My shark research and conservation journey began in my undergraduate at the University of Plymouth during which I was an ambassador for the Shark Trust, gathering public support for campaigns such as the ‘Fins attached’ policy and encouraging participation in the ‘Great Eggcase Hunt’. This set me on a path to research and improve UK shark conservation. 
 

Masters Research [2021 - 2023]

Through the ResM research master’s programme (DoS: Dr Ben Ciotti, 2nd; Prof. Emma Sheehan), I was able to design my own research project, which gave me the freedom to explore the topics I found most pressing. I wanted to understand more about the value of marine protected areas (MPAs) for supporting temperate elasmobranch populations, since much of the existing examples came from the tropics. 

I conducted a literature review to explore the main variables influencing MPA outcomes for elasmobranchs. It became clear that MPA success is mediated by a combination of biophysical and social drivers. Amongst the most important biophysical drivers were the tendency of individuals to form close habitat associations with protected substrates, and even more so when associations form during vital life stages or behavioural functions (aka, Critical Habitats). However, whilst biological and physical variables (e.g. species mobility, habitat quality, habitat associations) set the theoretical limits of an optimally designed MPA, in reality, it is typically a trade-off between ecological and social drivers which limit MPA performance (e.g. local support, MPA design, monitoring). These key findings represented a turning point for me where began to seriously consider the social aspects of shark conservation. 

For my main data chapter, I examined changes in abundance and diversity of the inshore elasmobranch community in response to the Lyme Bay trawling exclusion zone. This area is a particularly interesting case study as it has successfully achieved many of the social and biological variables that often limit MPA outcomes (e.g. an enforced fishing ban, local engagement and support, benthic recovery) making it a prime site for examining MPA performance for temperate species.

By analysing BRUV data, mixed species responses to the partially protected area were found. Whilst trends for many species could not be statistically interrogated due to low occurrences, the fishery closure was found to reduce declines in small-spotted catsharks (Scyliorhinus canicula) meanwhile, thornback rays (Raja clavata) were more abundant inside the MPA than outside, together pointing to potential MPA benefits despite ongoing exploitation of these species. I am currently incorporating the latest years of BRUV data into a manuscript. 

Since, this research focussed only on abundance, questions remained over the exact drivers of these trends and whether they could be explained by habitat use patterns.