landing and takeoff patterns when following fishing vessels. Even when vessel data are lacking, these patterns can predict vessel following 🦅🌎

🔗 doi.org/10.1111/1365...

🚀 Just launched: SealMAP

A web application for exploring the latest seal distribution maps for Scotland that I’ve been working on for @seamammalresearch.bsky.social is now live!

🛠️ Built with shiny.posit.co
🌐 Try it here: arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/shiny/smru/s...

#WebDev #Launch #SMRU #Shiny

📣Announcing the launch of SealMAP: Seal Mapping & Analysis Platform. This SMRU app allows you to explore & download the latest grey & harbour seal distribution maps for Scotland. You can also get estimates of density for your area of interest. Happy mapping! arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/shiny/smru/s... 🦭🗺️

Another great day full of seal chat at the #SCOS25 Science Day 🤓 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniofstandrews.bsky.social

Linking ringed seal foraging behaviour to environmental variability - Movement Ecology Background Foraging rates directly influence animals’ energetic intake and expenditure and are thus linked to body condition and the ability to survive and reproduce. Further, understanding the underl...

New #OA paper in Movement Ecology using a combination of statistical models (HMMs & GAMMs) to understand environmental drivers of behaviour in Saimaa ringed seals. Very pleased to be invited to collaborate on this research! 🤓🦭 @seamammalresearch.bsky.social @uniuef.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/2uhxez5x

Grey seal in the water

Ever wondered why seals don't drown? New groundbreaking research from @smruecophys.bsky.social led by @chrismcknight.bsky.social published in @science.org reveals that, unlike other mammals, seals can sense blood oxygen levels.
Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Check out this podcast from @science.org covering new research from @chrismcknight.bsky.social and the @smruecophys.bsky.social team on why seals don't drown:
www.science.org/content/podc...

Scientist discovers why seals do not drown while diving Dr Chris McKnight has been researching how seals can hold their breath as part of his work at the University of St Andrews.

More coverage from @bbcnewsofficial.bsky.social of SMRU research into seal diving physiology. @chrismcknight.bsky.social @jlkershaw.bsky.social @smruecophys.bsky.social
Article here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Massive congratulations!!!

Introducing Dr Glencross! Viva done ✅ 3 hours of penguin chat with my wonderful examiners 🐧🐧

Excited to have contributed to this study where we tracked 29 sperm whales in the North Atlantic! 🐳

Some traveled nearly 8000km and dove deeper then 1000m! 🛰️🌊 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

This is one of my favorite photos taken during this fieldwork of a 🐳 diving under the midnight sun 🌞

More exciting findings on humpback whale song this week! 🐋🎵 This time on the complexity and evolution of humpback whale song off Okinawa, Japan - a now published thesis by #MSc_MMS_St_A graduate @emarwood.bsky.social under the supervision of @ellengarland.bsky.social , @lrendell.bsky.social &myself.

Site and species dependent effects of offshore wind farms on fish populations The expansion of offshore wind energy capacity is changing the seascape with the large-scale introduction of turbines and associated infrastructure. S…

Our new paper on fine-scale effects of offshore wind turbine foundations on demersal fish is OA in Marine Environmental Research. Part of the #OWEC #PrePARED project
@drmjwitt.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk @exetermarine.bsky.social @thecrownestate.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The role of acoustic telemetry to assess the effects of offshore wind infrastructure on fish behaviour, populations and predation Inshore and offshore coastal regions are becoming increasingly occupied by anthropogenic infrastructure. This trend will continue with the drive for o…

Our new paper in Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews is online today. The role of acoustic telemetry to assess the effects of OWFs on fish. Open access
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
@drmjwitt.bsky.social @exetermarine.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social #MarineDirectorate

Check out @smruecophys.bsky.social for the latest #ecophysiology research happening at SMRU 🤩, led by @chrismcknight.bsky.social and @jlkershaw.bsky.social

🌬🌊Join ICES Workshop to compile evidence on the impacts of offshore renewable energy on fisheries & marine ecosystems #WKCOMPORE
📅3-7 February 2025

❗Experts in social sciences, economics, fisheries, spatial planning & cumulative impacts needed - register by 24 January
www.ices.dk/community/gr...

📢 Webinar alert! I'll be presenting my PhD research as part of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Winter Webinar series on Weds 22th Jan.

Sign up here on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/killer-wha...

Accessible summary of @francae.bsky.social latest paper @seamammalresearch.bsky.social 🦑🐋🧪 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Seals exhibit localised avoidance of operational tidal turbines The result showing that seals exhibit avoidance of the turbine during operation is important for industry developers and regulators, as lower numbers of seals close to the turbine reduces the potenti...

🦭🔍 New paper alert in @jappliedecology.bsky.social! I'm excited to share my 1st first author paper, showing how seals avoid tidal turbines when they're operating! doi.org/10.1111/1365... 🧵

@seamammalresearch.bsky.social