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Professor Paul Thompson

Chair in Zoology

Personal Details

Fax:

01381 600841

E-mail:

lighthouse@abdn.ac.uk

Address:

Lighthouse Field Station, George Street, Cromarty, Ross-shire, IV11 8YJ

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Biography

1982, B.Sc. Biology, University of York

1987, PhD Zoology, University of Aberdeen

1990, Established the University’s Lighthouse Field Station

2005, Appointed to a Personal Chair in Zoology

2011, Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)

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Research Interests

Current research aims to assess how natural and anthropogenic environmental variations influence the behaviour, physiology and dynamics of marine mammal and seabird populations. These questions have been approached by conducting long-term and comparative studies of key populations; primarily in Scottish waters but including some work overseas. These studies have been used to address a range of applied and theoretical questions, often requiring an inter-disciplinary approach and regularly involving collaboration with other research groups both in the UK and abroad. Topics of particular interest have included interactions between wildlife populations and fisheries, the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine mammal biology, seal foraging and breeding strategies, and effects of changing prey stocks and climate change on the population dynamics of marine top predators.  

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Research Grants

2011-2012, Marine Scotland, Assessment of methods for monitoring marine mammals at marine renewable energy developments 

2010-2012, Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd & Beatrice Offshore Wind Ltd, Development of a framework for assessing the impact of windfarm construction marine mammal populations.  

2009-2013, DECC, Assessing the impact of seismic survey noise on cetaceans

2005-2008, SEERAD, Distribution and abundance of bottlenose dolphins in Scottish waters.

2005-2007, EU Framework 6, DOWNVIND - Assessing the impact of offshore wind turbines on seabirds and cetaceans.

2004-2011, Scottish Natural Heritage, Site condition monitoring for the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation

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External Responsibilities

Member of Marine Scotland Science Advisory Board  

University of Aberdeen representative on the University of the Highlands & Islands Research Committee

Member of the US National Research Council Committee on Ecological Effects of Mariculture

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Lighthouse Field Station

Paul Thompson is currently Director of the Lighthouse Field Station, which provides a base for the University's research and teaching in the Moray Firth. Further details of the Field Station's staff, research and training programmes can be found be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/zoology/lighthouse.

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Publications

  • Bailey, HR., Corkrey, R., Cheney, BJ. & Thompson, PM. Analyzing temporally correlated dolphin sightings data using generalized estimating equations, Article, 2013, Marine Mammal Science, 29, 1, pp123 - 141, ISSN/ISBN: 0824-0469
  • Cheney, BJ., Thompson, PM., Ingram, SN., Hammond, PS., Stevick, PT., Durban, JW., Culloch, RM., Elwen, SH., Mandleberg, L., Janik, VM., Quick, NJ., Islas-Villanueva, V., Robinson, KP., Costa, M., Eisfeld, SM., Walters, A., Phillips, C., Weir, CR., Evans, PGH., Anderwald, P., Reid, RJ., Reid, JB. & Wilson, B. Integrating multiple data sources to assess the distribution and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in Scottish waters, Article, 2013, Mammal Review, 43, 1, pp71 - 88, ISSN/ISBN: 0305-1838
  • Cheney, BJ., Corkrey, R., Quick, NJ., Janik, VM., Islas-Villanueva, V., Hammond, PS. & Thompson, PM. Site Condition Monitoring of bottlenose dolphins within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation: 2008-2010, Commissioned Report, 2012, 512
  • Thompson, PM., Cheney, BJ., Ingram, S., Stevick, P., Wilson, B. & Hammond, P. Distribution, abundance and population structure of bottlenose dolphins in Scottish waters, Commissioned Report, 2011, 354
  • Cheney, BJ., Lusseau, D., Hammond, PS. & Thompson, PM. Inflation factors influence the estimation of trends in cetacean abundance, Poster, 2011
  • Cordes, L., Duck, C., MacKey, BL., Hall, A. & Thompson, PM. Long-term patterns in harbour seal site-use and the consequences for managing protected areas, Article, 2011, Animal Conservation, 14, 4, pp430 - 438, ISSN/ISBN: 1367-9430
  • Orzack, S., Steiner, U., Tuljapurkar, S. & Thompson, PM. Static and dynamic expression of life history traits in the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), Article, 2011, Oikos, 120, 3, pp369 - 380, ISSN/ISBN: 0030-1299
  • Thompson, PM., Lusseau, D., Barton, TR., Simmons, D., Rusin, J. & Bailey, HR. Assessing the responses of coastal cetaceans to the construction of offshore wind turbines, Article, 2010, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60, 8, pp1200 - 1208, ISSN/ISBN: 0025-326X
  • Bailey, HR., Senior, BL., Simmons, D., Rusin, J., Picken, G. & Thompson, PM. Assessing underwater noise levels during pile-driving at an offshore windfarm and its potential effects on marine mammals, Article, 2010, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60, 6, pp888 - 897, ISSN/ISBN: 0025-326X
  • Lonergan, M., Hall, A., Thompson, H., Thompson, PM., Pomeroy, P. & Harwood, J. Comparison of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper epizootics in British harbour seal Phoca vitulina populations, Article, 2010, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 88, 3, pp183 - 188, ISSN/ISBN: 0177-5103
  • Petersen, C., Costa-Pierce, B., Dumbauld, B., Friedman, C., Hoffmann, E., Kite-Powell, H., Manahan, D., O'Beirn, F., Paine, R., Thompson, PM., Whitlach, R. & Committee on Best Practices for Shellfish Mariculture and the Effects of Commercial Activities in Drakes Estero. Ecosystem Concepts for Sustainable Bivalve Mariculture, Book, 2010
  • Bailey, HR. & Thompson, PM. The effect of oceanographic features on the fine-scale foraging movements of bottlenose dolphins, Article, 2010, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 418, pp223 - 233, ISSN/ISBN: 0171-8630
  • Bailey, HR., Clay, G., Coates, EA., Lusseau, D., Senior, B. & Thompson, PM. Using T-PODs to assess variations in the occurrence of coastal bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises, Article, 2010, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 20, 2, pp150 - 158, ISSN/ISBN: 1052-7613
  • Lewis, S., Elston, D., Daunt, F., Cheney, BJ. & Thompson, PM. Effects of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on breeding success in a long lived seabird, Article, 2009, Oikos, 118, 4, pp521 - 528, ISSN/ISBN: 0030-1299
  • Gales, NJ., Bowen, WD., Johnston, DW., Kovacs, KM., Littnan, CL., Perrin, WF., Reynolds, JE. & Thompson, PM. Guidelines for the treatment of marine mammals in field research, Letter, 2009, Marine Mammal Science, 25, 3, pp725 - 736, ISSN/ISBN: 0824-0469
  • Walls, R., Pendlebury, C., Budgey, R., Brookes, KL. & Thompson, PM. Revised best practice guidance for the use of remote techniques for ornithological monitoring at offshore windfarms, Commissioned Report, 2009
  • Petersen, C., Costa-Pierce, B., Dumbauld, B., Friedman, C., Hoffmann, E., Kite-Powell, H., Manahan, D., O'Beirn, F., Paine, R., Thompson, PM., Whitlach, R. & Committee on Best Practices for Shellfish Mariculture and the Effects of Commercial Activities in Drakes Estero; National Research Council . Shellfish Mariculture in Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore, California, Book, 2009
  • Thompson, PM., Cheney, BJ., Candido, AT. & Hammond, PS. Site Condition Monitoring of bottlenose dolphins within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation, Commissioned Report, 2009
  • Bailey, HR. & Thompson, PM. Using marine mammal habitat modelling to identify priority conservation zones within a marine protected area, Article, 2009, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 378, pp279 - 287, ISSN/ISBN: 0171-8630
  • Corkrey, R., Brooks, S., Lusseau, D., Parsons, K., Durban, JW., Hammond, PS. & Thompson, PM. A Bayesian Capture-Recapture Population Model With Simultaneous Estimation of Heterogeneity, Article, 2008, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 103, 483, pp948 - 960, ISSN/ISBN: 0162-1459
  • MacKey, BL., Durban, J., Middlemas, S. & Thompson, PM. A Bayesian estimate of harbour seal survival using sparse photo-identification data, Article, 2008, Journal of Zoology, 274, 1, pp18 - 27, ISSN/ISBN: 0952-8369
  • Senior, BL., Bailey, HR., Lusseau, D., Foote, AD. & Thompson, PM. Anthropogenic noise in the Moray Firth SAC, Commissioned Report, 2008, Commissioned Report No 265
  • Mallory, M., Gaston, A., Forbes, M., Gilchrist, H., Cheney, BJ., Lewis, S. & Thompson, PM. Flexible incubation rhythm in northern fulmars, Article, 2008, Marine Biology, 154, 6, pp1031 - 1040, ISSN/ISBN: 0025-3162
  • Thompson, PM. & Wheeler, H. Photo-ID-based estimates of reproductive patterns in female harbor seals, Article, 2008, Marine Mammal Science, 24, 1, pp138 - 146, ISSN/ISBN: 0824-0469
  • Jones, OR., Gaillard, J., Tuljapurkar, S., Alho, JS., Armitage, KB., Becker, PH., Bize, P., Brommer, J., Charmantier, A., Charpentier, M., Clutton-Brock, T., Dobson, FS., Festa-Bianchet, M., Gustafsson, L., Jensen, H., Jones, CG., Lillandt, B., McCleery, R., Merila, J., Neuhaus, P., Nicoll, MAC., Norris, K., Oli, MK., Pemberton, J., Pietiainen, H., Ringsby, TH., Roulin, A., Saether, B., Setchell, JM., Sheldon, BC., Thompson, PM., Weimerskirch, H., Wickings, EJ. & Coulson, T. Senescence rates are determined by ranking on the fast-slow life-history continuum, Article, 2008, Ecology Letters, 11, 7, pp664 - 673
  • Butler, JRA., Middlemas, SJ., McKelvey, SA., McMyn, I., Leyshon, B., Walker, I., Thompson, PM., Boyd, IL., Duck, C., Armstrong, JD., Graham, IM. & Baxter, JM. The Moray Firth Seal Management Plan, Article, 2008, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 18, pp1025 - 1038, ISSN/ISBN: 1052-7613
  • Cheney, BJ., Barton, TR. & Thompson, PM. Using laser metrics to measure wild bottlenose dolphins, Poster, 2008
  • Thompson, PM., MacKey, BL., Barton, TR., Duck, C. & Butler, JRA. Assessing the potential impact of salmon fisheries management on the conservation status of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in north-east Scotland, Article, 2007, Animal Conservation, 10, 1, pp48 - 56, ISSN/ISBN: 1367-9430
  • Thompson, P., Ingram, SN., Lonergan, M., Northridge, S., Hall, A. & Wilson, B. Climate change causing starvation in harbour porpoises?, Editorial, 2007, Biology Letters, 3, 5, pp533 - 535, ISSN/ISBN: 1744-9561
  • Thompson, PM. Developing water quality standards for coastal dolphins, Editorial, 2007, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54, 2, pp123 - 127, ISSN/ISBN: 0025-326X
  • Baker, JD. & Thompson, PM. Temporal and spatial variation in age-specific survival rates of a long-lived mammal, the Hawaiian monk seal, Article, 2007, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 274, 1608, pp407 - 415, ISSN/ISBN: 0962-8452
  • Hastie, GD., Wilson, B. & Thompson, PM. Diving deep in a foraging hotspot, Article, 2006, Marine Biology, 148, 5, pp1181 - 1188, ISSN/ISBN: 0025-3162
  • Thompson, PM. Identifying drivers of change, Article, 2006, Conservation Biology, 12, pp143 - 156, ISSN/ISBN: 0888-8892
  • Butler, JRA., Middlemas, SJ., Graham, IM., Thompson, PM. & Armstrong, JD. Modelling the impacts of removing seal predation from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, rivers in Scotland, Article, 2006, Fisheries Management and Ecology, 13, 5, pp285 - 291, ISSN/ISBN: 0969-997X
  • Lusseau, D., Wilson, B., Hammond, PS., Grellier, K., Durban, J., Parsons, KM., Barton, TR. & Thompson, PM. Quantifying the influence of sociality on population structure in bottlenose dolphins, Article, 2006, Journal of Animal Ecology, 75, 1, pp14 - 24, ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8790
  • Bailey, HR. & Thompson, PM. Quantitative analysis of bottlenose dolphin movement patterns and their relationship with foraging, Article, 2006, Journal of Animal Ecology, 75, 2, pp456 - 465, ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8790
  • Harkonen, T., Dietz, R., Reijnders, P., Teilmann, J., Harding, K., Hall, A., Brasseur, S., Siebert, U., Goodman, SJ., Jepson, PD., Rasmussen, TD. & Thompson, PM. The 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals, Article, 2006, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 68, 2, pp115 - 130, ISSN/ISBN: 0177-5103
  • Hastie, GD., Swift, RJ., Slesser, G., Thompson, PM. & Turrell, W. Environmental models for predicting oceanic dolphin habitat in the northeast Atlantic., Article, 2005, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 62, pp760 - 770, ISSN/ISBN: 1054-3139
  • Middlemas, S., Barton, TR., Armstrong, JD. & Thompson, PM. Functional and aggregative responses of harbour seals to changes in salmonid abundance, Article, 2005, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 273, 1583, pp193 - 198, ISSN/ISBN: 0962-8452
  • Durban, J., Elston, D., Ellifrit, DK., Dickson, E., Hammond, PS. & Thompson, PM. Multi-site mark-recapture population estimates with Bayesian model determination, Article, 2005, Marine Mammal Science, 21, pp80 - 92, ISSN/ISBN: 0824-0469
  • Grosbois, V. & Thompson, PM. North Atlantic climate variation influences survival in adult fulmars, Article, 2005, Oikos, 109, 2, pp273 - 290, ISSN/ISBN: 0030-1299
  • Foster, G., Holmes, B., Steigerwalt, AG., Lawson, PA., Thorne, P., Byrer, DE., Ross, HM., Xerry, J., Thompson, PM. & Collins, MD. Camphylobacter insulaenigrae sp. nov. Isolated from marine mammals, Article, 2004, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 54, pp2369 - 2373, ISSN/ISBN: 1466-5026
  • Thompson, PM., White, S. & Dickson, E. Co-variation in the probabilities of sighting harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins, Article, 2004, Marine Mammal Science, 20, pp322 - 328, ISSN/ISBN: 0824-0469
  • Wilson, B., Reid, RJ., Grellier, K., Thompson, PM. & Hammond, PS. Considering the temporal when managing the spatial: a population range expansion impacts protected areas based management from bottlenose dolphins., Article, 2004, Animal Conservation, 7, 4, pp331 - 338, ISSN/ISBN: 1367-9430
  • Hastie, GD., Wilson, B., Wilson, L., Parsons, KM. & Thompson, PM. Functional mechanisms underlying cetacean distribution patterns: hotspots for bottlenose dolphins are linked to foraging, Article, 2004, Marine Biology, 144, pp397 - 403, ISSN/ISBN: 0025-3162
  • Durant, JM., Stenseth, NC., Anker-Nilssen, T., Harris, MP., Thompson, PM. & Wanless, S. Marine birds and climate fluctuation in the North Atlantic, Chapter, 2004, Marine Ecosystems and Climate Variation: The North Atlantic, pp95 - 105
  • Lusseau, D., Wilson, B., Grellier, K., Barton, T., Thompson, P., Williams, R. & Hammond, P. Parallel influence of climate on the behaviour of Pacific killer whales and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Article, 2004, Ecology Letters, 7, 11, pp1068 - 1076
  • Michel, P. & Thompson, PM. A simple photogrammetric technique for estimating egg volume from field measurements, Article, 2003, Atlantic Seabirds, 5, 1, pp31 - 34, ISSN/ISBN: 1388-2511
  • Hastie, GD. & Thompson, PM. Bottlenose Dolphins increase breathing synchrony in response to boat traffic, Article, 2003, Marine Mammal Science, 19, 1, pp74 - 84, ISSN/ISBN: 0824-0469
  • Hastie, GD., Barton, TR., Swift, RJ., Grellier, K., Hammond, PS. & Thompson, PM. Distribution of small cetaceans within a candidate Special Area of Conservation; implications for management, Article, 2003, Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 5, pp261 - 266, ISSN/ISBN: 1561-0713
  • Hastie, GD., Wilson, B. & Thompson, PM. Fine-scale habitat selection by coastal bottlenose dolphins: application of a new land-based video-montage technique, Article, 2003, Canadian Journal Of Zoology/Revue Canadien De Zoologie, 81, pp469 - 478, ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4301
  • Parsons, KM., Durban, J., Claridge, DE., Balcombe, KC., Noble, LR. & Thompson, PM. Kinship as a basis for alliance formation between male bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in the Bahamas, Article, 2003, Animal Behaviour, 66, pp185 - 194, ISSN/ISBN: 0003-3472
  • Van Parijs, SM., Corkeron, PJ., Harvey, J., Hayes, S., Mellinger, D., Rouget, P., Thompson, PM., Wahlberg, M. & Kovacs, KM. Patterns in the vocalizations of male harbor seals, Article, 2003, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 113, 6, pp3403 - 3410, ISSN/ISBN: 0001-4966
  • Michel, P., Ollason, JG., Grosbois, V. & Thompson, PM. The influence of body size, breeding experience and evironmental variability on egg size in the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), Article, 2003, Journal of Zoology, 261, pp427 - 432, ISSN/ISBN: 0952-8369
  • Grellier, K., Hammond, PS., Wilson, B., Sanders-Reed, C. & Thompson, PM. Use of photo-identification data to quantify mother-calf association patterns in bottlenose dolphins, Article, 2003, Canadian Journal Of Zoology/Revue Canadien De Zoologie, 81, pp1421 - 1427, ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4301
  • Mendes, S., Turrell, W., Lutkebohle, T. & Thompson, PM. Influence of the tidal cycle and a tidal intrusion front on the spatio-temporal distribution of coastal bottlenose dolphins, Article, 2002, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 239, pp221 - 229, ISSN/ISBN: 0171-8630
  • Parsons, KM., Noble, LR., Reid, RJ. & Thompson, PM. Mitochondrial genetic diversity and population structuring of UK bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): is the NE Scotland Population demographically and geographically isolated?, Article, 2002, Biological Conservation, 108, pp175 - 182, ISSN/ISBN: 0006-3207
  • Thompson, PM., Thompson, H. & Hall, AJ. Prevalence of morbillivirus antibodies in Scottish harbour seals, Article, 2002, Veterinary Record, 151, pp609 - 610, ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900
  • Denardo, C., Hastie, G., Leaper, R., Wilson, B. & Thompson, PM. A new technique to measure spatial relationships within groups of free-ranging coastal cetaceans, Article, 2001, Journal of Applied Ecology, 38, 4, pp888 - 895, ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8901
  • Thompson, PM. & Ollason, JG. Lagged effects of ocean climate change on fulmar population dynamics, Article, 2001, Nature, 413, pp417 - 420, ISSN/ISBN: 0028-0836
  • Thompson, PM., Van Parijs, S. & Kovacs, KM. Local declines in the abundance of harbour seals:implications for the designation and monitoring of protected areas, Article, 2001, Journal of Applied Ecology, 38, pp117 - 125, ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8901
  • Van Parijs, SM., Janik, VM. & Thompson, PM. Display-area size, tenure length, and site fidelity in the aquatically mating male harbour seal, Phoca vitulina, Article, 2000, Canadian Journal Of Zoology/Revue Canadien De Zoologie, 78, 12, pp2209 - 2217, ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4301
  • Wilson, B., Arnold, H., Bearzi, G., Fortuna, CM., Gaspar, R., Ingram, S., Liret, C., Pribanic, S., Read, AJ., Ridoux, V., Schneider, K., Urian, KW., Wells, RS., Wood, C., Thompson, PM. & Hammond, PS. Epidermal diseases in bottlenose dolphins, Article, 1999, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 266, pp1077 - 1083, ISSN/ISBN: 0962-8452
  • Tollit, DJ., Steward, MJ., Thompson, PM., Pierce, GJ., Santos, MB. & Hughes, S. Species and size differences in the digestion of otoliths and beaks, Article, 1997, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 54, 1, pp105 - 119, ISSN/ISBN: 0706-652X
  • Pierce, GJ., Miller, A., Thompson, PM. & Hislop, JRG. Prey Remains in Gray Seal (Halichoerus-Grypus) Feces from the Moray Firth, North East Scotland, Comment/debate, 1991, Journal of Zoology, 224, 2, pp337 - 341, ISSN/ISBN: 0952-8369
  • Pierce, GJ., Thompson, PM., Miller, A., Diack, JSW., Miller, D. & Boyle, PR. Seasonal variation in the diet of common seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Moray Firth area of Scotland, Article, 1991, Journal of Zoology, 223, 4, pp641 - 652, ISSN/ISBN: 0952-8369
  • Thompson, PM., Pierce, GJ., Hislop, JRG., Miller, D. & Diack, J. Winter Foraging by Common Seals (Phoca Vitulina) in Relation to Food Availability in the Inner Moray Firth, N.E. Scotland, Article, 1991, Journal of Animal Ecology, 60, 1, pp283 - 294, ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8790

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