Room: Room 108A, Nuffield Fish Lab

Phone: 01248 382862

E-mail: i.mccarthy@bangor.ac.uk

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I graduated with a degree in Marine Biology and Zoology from the University College of North Wales, bangor (as was Bangor University) in 1987 and undertook a PhD on individual variation in behavioural and physiological performance in salmonids and sea bass at Aberdeen University under the supervison of Prof. Dominic Houlihan between 1989 and 1992. I remained in Aberdeen for 4 years postdoctoral research studying the physiological ecology of salmonids and flounder. In 1996, I was awarded a NERC Fellowship and I moved to the University Field Station (Glasgow University) on Loch Lomondside to examine the effect of intraspecific variation in physiological performance on growth and life history strategies in salmonid fish. In 1999, I 'popped over the pond' to Mustang Island on the Gulf coast of south Texas to work for Prof. Lee Fuiman at the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. My research in south Texas examined the sublethal effects of pollutants on the behavioural and physiological performance of marine fish larvae. I returned to Menai Bridge in February 2002 as a Lecturer in Fish Biology being promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010 and appointed a Reader in 2016.

Although I trained as a fish biologist, my research interests have broadened and I now work on the behavioural and physiological ecology of aquatic animals (molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans and fishes). In general, my research interest are:

  1. growth and energetics of aquatic animals (in particular protein synthesis/turnover, trade offs in energy allocation and physiological capacity to survive environmental change)
  2. Consistency of individual physiological and behavioural performance and impacts on life history strategies and fitness
  3. use of chemical tags (isotopes and trace elements) to examine feeding ecology and movement patterns
  4. population biology and management of temperate marine fisheries
  • PhD: Feeding behaviour and protein turnover in fish
    University of Aberdeen, 1989–1993
  • BSc: Marine Biology and Zoology
    University College of North Wales, 1984–1987

Teaching

I teach on the following undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

1st year: OXX1000 (Tutorial 1), OSX1002 (Marine Biology Practical 1), BNS1002 (Organismal Diversity)

2nd year: OSX2002 (Marine Physiology and Behaviour), OSX2003 (Marine Biology Practical 2)

3rd year: OSX3000 (Dissertation), OSX3001 (Marine Conservation and Exploitation), OSX3015 (Overseas Field Course), OSX3019 (Teleost Fish Biology and Ecology), OSX3020 (Sharks and their relatives)

MSc: OSX4001 (Marine Fisheries), OSX4005 (Marine Vertebrates)

Supervision

I have supervised nine PhD students to completion (8 as lead supervisor) and currently supervise 4 PhD students (2 as lead supervisor).   

Juma Al-Mamry (Lead supervisor with Richardson). Biology and fisheries management of Argyrops spinifer and Lethrinus nebulosus in the Arabian Sea, Oman. Completed 2006.  Funded by Fisheries Research Fund of Oman.

Matthew Doggett (Lead supervisor with Kaiser and Mudge).Polychlorinated biphenyls and their effects on the early life stages of the European plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L. Completed 2006. Funded by NERC.

Niklas Tysklind (Co-supervisor with Carvalho [lead], Taylor and Lyons [Cefas]).Population genetic markers in biomonitoring programmes: a case study of flatfish around the British Isles. Completed 2009. Funded by DEFRA (awarded to Carvalho).

Yousof Al-Rashada (Lead supervisor).Biology and ecology of the South East Irish Sea plaice Pleuronectes platessa stock off Anglesey and the North Wales coast. Completed 2009. Funded by Saudia Arabian Cultural Bureau.

Nigel Hussey (Lead supervisor).Advancing the ecological knowledge base of the dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) off Southern Africa. Funded by NERC.  

Alice Ramsay (Lead supervisor with Hughes, Milner and Davidson [EA]). Tracing the geographical origin of sea trout (Salmo trutta L.) using scale microchemistry. Completed 2010. Funded by NERC.

Alec Moore (Lead supervisor with Carvalho). Elasmobranchs of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. Completed 2013. Self-funded PhD by Published works.

Andrew Marriott (Lead supervisor with Richardson, Armstrong [Cefas] and Chenery [BGS]). The use of bio-geochemical tags to determine the origins and movements of fishes. Completed 2014. Funded by NERC.  

Raad Tulkani (lead supervisor with Richardson). Population biology of the grey mullets Liza abu in central Iraq and Chelon labrosus in Northwest Wales. Completed 2017. Funded by Government of Iraq.

Steven Newstead. (Co-supervisor with Malham [Lead] and Birchenough [Cefas]). Environmental unknowns in cockle larval development (EUCLID). Expected completion 2018. Funded by Cefas.

Tomas Cornwell (Lead supervisor). Personality and behavioural plasticity in Littoraria irrorata. Expected completion 2019. Funded by Bangor University.

Charlotte Colvin (Lead supervisor with Richardson and Hollyman [BAS]). Shell growth and repair of the common whelk Buccinum undatum. Expected completion 2020. Self-funded.  

Simon Karythis. (Co-supervisor with Jenkins [Lead) and Whiteley). An interdsciplinary approach to understanding predator modification of prey behaviour. Expected completion 2020. Funded by NERC Envision

   

I have a range of research interests in which PhD projects could be developed. Please contact me by email in the first instance regarding any of the following areas:

  • comparative animal physiology and physiological adaptive capacity to environmental change
  • individual variation in behavioural and physiological performance
  • use of chemical tags (isotopes and trace elements) to examine feeding ecology and movement patterns
  • population biology of finfish and cartilaginous fishes and sustainable fisheries management.

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

2018

31) Seabass Fisheries Conservation UK. 2018. McCarthy. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund [awarded to Cefas; Bangor subcontracted, Budget £30k]. 2018-2019. PI

 

2017

30) An established technology with novel application – fish tracking with an autonomous underwater vehicle. Teahan, Pierce, McCarthy. EU]. Budget £20.3k. Co-I. 2017-2019

 

2015

29) Sustainable and safe fisheries for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: movement patterns and pollutant accumulation by Corvina (Micropogonias furnieri). McCarthy, Malm (UFRJ), Chenery (BGS), Dorneles (UFRJ). RCUK-CONFAP Research Partnership. Budget £50k (Bangor Budget £24k). 2015. PI

28) Integrating Consistent Individual Differences theory into ecological and evolutionary studies related to global and local environmental change. McCarthy. FAPESP Pesquisa Visitante grant 2014. Budget £22.3k. PI. 2015.

27) Independent Fisheries Science Advice. Kaiser, Hiddink, Jenkins, McCarthy. Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Isle of Man. Budget £600k. 2015-2018. Co-I.

 

2013

26) Population biology on mullet species in northwest Wales and Central Iraq. McCarthy. Iraqi Ministry of Education. Budget £21k. 2013-2016. PI

25) Tropical and temperate marine ecosystems – adapting to a changing world. McCarthy, Turra , Whiteley. BU/FAPESP Academic Research Cooperation. Budget £10k. PI. 2014-2015.

 

2012

24) Sustainable use of fisheries resources in Welsh waters. Kaiser, Le Vay, Hiddink, McCarthy, Neill. European Fishery Fund. Budget £2.503M. Co-I. 2012-2015.

23) Cellular energy reallocation: an explanation for the inability of a key benthic species, Cerastoderma edule, to survive ocean acidification and warming. Whiteley, McCarthy.  NERC (Application for Supplementary Support from the UKOA Research Programme, Scheme C, 4.2 for synthesis activities). Budget £29k. 2012. Co-I.

 

2011

22) Strontium isotopes as geochemical tracers of fish movements in freshwater. McCarthy. NERC (application for Geoscience support). Budget £1,500 (in-kind support). 2011. PI.

21) Climate change and the costs of survival in two species of marine crabs with contrasting abilities to compensate for environmental change. Whiteley, Hauton, Gimenez, McCarthy, Malham. NERC. Budget £376k. 2011-2014. Co-I.

 

2010

20) SEAFARE – Sustainable environmentally friendly aquaculture for the Atlantic region of Europe (Lead Partner). King, LeVay, Kennedy, McCarthy, Turner. Partners: IFAPA (Spain), Ifremer (France), IPIMAR (Portugal), AquaTT (Ireland). EU INTERREG IVb Atlantic Arc Programme. Budget €3.2M (Bangor Budget = €1.2M [ca. £1.1M]). 2010-2013. Co-I.

19) SUSFISH – Shellfish productivity in the Irish Sea: working towards a sustainable future (Lead Partner]. Malham, Whiteley, Gimenez, McCarthy, Neill. Partners: Swansea University (Wales), Aberystwyth University (Wales), UCC Cork (Ireland). EU INTERREG IVa Transnational Border Co-operation. Budget €2.9M (Bangor Budget €702k (ca, £639k]). 2010-2013. Co-I.

 

2009

18) Impacts of smolt cages on the trout populations in Loch Shiel. McCarthy. Marine Harvest. Budget £1500. 2009. PI.

17) Celtic Sea Trout Project (Lead Partner). McCarthy, Carvalho Taylor. Partners: IFI (Ireland), UCC Cork (Ireland), EA (UK). EU INTERREG IVa Transnational Border Co-operation: Budget €2.1 M (Bangor Budget €987,910 [ca. £896k]. 2009-2012. PI.

16) Developing otolith microchemistry approaches to identify nursery areas and recruitment patterns of juvenile sea bass. McCarthy. Cefas. Budget £6,000. 2009-2012. PI.

 

2007

15) Tracing the geographical origin of sea trout using scale microchemistry. McCarthy. Atlantic Salmon Trust. Budget £4,000. 2007. PI.

14) Tracing the geographical origin of sea trout using scale microchemistry. McCarthy. NERC (in kind support to use LA-ICPMS facility). Budget £13.7k.  2007. PI.

 

2006

13) Atlantic Arc Aquaculture Group 2. King, LeVay, McCarthy, Beaumont. Partners: CIFAP (Spain), Ifremer (France), SAMS (UK), UCC Cork (Ireland). EU INTERREG IIIb Atlantic Arc Programme: Budget €1.307 M (Bangor Budget €980k (ca. £658k]) 2006-2008). Co-Investigator.

 

2005

12) A non-invasive method for the assessment of reproductive condition in skates and rays (Family: Rajidae).  McCarthy. Fisheries Society of the British Isles, Small Research Grant scheme. Budget £3,600.  2005. PI.

11) Behavioural trials using the Audio Fish Caller. McCarthy. HELP Wales. Budget £13k. 2005. PI.

 

2004

10) Atlantic Arc Aquaculture Group (Lead Partner). King, LeVay, McCarthy, Beaumont. Partners: CIFAP (Spain), Ifremer (France), SAMS (UK), UCC Cork (Ireland). EU INTERREG IIIb Atlantic Arc Programme. Budget €1,000 (Bangor Budget €1.0 M  [ca. £671k]). 2004-2006. Co-I.

9) Atlantic Salmon Arc Project (Partner). McCarthy.  Partners: WRT (UK) [Lead], Exeter University (UK), CFBI (Ireland), MXCNX Galicia (Spain), Oviedo University (Spain), MCV Pravia (Spain). EU INTERREG IIIb Atlantic Arc Programme. Budget €778k: (Bangor Budget €48k [ca. £32k]). 2004-2006. PI.

 

2002

9) The ecology of the Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus in Wales. McCarthy. British Ecological Society Small Ecological Research Grant Scheme. Budget £1,450. 2002. PI.

 

2001

8) The energetic constraints of exposure to contaminants for marine fish larvae. McCarthy. University of Texas Research Grant. Budget $5,915 (ca. £4,079). 2001. PI.

7) Contaminants in Texas bays: impairment of red drum survival skills and the consequences for their populations. Fuiman, McCarthy. Texas Sea Grant Program. Budget $148k (ca. £102k). 2001-2003. Co-I.

 

1999

6) Discrimination of anadromous and non-anadromous salmonid fish using stable isotope analysis. McCarthy. NERC (Funding for stable isotope analysis at SURRC). Budget £3,600 (in-kind support). 1999. PI.

5) Resource partitioning in sympatric and allopatric morphs of Arctic charr measured using stable isotope analysis. McCarthy. NERC (Funding for stable isotope analysis at SURRC). Budget £3,600 (in-kind support). 1999. PI.

 

1998

4) The effect of intraspecific variation in physiological performance on growth and life history strategies in fish. McCarthy. NERC (Funding for stable isotope analysis at SURRC). Budget £3,000 (in kind support). 1998. PI.

 

1996

3) The effect of intraspecific variation in physiological performance on growth and life history strategies in fish. McCarthy. NERC Research Fellowship Scheme. Budget £109k. 1996 -1999. PI.

 

1994

2) Growth and protein synthesis in juvenile common wolffish: a new species for coldwater aquaculture?McCarthy. The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. Budget £850. 1994. PI.

 

1993

1) Food defensibilty, aggressive behaviour and growth performance in Tilapia rendalli. McCarthy. Fisheries Society of the British Isles, Small Research Grant scheme. Budget £1,000.  1993. PI.