Advanced Research Fellow
- About
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- Email Address
- b.cheney@abdn.ac.uk
- Office Address
The Lighthouse Field Station
University of Aberdeen
George Street
Cromarty
Ross-shire IV11 8YL
- School/Department
- School of Biological Sciences
Biography
I am a research fellow in the School of Biological Sciences, based at the University's Lighthouse Field Station, where I manage our long-term bottlenose dolphin individual based study.
My current research interest centres on the use and development of techniques, including photo-ID, photogrammetry and acoustics, to study aspects of individual marine mammals to inform ecology and conservation.
Spy in the sky
Long-term individual-based studies provide a unique opportunity to apply unoccupied aerial system (UAS) photogrammetry to non-invasively measure body morphometrics of individuals with known life history information. Our latest study demonstrates that UAS measurements of body width can accurately assign pregnancy status in bottlenose dolphins.
Qualifications
- PhD Ecology2017 - University of Aberdeen
Temporal variation in the demographics and dynamics of a bottlenose dolphin population.
- BSc Marine Biology2004 - University of Aberdeen
- BA Business Studies1992 - Glasgow Caledonian University
Latest Publications
Reduced adult survival estimated in areas of decline of harbour seal populations in Scotland
Ecology and Evolution, vol. 15, no. 10, e72349Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDensity-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems
Nature Ecology & EvolutionContributions to Journals: ArticlesOptimizing automated photo identification for population assessments
Conservation Biology, vol. 39, no. 4, e14436Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14436
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/56fc8511-cbed-4679-ae78-3145316aeb1e/download
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Site Condition Monitoring of bottlenose dolphins within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation 2017-2022: NatureScot Research Report 1360
NatureScot: Scotland's Nature Agency. 39 pagesBooks and Reports: Commissioned ReportsDolphin social phenotypes vary in response to food availability but not the North Atlantic Oscillation index
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 290, no. 2008, 20231187Contributions to Journals: Articles
- Research
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Research Overview
The Lighthouse Field Station research aims to study how natural and anthropogenic variation affects the behaviour, life history and vital rates of marine top predators. I manage our long-term individual based study of bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Scotland. My current research focuses on the application of individual based studies in marine mammal conservation and I am specifically interested in the use and development of techniques to study the ecology of individual marine mammals.
Research Areas

Biological and Environmental Sciences
Research Specialisms
- Ecology
- Marine Biology
- Population Biology
- Population Ecology
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Investigating fecundity and calf survival
Accurately estimating variation in reproduction and survival is critical for supporting conservation. Data from our long-term individual based bottlenose dolphin study was applied in a novel method, allowing for uncertainty in breeding status, to investigate changes in fecundity and calf survival in this protected population.
- Teaching
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- Publications
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Page 2 of 4 Results 11 to 20 of 39
Bottlenose dolphins in the Netherlands come from two sides: across the North Sea and through the English Channel
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, vol. 101, no. 5, pp. 853-859Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315421000679
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/9efef93d-006e-4b6c-a7b0-7d2b1123d412/download
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Balancing risks of injury and disturbance to marine mammals when pile driving at offshore wind farms
Ecological Solutions and Evidence, vol. 1, no. 2, e12034Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.34tmpg4hs
- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12034
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/1f042111-cec4-40d1-8e8b-018f0f4e60e2/download
- [ONLINE] Peer review history
Changing distribution of the east coast of Scotland bottlenose dolphin population and the challenges of area‐based management
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, vol. 29, no. S1, pp. 178-196Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3102
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/21ef74de-55e2-44b4-8435-5e50dfa6ad5c/download
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Harbour porpoise responses to pile-driving diminish over time
Royal Society Open Science, vol. 6, no. 6, 190335Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.5qg30sd
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/ac24d8f0-5cfa-4c64-a2f2-f25cc71a6823/download
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.190335
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
Increasing trends in fecundity and calf survival of bottlenose dolphins in a marine protected area
Scientific Reports, vol. 9, 1767Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38278-9
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/c95af31e-ddac-4d76-9cfc-55406b983837/download
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
Variations in age- and sex-specific survival rates help explain population trend in a discrete marine mammal population
Ecology and Evolution, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 533-544Contributions to Journals: ArticlesLaser photogrammetry reveals variation in growth and early survival in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins
Animal Conservation, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 252-261Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12384
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/33a1221d-8abb-495a-b691-e31e3c651422/download
Responses of bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises to impact and vibration piling noise during harbour construction
Ecosphere, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 1-16Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1793
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/b0e18872-ab45-43fb-9ace-900e07954ae4/download
A new approach to estimate fecundity rate from inter-birth intervals
Ecosphere, vol. 8, no. 4, e01796Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1796
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstreams/1cbb4074-5d2c-488c-9533-f18674d5442e/download
Can the Camera Lie? A Nonpermanent Nick in a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Aquatic Mammals, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 156-161Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.t2462