Wader ecology and behaviour

One of my interests is how over-wintering waders use the intertidal and surrounding grassland areas. Why do they feed on fields when they can access the intertidal and what are the implications of this change in habitat use for their conservation? This also links to the Quarry Life project where Phil Wheeler, Will Mayes and myself are looking at ways of improving the habitat in quarries for waders. Intertidal ecology

Various themes under this heading explore the structure and function of intertidal systems. How do intertidal fish coexist and what do they feed on? Which algae make the best habitats for epifaunal communities and why? How resilient are intertidal systems to trampling and sediment smothering? I am also involved in a large scale study into the reproductive biology of limpets across the UK in order to investigate the effects of changing sea temperatures and latitude on reproductive success. Evolution and the intertidal

Still following on from my PhD, the role that ecology plays in speciation still fascinates me. The intertidal has strong environmental gradients that organisms have to adapt to, and a particular group of marine snails - littorinids - show various specialisations for living on rocky shores under different environmental and ecological pressures. Littorina saxatilis is the model organism chosen here, as it shows evidence of population subdivision along an environmental gradient that may be driven by predation or adaptation to environmental pressures such as desiccation or habitat availability and stability.

I am keen to take on additional research students with suitable experience and qualifications for any of the above projects. If you are interested in any of the above, please contact me to discuss applications and possibilities for funding. Currently funded positions will be advertised here.

Johnson, ML & Hull, SL 2006, ‘Interactions between fangblennies (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchus) and their potential victims: fooling the model rather than the client?’, Marine Biology, vol. 148, no. 4. Johnson, LJ & Mill, PJ & Hull, SL & Ducrotoy, JP & Caley, KJ 2000, ‘Seasonal patterns in the reproductive activity of barnacle-dwelling littorinids’, Journal Of The Marine Biological Association Of The United Kingdom, vol. 80, no. 5, pp. 821-826. Johnson, LJ & Mill, PJ & Hull, SL & Ducrotoy, JP 2000, ‘The occurrence of abnormal embryos in two ovoviviparous barnacle-dwelling littorinids’, Journal Of The Marine Biological Association Of The United Kingdom, vol. 80, no. 3, pp. 547-548. Hull, SL & Rollinson, D 2000, ‘Clonal diversity and rockpool size in the marine ostracod, Callistocythere badia’, Journal Of The Marine Biological Association Of The United Kingdom, vol. 80, no. 3, pp. 551-552. Scott, GW & Shaw, JH & Hull, SL & Pickaert, C & Burlak, AM 2000, ‘Some implications of plant size in monotypic and polytypic populations of Fucus spiralis’, Journal Of The Marine Biological Association Of The United Kingdom, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 359-360. Hull, SL & Grahame, J & Mill, PJ 1999, ‘Heat stability and activity levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in British Littorinidae’, Journal Of Experimental Marine Biology And Ecology, vol. 237, no. 2, pp. 255-270. Hull, SL 1999, ‘Comparison of tidepool phytal ostracod abundance and assemblage structure on three spatial scales’, Marine Ecology-Progress Series, vol. 182, pp. 201-208. Hull, SL 1999, ‘Intertidal ostracod (Crustacea: Ostracoda) abundance and assemblage structure within and between four shores in north-east England’, Journal Of The Marine Biological Association Of The United Kingdom, vol. 79, no. 6, pp. 1045-1052. Hull, SL & Grahame, J & Mill, PJ 1999, ‘Reproduction in four populations of brooding periwinkle (Littorina) at Ravenscar, North Yorkshire: adaptation to the local environment?’, Journal Of The Marine Biological Association Of The United Kingdom, vol. 79, no. 5, pp. 891-898. Hull, SL 1998, ‘Assortative mating between two distinct micro-allopatric populations of Littorina saxatilis (Olivi) on the northeast coast of England’, Hydrobiologia, vol. 378, no. 1-3, pp. 79-88. Hull, S. 1998, ‘Alarm calls and predator discrimination in a population of House Sparrows, Passer domesticus’, vol. 123. Hull, SL 1997, ‘Seasonal changes in diversity and abundance of ostracods on four species of intertidal algae with differing structural complexity’, Marine Ecology-Progress Series, vol. 161, pp. 71-82. Hull, SL & Grahame, J & Mill, PJ 1996, ‘Morphological divergence and evidence for reproductive isolation in Littorina saxatilis (Olivi) in northeast England’, Journal Of Molluscan Studies, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 89-99. Grahame, J & Mill, PJ & Hull, SL & Caley, KJ 1995, ‘Littorina neglecta Bean: ecotype or species?’, Journal Of Natural History, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 887-899.