Additional Contact Information
Room: 325 Westbury Mount Phone: 01248 383936
E-mail: t.whitton@bangor.ac.uk
Web: Google Scholar, ORCID
Overview
I am marine ecologist with a particular interest in how species’ distributions and behaviour are driven by the environment and predators, with a recent focus on how human activities may shape and change these interactions (fishing activities, manmade structures and renewable energy devices). My research has spanned intertidal and subtidal benthic systems to pelagic ecology. My research methods involve both laboratory and field experiments, but I am often using research vessels to take measurements and collect samples at sea.
Current Research
My current research is with Prof Jan Hiddink investigating the potential impact of bottom fishing on benthic systems, which is often in collaboration with the fishing sector. Current work is specifically on bottom fishing effects on blue carbon. There is much uncertainty about the how towed bottom fishing may affect blue carbon sequestration across different seabed types and fishing gear. We have sought to investigate this experimentally by sampling from the RV Prince Madog areas that have been fished to different intensities by different gear types. Our work seeks to help better inform any policy that may seek to manage fishing -blue carbon interactions.
Recent research highlights
Pelagic fish and tidal energy devices
To understand how the vertical distribution of small pelagic fish may change the likelihood of interactions with marine renewable devices and top-predators, I led a study to measure sprat schools and physical processes that drive their behaviour. I used fisheries acoustics from the RV Prince Madog and a bottom moored ASL AZFP and Simrad WBAT to investigate the depths that small pelagic fish are using in high current areas and how this changes over temporal scales of hours to months. Read the findings here and here
Marine life on shipwrecks
I led a section of work to investigate how marine life colonises and uses man-made structures. Specifically shipwrecks in areas of high tidal currents. See here for information.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any enquires about my research.
Research Themes: Marine Ecology Blue carbon Fishing Renewable energy
Qualifications
- PhD: Processes controlling spatial and temporal variations in cockle Cerastoderma edule (L.) abundance and distribution
2013 - MSc: Marine Environmental Protection
2010 - BSc: Marine Biology
2008
Publications
2024
- PublishedThe impact of mobile demersal fishing on blue carbon in seabed sediments: Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships scheme (FISP) report
Whitton, T., Austin, M., Newbould, A., Kennedy, H., Allender, S., Cavan, E., Parker, R., North, C., Hatchman, J. & Hiddink, J. G., 1 Jul 2024, Bangor University. 18 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Other report
2023
- UnpublishedDetermining the impact of fishing on seabed habitats for Nephrops with trawls and creels around the United Kingdom: Project UK report
Whitton, T. & Hiddink, J. G., 1 Nov 2023, (Unpublished) Bangor University. 35 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
2022
- PublishedSeabed morphology and bed shear stress predict temperate reef habitats in a high energy marine region
Jackson-Bue, T., Williams, G., Whitton, T., Roberts, M., Goward Brown, A., Amir, H., King, J., Powell, B., Rowlands, S., Llewelyn Jones, G. & Davies, A., 5 Sept 2022, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 274, 107934.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2021
- PublishedCollecting quality echosounder data in inclement weather
Jech, M., Schaber, M., ox, M., Escobar-Flores, P., Gastauer, S., Haris, K., Horne, J., Jarvis, T., Ladroit, Y., O'Driscoll, R., Pederson, G., Peña, M., Ryan, T., Sakinan, S., Thomas, R., Viehman, H., Wall, C. & Whitton, T., 1 Dec 2021, ICES Cooperative Research Report. Anderson, E. (ed.). International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Vol. 352. 108 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Other chapter contribution › peer-review
2020
- PublishedVertical migrations of fish schools determine overlap with a mobile tidal stream marine renewable energy device
Whitton, T., Jackson, S., Hiddink, J. G., Scoulding, B., Bowers, D., Powell, B., D'Urban Jackson, T., Gimenez Noya, L. & Davies, A., 1 Apr 2020, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 57, 4, p. 729-741 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2016
- PublishedResearch priorities for assessing potential impacts of emerging marine renewable energy technologies: Insights from developments in Wales (UK)
Roche, R., Walker-Springett, K., Robins, P., Jones, J., Veneruso, G., Whitton, T., Piano, M., Ward, S., Duce, C., Waggitt, J., Walker-Springett, G., Neill, S., Lewis, M. & King, J., 1 Dec 2016, In: Renewable Energy. 99, December, p. 1327-1341 15 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedThe effect of macrofaunal disturbance on Cerastoderma edule post-larvae
Whitton, T. A., Jenkins, S. R., Richardson, C. A. & Hiddink, J. G., 17 Mar 2016, In: Journal of Sea Research. 112, p. 23-31
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2015
- PublishedChanges in small scale spatial structure of cockle Cerastoderma edule (L.) post-larvae
Whitton, T. A., Jenkins, S. R., Richardson, C. A. & Hiddink, J. G., 28 Mar 2015, In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 468, p. 1-10
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedImpact of climate change on UK estuaries: A review of past trends and potential projections
Robins, P. E., Skov, M. W., Lewis, M. J., Gimenez, L., Davies, A. G., Malham, S. K., Neill, S. P., McDonald, J. E., Whitton, T. A., Jackson, S. E. & Jago, C. F., 17 Dec 2015, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 169, p. 119-135
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2012
- PublishedAggregated prey and predation rates: juvenile shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) foraging on post-larval cockles (Cerastoderma edule)
Whitton, T. A., Jenkins, S. R., Richardson, C. A. & Hiddink, J. G., 9 Aug 2012, In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 432-433, p. 29-36
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Activities
2023
- Marine Studies Group Shackleton Conference 2023
Blue Carbon: Transfer and storage of carbon in nearshore and offshore shelf sea environments
The third Shackleton Conference organised by the Marine Studies Group will focus on the geological aspects of Blue Carbon.
28 Sep 2023
Links:
Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Participant) - Is bottom fishing impacting blue carbon?
13 Sep 2023
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
2022
- Estimating the seabed impacts of Nephrops norvegicus trawl and creel fisheries around Scotland, UK
21 Sep 2022
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
2020
- Vertical distribution of small pelagic fish: drivers and implications for assessing environmental interactions of tidal stream projects
Increases in the generation of electricity using marine renewable energy (MRE) are planned globally, with Wales potentially playing a key role in the MRE industry, including hosting the world’s first deployment of a utility scale tidal kite off the coast of Anglesey by Minesto UK Ltd. Assessment and understanding of the environmental impacts of MRE devices and developments are urgently needed, but remain challenging due to diverse development locations, device designs and the complexities of studying top predators, which are a focus of many impact assessments.We present findings from the SEACAMS2 project focused on Minesto’s Holyhead Deep development off North Wales, where multi-disciplinary instrument moorings have been used assess potential overlap of small pelagic fish with planned operational devices and the driving process for any overlap. Predictable variation in depths reached by fish schools during vertical migrations were observed, with clear links to physical processes found, and so potential overlap with a tidal kite could be calculated.By understanding overlap in space and time between MRE devices and prey species of top predators such as small pelagic fish, uncertainty of impacts can be reduced. Current work to understand fish behaviour with an actively deployed MRE kite and other sub-sea structures will also be introduced.
23 Apr 2020
Links:
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
2019
- ICES training course 'Principles and methods of broadband/wideband technologies: application to fisheries acoustics'
The course provided participants with the knowledge and skills to interpret and process acoustic broadband data with confidence and to be well-prepared for moving broadband technology forward into routine acoustic research and survey applications in fisheries science.
The course covered both the theoretical background and how to apply the theory to actual fisheries acoustics through case studies and exercises with synthetic, previously recorded, and real-time data collected during the course.
11 Dec 2019 – 16 Dec 2019
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Participant) - Predictable fish school behaviour helps determine the risk of animal interactions with a tidal kite development off Anglesey
18 Sep 2019
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker) - Wreck ecology
A session exploring outcomes and approaches using professional and volunteer inputs, with group discussion and exploration of the lessons to be taken
into future work and other projects.
8 Sep 2019
Links:
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker) - Marine Life of WW1 shipwrecks in Welsh waters
In collaboration between the U-boat Project Wales, Bangor University and Seasearch UK a workshop was conducted on ‘Marine life of WW1 shipwrecks in Welsh waters’ on August 31st 2019. The target audience were Seasearch volunteer divers and other recreational divers looking to gain new skills on surveying wrecks.
31 Aug 2019
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Organiser) - Studying the environmental interactions of man-made structures: shipwrecks and marine renewable energy structures
Attendees were from the Friends of the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path group.
27 Mar 2019
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Studying the marine ecology of man made structures.
Presentation of SEACAMS2 and U-boat Project Wales research on investigating the marine ecology of man made structures.
9 Mar 2019
Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
2018
- Welsh Princes : Profile of the research vessel Prince Madog and her predecessor
Magazine article in Ships Monthly Magazine
14 Dec 2018
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - The UK Acoustics Network (External organisation)
The vision of the UK Acoustics Network is to bring together the internationally leading, but disparate UK acoustics, research community, to promote acoustics in the UK both nationally and internationally and to provide a coherent single point of access to acoustics research for industry and governmental agencies
The main aim of acoustics.ac.uk is to bring together researchers working in different areas of acoustics to enhance communication between groups, provide a focus for collaboration and innovation, and to maximise the future impact of acoustics based research in the UK.
21 Nov 2018 →
Links:
Activity: Membership of network (Member) - Observing behaviour of pelagic fauna at a coastal tidal kite development site using bottom mounted and ship based echosounders.
20 Mar 2018 – 23 Mar 2018
Links:
Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker) - Topic group to evaluate the impact of inclement weather on quality of acoustic data (TG-QUAD)
Topic Group of ICES Working Group on Fisheries Acoustics, Science and Technology (WGFAST)
17 Mar 2018 – 19 Mar 2018
Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Participant) - ICES Working Group on Fisheries Acoustics, Science and Technology (WGFAST) (External organisation)
Chair invited member of ICES Working Group on Fisheries Acoustics, Science and Technology (WGFAST)
1 Mar 2018 – 30 Dec 2020
Links:
Activity: Membership of network (Member)
2017
- 'RV Prince Madog: Two vessels delivering 50 years of sea going research at Bangor University' and 'Using Multibeam to study the seabed and ship wrecks of Welsh waters'
Public talk about the Bangor University Prince Madog research vessels and the SEACAMS2 project.
9 Dec 2017
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Speaker)
2016
- Sharing shells ... underwater symbiosis, Natur Cymru / Nature of Wales (61)
Partnerships between different species always intrigue. What is the relationship between the partners? Is the symbiosis friendly and cooperative, opportunistic, mutually beneficial, or to the detriment of one partner? In European seas, there exists a relationship between a marine bristleworm (polychaete) and a hermit crab. It is well-known to marine biologists and fishermen, but may not be immediately obvious to casual observers. The worm is Neanthes fucata, a nereidid related to the King Ragworm that anglers often use as bait, and its host is the Common Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus. This hermit crab is the largest to be found in Welsh coastal waters, from the lower shore to over 100m, and it most frequently inhabits an empty shell of the Common Whelk Buccinum undatum
Oct 2016 – Mar 2017
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor) - Award Program for ASL's Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler
An ASL Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Profiler (AZFP) will soon be travelling to the U.K.
27 Jun 2016
Links:
Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)