Supervisors

Lead supervisor: Dr Jolyon Troscianko University of Exeter, ESE, CEC
Dr Laura Kelley University of Exeter, ESE, CEC
Dr Thomas Bodey University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences
Dr Malcolm Burgess University of Exeter, HLS, Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, & RSPB

Location:

Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn Campus, Cornwall

The University of Exeter’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation is inviting applications for a PhD studentship funded by the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy to commence on 23 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.  For eligible students the studentship will cover Home or International tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £19,237 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study.  International applicants need to be aware that you will have to cover the cost of your student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD. The following project is one of four being advertised as part of a competitive process for funding, there is one award available.

Project Enquiries: j.troscianko@exeter.ac.uk

Project keywords: Visual ecology, Artificial light (ALAN), birds, predator-prey interactions.
 

Project Background

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a pervasive source of anthropogenic pollution that causes widespread disruption to individual physiology, behaviour, and whole populations. The majority of terrestrial animals are nocturnal, and sensory arms races have led to the evolution of incredible low-light vision in many predator communities. However, persistent ALAN can obliterate the darkness that these predators rely on, potentially altering the landscape of fear in prey species that governs so much of animal behaviour, with potential to alter population-level dynamics and tropic cascades that have implications for conservation and biodiversity. Existing work has shown that nighttime light levels can alter the foraging behaviour of birds, and is also thought to affect their perceived predation risk. However, the pervasiveness of ALAN means these effects could be far more wide-reaching than previously appreciated, likely affecting any animal that relies on low-light vision for predator vigilance.

The supervisory team have developed new methods for measuring and modelling low-light colour appearance that allow us to quantify key aspects of the nighttime visual scene that govern visual foraging and defences. Other members of the team are pioneering methods for understanding predator-prey dynamics and interactions with unprecedented spatial and temporal detail. Together these present unique new research opportunities.

Project Aims and Methods This project aims to determine how ALAN alters predator-prey dynamics and landscape of fear effects across multiple trophic levels. This will provide a critical insight into the mechanisms through which ALAN affects behaviour and foraging, with a focus on endangered shorebirds in order to inform design of applied conservation strategies and solutions, such as ALAN related guidance and regulation.

Objective 1 will test the landscape of fear hypothesis among endangered shorebird species, including fledging chicks that suffer high predation rates. We will combine fine-scale reverse-GPS tracking data of the shorebirds and their predators with detailed local measurements of artificial and natural light levels. This will allow us to determine how ALAN affects shorebird distribution and behaviour, and – critically – how ALAN affects the interactions between shorebirds and their predators. To date these interactions have been difficult (if not impossible) to test systematically over large areas and populations.

Objective 2 will elucidate the behavioural mechanisms likely to underpin wider conservation concerns regarding ALAN for birds. This will use field experimental techniques to test how predator vigilance is affected in prey birds under different levels of ALAN, using predator playbacks and/or model presentations.

Objective 3 will provide estimates of the potential pervasiveness of ALAN effects in different species of conservation concern by linking the above proposed mechanisms to nationwide population distributions, together with satellite data on ALAN levels using GIS mapping and modelling techniques.

Objective 4  will highlight the potential for ALAN to alter the balance of visual information use in predator-prey dynamics (from camouflage to warning signals), with implications for wider biodiversity and trophic cascades. This objective will expose artificial invertebrate prey to avian predators (such as shorebirds) under experimentally controlled, or natural ALAN conditions, together with novel visual modelling to quantify the effects on visual information.

Student Experience

There is scope to tailor the focus of many of the above objectives, and the supervisory team will encourage independence, while also offering relevant expertise in visual ecology, avian conservation biology, and population biology. Experience includes: Ecological fieldwork (including at RSPB reserves); behavioural ecology experiments; objective photography and spectrometry techniques with data logging; novel visual modelling techniques; GIS/mapping statistics and modelling; science communication (incl. peer-reviewed papers and outreach). You would be joining the Exeter Visual Ecology, a world-leading group of visual ecologists with unique expertise, regular lab meetings and socials.

Candidate requirements

The ideal candidate will have experience in behavioural ecology fieldwork, and will be able to undertake regular night-time fieldwork.

Project partners

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Training

This will be tailored to the candidate’s strengths and research directions. The PhD will offer a range of opportunities, both hands-on learning of new techniques from the supervisory team, and also formal teaching (for example, coding and statistics).

Useful links/Information
Jolkkonen, Gaston, & Troscianko (2023) https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04486-x
Santos et al. (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2009.11.008
Cox & Gaston (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166701

Entry requirements

Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. 

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the required level as per our guidance at https://www.exeter.ac.uk/pg-research/apply/english/

How to apply

Apply now

In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents. 
• CV
• Letter of application (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project).
• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying)
• Names of two referees familiar with your academic work. You are not required to obtain references yourself. We will request references directly from your referees if you are shortlisted.
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 29 July 2024. 

If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email PGRApplicants@exeter.ac.uk or phone 0300 555 60 60 (UK callers) +44 (0) 1392 723044 (EU/International callers)  Project-specific queries should be directed to the main supervisor.

Summary