Kate Chadwick

My background is fairly eclectic having worked on various fisheries and MPA projects and I have spent some time working with the North Atlantic right whale looking at the epigenetic effects of stress in this endangered population. I did my undergrad and Masters at the University of Southampton where my thesis looked at trophic niche and movement in baleen whales using stable isotope analysis (SIA).

Working via the CDT SuMMeR PhD programme my research will use SIA and remote sensing satellite data to better understand the impacts oceanographic perturbations may be having on top marine predators (namely seals and dolphins) and key commercially fished species. Tissues from marine mammals will be used in the SIA portion of this project to look for patterns of stress, changes in diet, and other potentially interesting markers. This will be supported by the satellite data, giving me bottom-up information in relation to oceanographic change and anomalies, community composition at the bottom of the food web, and allow me to potentially ground truth any patterns I see in the isotopic profiles of these animals.

Being back in the UK after 6 years, I feel lucky to be based somewhere like Cornwall. I love diving, coastal walks and getting my pup fixes curtesy of Leymah the lab dog!