Sitting ducks, what’s the flux? The impact of seabird nest abundance and spatial distribution on ecosystem processes

Sitting ducks, what’s the flux? The impact of seabird nest abundance and spatial distribution on ecosystem processes

Project Description

Supervisors

Dr Katherine Herborn, Biological & Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth

Dr James Buckley, University of Plymouth

Dr Mick Hanley, University of Plymouth

Dr Jón Einar Jónsson, Snæfellsnes Research Centre, University of Iceland

 

Scientific Background

Breeding birds act as ecosystem engineers, concentrating activity and nutrient deposition around nests in ways that alter microclimate and plant communities. Processes such as ‘landscapes of fear’ affect where birds nest. This could introduce predictable spatial structuring in bird impacts that scale up to shape ecosystem function. However, multiple climate factors are changing seabird distributions, and humans can further modify where and how densely birds nest through habitat and population management (e.g., wild release, predator control, disturbance), potentially affecting these bird-ecosystem relationships.

Alongside the long-term monitoring of ground-nesting seabird populations at the Snæfellsnes Research Centre (Breiðafjörður, Iceland), this project will:

Objective 1: Quantify the “nest footprint” by establishing relationships with soil microclimate, plant community, and carbon flux, and by mapping how these effects decay with distance from the nest.

Objective 2: Test whether nest footprint varies systematically with position in a ‘landscape of fear’.

Objective 3: Develop spatially explicit models to predict how nest footprints combine to generate landscape-level variation in microclimate, carbon flux, and plant biodiversity under different stressors or population management.

Together, this project determines the mechanistic basis of bird-ecosystem interactions and explores landscape-level impacts of shifts in this relationship. This will support development of a predictive tool for bird conservation, population and habitat management, and climate research.

 

Research Methodology

In year one, field transects and thermal and multispectral drone surveys before, during and after nesting will map 1) nest sites of Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) and gulls (Larus sp.), 2) behavioural and physiological indicators of stress exposure, and 3) nest site and habitat ecology. Multivariate methods and spatial modelling will assess nest impacts at microhabitat and landscape-level. Later years will test model predictions via targeted measurements in sites under different management.

 

Person Specification & Training

The candidate should have field experience and interest in avian ecology. Prior experience in spatial analysis is desirable. Supported by an interdisciplinary supervisory team from the University of Plymouth, University of Iceland, and the Université du Québec à Montréal, the candidate will develop expertise in spatial modelling, animal ecology, ecosystem process measurement and new drone and sensor technologies for environmental science research.

Acceptable first degree subjects: Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology or Environmental Sciences

Project code: HERBORN_PLYM_ARIES26

References

  • Clyde, N., Hargan, K. E., Forbes, M. R., Iverson, S. A., Blais, J. M., Smol, J. P., ... & Gilchrist, H. G. (2021). Seaduck engineers in the Arctic Archipelago: nesting eiders deliver marine nutrients and transform the chemistry of island soils, plants, and ponds. Oecologia, 195(4), 1041-1052.
  • Bleicher, S. S. (2017). The landscape of fear conceptual framework: definition and review of current applications and misuses. PeerJ, 5, e3772.
  • Fox, A. D., Jónsson, J. E., Aarvak, T., Bregnballe, T., Christensen, T. K., Clausen, K. K., ... & Therkildsen, O. R. (2015, August). Current and potential threats to Nordic duck populations—a horizon scanning exercise. In Annales Zoologici Fennici (Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 193-220). Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board.
  • Davidson, S. J., Sloan, V. L., Phoenix, G. K., Wagner, R., Fisher, J. P., Oechel, W. C., & Zona, D. (2016). Vegetation type dominates the spatial variability in CH4 emissions across multiple Arctic tundra landscapes. Ecosystems, 19(6), 1116-1132.
  • Jerem, P., Herborn, K., McCafferty, D., McKeegan, D., & Nager, R. (2015). Thermal imaging to study stress non-invasively in unrestrained birds. Journal of visualized experiments: JoVE, (105), 53184.

Key Information

  • This studentship has been shortlisted for funding under the UKRI NERC DLA funding scheme and will commence on 1 October 2026. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 7 January 2026.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2025/26) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
  • ARIES postgraduate researchers (PGRs) benefit from bespoke training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or immigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns, please contact us.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship, follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential and will be stored on the UEA SharePoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be asked to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. Please see https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information.

Apply Now

Apply now via  University of Plymouth ARIES Doctoral Training