I am working on the population genetics and ecology of macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) with Tim Coulson from Imperial College, and Phil Trathan in BAS and Alex Rogers at ZSL.

I am currently analyzing Time Depth Recorder (TDR) tags over a range of years to look for patterns in diving behaviour, as well as developing new statistical technques to interpret these data.

I also isolating microsatellites for characterisation and to determine levels of variability within and between colonies of penguins.

History

I graduated from Oxford University in 2001, and then stayed on in Oxford to do an MSc in the Zoology Department, during which I developed an interest in Antarctic ecology and molecular biology. I then worked as a research assistant on various different projects, and tutored aspects of animal behaviour, marine biology and statistics. I then moved to Imperial College, where I am carrying out research for my PhD with the British Antarctic Survey.

References

• Barlow KE, Boyd IL, Croxall JP, Reid K, Staniland IJ, Brierley AS, 2002. Are penguins and seals in competition for Antarctic krill at South Georgia? Marine Biology 140:205-213.
• Croxall J, 1999. Diet, provisioning and productivity responses of marine predators to differences in availability of Antarctic krill. Marine Ecology Progress Series 177:115-131.
• Croxall J, Ricketts C, Prince PA, 1984. Impacts of seabirds on marine resources, especially krill, of South Georgia waters. In: Seabird Energetics (Wittow GC, Rahn H, eds). New York: Plenum Press; 285-317.
• Froget G, Gautier-Clerc M, Le Maho Y, Handrich Y, 1998. Is penguin banding harmless? Polar Biology 20:409-413.
• Gauthier-Clerc M., Gendner J.-P., Ribic C.A., Fraser W.R., Woehler E.J., Descamps S., Gilly C., Le Bohec C., Le Maho Y. 2004. Long-term effects of flipper-bands on penguins. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 271: 423- 426.
• Roeder A, Marshall R, Mitchelson A, Visagathilager T, Ritchie P, Love D, Pakai T, MePartlen H, Murray N, Robinson N, Kerry K, Lambert D, 2001. Gene flow on the ice: genetic differentiation among Adélie penguin colonies around Antarctica. Molecular Evolution 10:1645-1656.
• Zane L, Bargelloni L, Patarnello T, 2002. Strategies for microsatellite isolation: a review. Molecular Ecology 11:1-16.