My research focuses on investigating the mechanisms that regulate and determine the population dynamics of marine top predators. I study the links between environmental variation, demography and population dynamics, and how populations respond to extreme fluctuations in prey abundance. I investigate methods for estimating demographic parameters from fragmented and error-prone datasets, and often use Bayesian models for this purpose. I am also interested in demographic compensation and the evolution of life-history characteristics. I have worked extensively on the population dynamics of temperate and polar species of seabird, and more recently on the life history profiles of tunas and sharks.
I am currently a NSF and NERC funded post-doc (2016-2019) with the University of Glasgow, Rutgers University, University of California and Simon Fraser University. This project is in collaboration with Jason Matthiopoulos, Holly Kindsvater, Marc Mangel, Nick Dulvy and Maria Jose Juan Jorda. The aim of the project is to develop a cross taxa method that combines incomplete and multi-species datasets in order to reconstruct full life-history profiles for data-limited populations.
Contact: catrsw@gmail.com
Background
2016-present: Research Associate; University of Glasgow
2014-2016: Research Ecologist; British Trust for Ornithology
2010-2014: PhD Population Ecology; British Antarctic Survey, University of Liverpool and University of Glasgow
2008-2009: MSc Biosciences; University of Oxford
2002-2006: BSc Environmental Sciences with a year in Industry; University of East Anglia
Editorial Board
- 2016 – present: Ibis – Associate Editor
Committee Membership
- 2014 – present: British Ornithologist’s Union – Engagement and Conference Committees
Grant Advisory College
- 2015 – present: British Ecological Society
